Let's play some Mario Party

Even though I am not a huge video gamer now, there is one game that has always had my heart. Mario Party. I love the challenges and the fact that you can play your friends. Although, when I was younger my favorite part of the game wasn’t winning, it was my character.

            While my brother and our friends would fight over who would be Mario or Luigi, I always chose Princess Peach. The reason? I thought she looked like me. Princess Peach became my avatar in the video game world. Like myself, she has blonde hair and loves pink. When I played Mario Party as Princess Peach against all of the boys it was amazing. Having many guy friends, I always got laughed at when I would pick Princess Peach because she's a girl, but after I started winning, the laughs stopped. Princess Peach represented me virtually, she could beat all the boys and she always kept her hair perfect (I tried, but failed).

As I got older, Princess Peach remains my go-to character; I don’t think I would be comfortable playing with any other character in the game. For people who play games such as World of Warcraft, their avatars represent who they are or want to be in the virtual world. The avatars become an extension of the person playing and as a result, can sometimes seem real. Second Life is another example, you can pick any avatar you want that you think represents you. Avatars allow people to be someone else in the virtual world for a little while. They allow people to be creative and do things that they may not be able to in the real world. While it is important to maintain open channels of creativity, it is even more important to balance it with the real world. One of the issues with games such as World of Warcraft is that the virtual world starts to consume all of a gamers time thus becoming immersed in the virtual reality world. The balance of real world priorities and video gaming is hard to do for some gamers who relate to their avatar so much that they choose to just remain in virtual reality mode and dismiss real world priorities and responsibilities. 

            In the end, whenever I play Mario Party, Princess Peach will always be the reminder of my youth, when I used to beat all the boys. Everyone should try playing a game with an avatar, and if you want to play Mario Party, let me know. I’m down for a challenge.

A Feeling Like No Other-flow

After talking about "flow" in class, I got to thinking. As an athlete in high school, I continuously pushed myself to a point where my mind would be completely clear. While many of my teammates played to clear their minds to think, I loved the feeling of pushing myself to where I was thinking about nothing. This got me thinking. If that's how I felt in high school, being an athlete for a major university must be amazing. On top of playing to an extremely high standard, you also have hundreds of fans, including fellow students, cheering you on. The competitive level is in a league of its own. You move from a high school level to college, while in college, you need to work harder then everyone else in order to gain a spot in the pros. After this class began, it got me thinking about an interview I did for one of my sport management classes this year. One of my good friends left Michigan after his sophomore year in order to pursue a dream in the NBA. During the fall semester, I interviewed former Michigan guard and Los Angeles Laker Darius Morris about his thoughts on playing basketball abroad, and what it means for players to travel to other countries to play.

1.     How do you feel about international players playing for the NBA?

I like it because it shows that anybody can play the game. It’s cool because it broadens basketball’s horizons so other people can get involved.

2.     Do you think the NBA should implement a language learning program or should players have to learn it on their own?

If a player comes over, they get a translator, for example, Yao Ming had a translator but eventually learned it on his own.

3.     What fears would you have if you went to play in Europe?

Being away from home and the new culture. Communication would also be really difficult and would be hard to adjust. The style of play is different but for me the struggles would be more off court.

4.     Have you had any interactions with international players? If yes, have you had trouble communicating with them?

Yes, however I keep it basic, I can’t use slang but they are usually able to understand a little bit.

5.     Would you want to learn foreign languages to communicate with potential international players?

I would try to make an effort to learn their language and lifestyle; it would be my responsibility. My brother played overseas and was able to pick up on stuff from his teammates that would help him understand, but he really just did it on his own.

6.     Do you think the media treats non-English speakers equally?

Yes to a certain extent. It really just depends on the players abilities, Yao Ming is an example, his skill translated into media attention. However if there is a non English speaking player and an English speaking player with equal talent, it might be better for a reporter to go to the English speaking player.

7.     In your opinion, what is the biggest difference between European programs and American programs?

The states have more resources that other countries don’t and it is also easier for us to go to college, there is an easier transition to the NBA compared to someone trying to come in and play from overseas. But it doesn't matter where you play, it is the feeling of just "being" while you play. As a former college athlete, I remember the feeling of feeling nothing. Every time I step on the court, I strive for that feeling because I know I am doing something right.

I realized he is talking about flow. That feeling of working so hard for something, being so good at it that it becomes a part of you and you have no thoughts or feelings while doing it. It is something that everyone should try and feel at least once and I am really looking forward to learning about other types of games during the rest of the semester. Go Blue!