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Sunday, February 19, 2012

Xbox live?


Once again I ask my friends for help. Below is an observational essay that have to turn in to my English class. I am looking for help with grammar, and checking the flow. Does it make sense, can you catch the prevailing them, and does it captivate your attention? Comments are welcome.

"It's Alive."
To further add to the escapist view of video games, there appears to be a unique language and culture that has developed in this virtual world. The fear that enters is not in regards to a desensitized population in regards to violence, but rather this infectious conversation rolling over into the real world. Logging into your Xbox Live account you step into another world. Names that are given by parents are replaced with handles, or names you would like to be called. Pr0mdr3ss, 3rd-.-French, n00bK1lla, l0ves0ck13, are just a few I see on a regular basis. Only one of them is mine, but all of them say something about the user on the other side. This world is filled with squeaky voices trying to present themselves as adults, wannabe gangsters, and fourth trimester abortions sitting in their parents basements trying to recapture a life wasted. This is a world of trash talking, were respect is earned. That earned respect is rarely given, but bitter hatred overflows in a world of little consequence.

It was the intent of the game designers to offer a way for players to communicate and have a stronger gaming experience. The theory is that players on the same team would talk with each other to work toward a cooperative goal. It was a utopian idea. It is all rather appealing. You take something you like, and share it with the world. You find those that share your like and build a connection that transcends the physical world. You can see this intent in the architecture and design of the system. The bones lay bare white and pure for the whole world to see.


Flesh is added to those bones. Muscles, fascia, sinew, tendons, blood, and gray matter bring this creature to life. It is the ghost in the shell, an incorporeal form that has taken on a life of its own. If you remember it has no substance, it can not hurt you, but it will try. This Frankenstein beast is wild and unruly with no way to truly punish it, or teach it proper etiquette. How do you spank a child you can not touch, or give boundaries to the wind? So a wild culture appears in this lawless world of social graces.

Hard words sound much more profane when you hear them from the mouth of a Muppet. Young children sit on the other side of the controller enjoying a freedom that one can only hope they do not practice in the corporal world of brick and mortar. Profanity that has made a sailor blush comes out of prepubescent voices at such a rate it loses all power. Fuck is the new "um". I wonder if their parents are present on the other side, or if they are playing in a dark room away from the prying ears of adults. Some parents have said they have heard this speech but understand that their children hear it, but do not return the volley of curses across the veil. It is great to have that faith in your child, but there are times you can't hear into this world of anarchist verbiage. Little Johnny is not Little Johnny in this world, rather he is a trained killer with a manly name and a record all of his peers can see. With that comes a secret language that outsiders might not comprehend and the expectation of vile worlds expressing station and rebellion.
Foreign words carry the taint of English. Words like noob, and pwned are leaking into the real life. "Bunny hopping spawn camping noob tube rockin jerk monkey" was one statement from a high pitched voice of an eleven year old boy. I was impressed that I did not hear him drop the "F" bomb, but that peace was short lived. Shortly after a young lady got on the channel and made the infamous nearly complete sentence of profanity. Loudly she blurted "F you, you Fing F!" Hearing a little girl say that made me think about how nasty it really sounds. I know I am no saint. I am former sailor, and currently a soldier. My mouth is no virgin. I am however much more aware of my words hearing those same words come from the mouth of babes.

The worst part of this subculture of harsh words is that those little bastards back it up. In the real world I am positive I could, and probably would, choke slam most of these trash talking disrespectful little turds. However in this new frontier, many of them move with a natural grace that rivals a gymnast. They back it up and punish you. The easiest way to get respect and gain control is to be better than them. Not morally better than them, but tactically and practically better. Having grown up with the pixelated reality, you would be hard pressed to teach these children anything. This is the world they were born to, and you are tiger taking on a school of tuna in the deepest ocean.

This is a world were strongest rise, and no one really dies. It is a violent paradise to rival Valhalla. Each time a warrior falls he or she is reborn to continue to fight. There is no feast in this world, but most have a buffet of Doritos and mass produced cream filled pastries to sate that simple desire. The only thing lacking in abundance is the sexual favors that would make this a truly primal fantasy of indulgence. This is a warrior culture bent on hedonism, unchecked by morality. When you see the beauty of it though, it is hard to look away. While the concept is repulsive to our more conservative physical nature, this is a world world were the primal soul can run free.

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