Blumler and Katz's theory:
People play video games to satisfy their needs in different
ways. One of these would be escapism as explained in the Blumer and Katz theory.
This gives people the chance to escape from their everyday lives and experience
the thrill of a video game. If your day has been awful or pressurising, you can
play video games to relieve that stress and to escape from your current worries
and problems. They can escape from reality and see things in a different,
easier perspective which can be very good for mental health. A good example of
escaping is the Lego movie video game as it gives people the chance for them to
be in control of their fate and feel free. It gives players the chance to dive
in further into the Lego world as you can explore different aspects that maybe
you haven’t experienced before and can escape into the Lego world. It gives
players the chance to be in a fantasy world where if anything is going wrong,
they can start again, unlike real life. They can go to and transfer themselves
into an ideal reality. People of any ages get to experience what life would be
like in a Lego world, therefore deepening their knowledge in the concept of
Lego they love and becoming someone else for a brief moment.
Another gratification of video games would be shared values
and beliefs. I think that video games could present morals to children and
casually teach them that good people are always heroes no matter who they are.
A great example would be again the Lego movie video game. This is because
Emmet, who is just a normal man, has a good heart and so has been chosen to
defeat Lord Business. Lord Business, who is seen as an evil character subtly
teaches children that evil people in your life will be defeated and its up to
you to cut them out of your life. In general video games, there could be
violent aspects and the people you need to kill will normally be enemies. Although
you should never kill someone, it could make them think that it is up to you to
not relate with the ‘evil’ people and try and better yourself to be on the
better side. Video games gives people the chance the have shared values that
you see in yourself which will likely be positive and therefore have hope to be
like them. As the game goes on, you get more attached to it and want something
specific to happen and that shows that you care and can be used outside the
game by transferring into people skills.
In conclusion, I think that videos give people the chance to
relax and escape reality, even if it is just for a moment. Everyone has different
uses and gratifications that will affect each person in a different way. Video
games can give people the chance to escape, divert from their daily life, be
entertained and much more. The Blumler and Katz’s theory is relatable to most
people as most people do feel a connection to the game they are playing.
Mark 10/10 Brilliant, Tabi! You really explained this well and you know the theory.
ReplyDeleteBlumler and Katz argued that there are many uses and gratifications that audiences gain from the media and these make the media successful. Personal identity, social integration and integration, entertainment, and surveillance are four types of uses and gratifications.
Video games offer entertainment: The Lego Movie Game, like most games, allows the player to enter a fictional world that means they can escape from their everyday life. It allows players to re-experience entertaining aspects of the original film, such as its humour and silliness. As players work their way up the levels they can feel the satisfaction of becoming an expert player.
Video games offer social interaction/integration: many multiplayer games enable a worldwide community of players
to come together in the game and communicate with each other; many gamers use online forums to discuss games with fellow fans. The Lego Movie Game is not a multiplayer game, but it does offer a set of characters that the audience already knows that they can interact with – this can give them a sense of belonging as if they are a member of a real community. Video games also allow people to escape from the people that they live with, if necessary, which may make it easier for them to live together. The more entertaining a game is, the better it can serve this purpose.