Halo 3 hits the markets hard
- posted: 05 June 2007
- scrollarts@byui.edu
On May 16, the highly anticipated Halo 3 multiplayer beta debuted over the Xbox Live multiplayer gaming network. The first two installments of the Halo series have played major roles in the lives of millions of teens and college students over the last six years.
Halo, along with countless other computer and console video games, has occupied the free time of students worldwide, but many are still unclear as to tahe effects of gaming on student success.
The Pew Internet & American Life Project recently released the results of a study done in 2003 to determine the true effects of video games on student lifestyle.
According to a statement on the project’s web site, www.pewinternet.org, Pew is a non-profit research center which “produces reports that explore the impact of the Internet on families, communities, work and home, daily life, education, health care, civic and political life.”
The study showed that 65 percent of students reported being regular or occasional video game players, and that, for the most part, games are played to help spend time when friends are not available. Some BYU-Idaho students have similar feelings.
“Video games are great!” said Jackie Ellish, a senior from Temecula, Calif. “They give me something to do on Friday and Saturday nights when I don’t have a date.”
Apart from simply passing time when friends are unavailable, the study also showed that one out of every five students believes video games help them make new friends as well as improve existing relationships. Multiplayer gaming parties give students a way to interact with existing friends in a competitive way, while Internet games allow people from all over the world to meet and compete.
Despite the benefits some feel video gaming brings to their life, many students feel games should still be played sparingly. “Video games can be relaxing and fun, but they definitely need to be dealt with in a responsible, moderate manner” said Amanda Simmons, a freshman from Huntington Beach, Calif.
Pew’s study shows that the number of hours devoted to studying by gamers per week was close to the number for college students in general (about 7 to 12 hours on average).
However, 48 percent of gamers said that video games keep them from studying “some” or “a lot.” About one out 10 students admitted their main motivation for playing video games was to avoid studying.
“I think video games are just a big waste of time,” said Jeremy Connell, a sophomore from Crystal Lake, Ill. “There are so many better things [to do].”
Many of those questioned in Pew’s study seem to have similar opinions. Over half of students surveyed believe time spent playing video games could not be called “quality time”, and almost one-third said games took them away from other leisure activities “some” or “a lot.”
Many students also agree that they could be spending their time in better ways. Gaming provides an escape from the pressures of college life, but many other outlets also exist.
While Pew’s study did not include information, such as the direct effect of video games on grades, their influence on day-to-day thoughts and actions, or the correlation between hours spent gaming and number of social outings per month, it gives a bit of insight on how students personally believe gaming affects them.
