Halo and Flow
I live in Fluor Tower and every night there are video game marathons. The guys on my floor always play and some of their favorites include Smash, Halo 2, and the new addition, Dead or Alive. I have played each of these games a couple of times in the past, but I am least experienced in Halo 2. Halo 2 has been difficult for me, but my skills are progressively improving. Although I am new to the game, I have experienced flow at certain times. I become engulfed in the virtual world because I have to fulfill my responsibilities and duties as a member of a team. Halo 2 is fast-paced because I must constantly move and be aware of my surroundings. This is my means of protecting myself from the other team because I would become an easy target as a stagnant and predictable player. The competition is at the forefront. For instance, I play Capture the Flag and Team Slayer. The goal of capture the flag is to capture the opposing team’s flag and return it safely to the base. In Team Slayer, the goal is to kill the avatars from the other team as quickly as possible because the first team to obtain 50 kills is the winner. Halo 2 is so intense and stimulates my senses. At times, I have played for hours. Sometimes I have felt flow, but my frustration and outside elements have become distractions. In my attempt to master the game, I am acknowledging that I am playing a game. On rare occasions, I forget external elements as means of more efficiently communicating with my teammates and excelling within the game. When playing Halo 2 “time becomes distorted” because my reality becomes the game. As a first person shooter I experience, the first person point-of-view. This realistic perception of the virtual world allows me to experience flow because the tv screen serves as my eyes. Sometimes I become anxious and nervous when playing because I anticipate the attacks. This obstructs flow because my focus and concentration are disrupted in my attempt to improve my gaming abilities. In regards to achieving flow I need a lot of improvement, which will develop as I become more confident I my skill and more comfortable with the game, my surroundings, and my emotions.