“Becoming a Part of Something Bigger Than Yourself” by Jane McGonigal is an article that explains why and how people feel drawn to things larger than themselves for reasons of a larger scale, a better context of action, and a more fulfilling environment. Initially, McGonigal introduces the text with an anecdote of sorts about how Halo players banded together in order to make their 10 billionth kill against a fictional enemy. McGonigal then explains why this little story matters, by defining a difference between value and meaning. She explains that Halo’s kills may not be of any value to anybody, but they mean something to someone (McGonigal 444-446)
McGonigal talks about why people are drawn to things of an epic scale. She initially points …show more content…
She explains how environments help set the mood for an environment and how they create an aesthetic that players can get behind. McGonigal talks about the real-world epic environments, like the Grand Canyon, or the Great Barrier reef, and how despite the fact that both the naturally epic environments are similar to man-made environments in the sense that they make a person feel small in comparison, she argues that the man-made environments are just built differently. In the text she states, “A built environment is different: It’s not the work of nature, but rather a feat of design and engineering. It’s a human accomplishment. And that makes it feel both humbling and empowering at the same time. It makes us feel smaller as individuals, but it also makes us feel capable of much bigger things, together” (451). She then explains that this is the reason that Halo environments are similar to wonders of the world like the Taj Mahal, or the Great Wall of China. Halo also falls into the category of a man-made environment. She then continues, explaining how Halo manages to instill wonder into the player through not just mere magnitude, but also through the detail and diversity that is carefully crafted into these environments. McGonigal argues that as the Taj mahal is a feat of engineering, creating the environments with the craftsmanship of Halo is equated to that of a feat of …show more content…
She considers what humanity could do if everyone banded together and fought on the same side for once. She delves back into meaning, and how despite the fact that Halo, to most people, is a game without worth, if everyone focused their efforts into just one objective it would be the largest collective experience in all of humanity, and that is what Halo is truly about. She talks about how people find fulfillment through the eyes of others and for the accomplishments people achieve along the way. McGonigal argues that Halo is fulfilling to most people in the sense that Halo helps people feel like they are contributing to a larger cause, and that because of this fulfillment in a fictional world, people seek out this sort of fulfillment in real life. She states that because of the centralized tasks that video games provide, they help fulfill a human need for clarity, success, social connectivity, and most importantly, the need to be a part of something greater than themselves (454-455). All in all, Halo, in order to fulfill this final need, uses a larger scale overall, a higher meaning for actions, and outstanding
McGonigal talks about why people are drawn to things of an epic scale. She initially points …show more content…
She explains how environments help set the mood for an environment and how they create an aesthetic that players can get behind. McGonigal talks about the real-world epic environments, like the Grand Canyon, or the Great Barrier reef, and how despite the fact that both the naturally epic environments are similar to man-made environments in the sense that they make a person feel small in comparison, she argues that the man-made environments are just built differently. In the text she states, “A built environment is different: It’s not the work of nature, but rather a feat of design and engineering. It’s a human accomplishment. And that makes it feel both humbling and empowering at the same time. It makes us feel smaller as individuals, but it also makes us feel capable of much bigger things, together” (451). She then explains that this is the reason that Halo environments are similar to wonders of the world like the Taj Mahal, or the Great Wall of China. Halo also falls into the category of a man-made environment. She then continues, explaining how Halo manages to instill wonder into the player through not just mere magnitude, but also through the detail and diversity that is carefully crafted into these environments. McGonigal argues that as the Taj mahal is a feat of engineering, creating the environments with the craftsmanship of Halo is equated to that of a feat of …show more content…
She considers what humanity could do if everyone banded together and fought on the same side for once. She delves back into meaning, and how despite the fact that Halo, to most people, is a game without worth, if everyone focused their efforts into just one objective it would be the largest collective experience in all of humanity, and that is what Halo is truly about. She talks about how people find fulfillment through the eyes of others and for the accomplishments people achieve along the way. McGonigal argues that Halo is fulfilling to most people in the sense that Halo helps people feel like they are contributing to a larger cause, and that because of this fulfillment in a fictional world, people seek out this sort of fulfillment in real life. She states that because of the centralized tasks that video games provide, they help fulfill a human need for clarity, success, social connectivity, and most importantly, the need to be a part of something greater than themselves (454-455). All in all, Halo, in order to fulfill this final need, uses a larger scale overall, a higher meaning for actions, and outstanding