FIFA 09: A Buffet of Awesomeness

I think that Steven Johnson is about 100% correct in his sleeper curve hypothesis. The sleeper curve is saying that as it may look as though today’s popular culture is making people dumber; it is in fact making people smarter. I think that people say this because people about 18 and under have become more secluded to the comfort of their homes instead of being outside playing. In today’s times, we are surrounded by technology 24/7 that helps us with just about everything. With this technology, more things are being available right in the comfort of our homes. The major contributors of this happening is watching television and playing video games. Watching television and movies may seem like forms of entertainment, but does actually educate the viewers without them know. With the extinction of flashing arrows and the increase in multiple threads, movies and television have become complex making the viewer think more and more. A perfect example of this would be the television show, Lost. Video games have had a big impact on today’s culture too. This was the biggest surprise for me. Video games have always been a big part of my life. I play for both entertainment and competitive playing for whenever I need to put some of my friends in their place. The game that I have been blessed with this past quarter was FIFA 09. Sports games may not seem like the perfect example of what Steven Johnson has to say, this game offers just about everything he talks about on a silver platter. It has good examples of probing and telescoping in it. FIFA 09 brings the player closer to the soccer field than ever before. The strategizing for each game is a great example of probing and winning “trophies” (Playstation’s form of achievements) is a great example of telescoping. Plus the other modes of playing, this game offers the player a buffet of playing soccer that not only entertains you, but also get your mind to think.