Becky+Yates+-+Paper+1+reflection

I started writing my paper late at night when I finally had time to relax after swim practice and school. I do most of my homework in the hallway outside of my room because it is quiet, well lit, and there are not a lot of distractions like there are in my room. I find it hard to be in public and concentrate because I get easily distracted by people. I used a computer to write the paper, because I think it’s faster and it enables me to keep up with my thoughts. It is also easier to save and edit documents. I didn’t listen to music while I wrote this paper but I can and usually do. I did some research before writing and cited those sources in my paper. I decided to incorporate the pre-draft within my final draft because the idea of video games being art appealed to me and has recently become a reason for why video games matter to me as well. I began with my experience within the gaming world by saying which games I have played and on what systems. I also stated how much I am able to play games today and why. After that I discussed my observations of video games today. Then I analyzed the difference between art and entertainment and that I thought video games were more art and will soon be recognized for that. Then I talked about why video games are so popular now and why they are so mainstream. I noted that location and the joy gamers get from playing games and accomplishing certain levels or goals are why they are popular and common. I am not that knowledgeable about video games so I am not able to really come up with ideas of my own. I overcame this by researching and citing sources other than myself so that I could have useful information to base my thoughts and form opinions on. I used the articles that we read in class because they were relevant and we had discussed them in class. I think that research is important for things you don’t know and things you even think you know but may not be accurate. You could always discover something new or a different side of something that can alter your perception in a positive way. The most difficult part of this paper was trying to write about why video games are so mainstream today because I do not play them anymore and I could not come up with good reasons for my lack of current experience. If someone was having trouble getting started on this paper I would tell them to talk to someone who plays video games and ask them questions that may be included in your paper for a basic understanding of what you will want to talk about.