Marc Jackson
Com 250
Professor Nicholas Taylor
22 April 2016
Communication in the Wild
The modern world we live in is filled with digital media. One of the most dominant forms is the video game. There is an entire sub-culture centered on competitive gaming. The opposite side of that is the leisure aspect; this is the side I chose to focus on for the purposes of this project. A good place to see this leisure side of gaming first hand is the “Barcade”, “Boxcar “. Boxcar is an establishment that combines elements of a traditional bar with the nostalgic feel of an arcade. This establishment combines 2 aspects that allow for visual media consumption in a unique 21st centaury manner. My experience visiting the Barcade was not only enjoyable but also a good learning experience considering the historical context.
To begin with, a unique part of the establishment is that it has a feeling of nostalgia from the 1980s. Historically speaking, the arcade has roots that trace back to the early 19th century. As opposed to the new “Street Fighter” or “Mortal Kombat”, parlor owners filled their shops with the games of their time. This included novelties like phonographs and kinescopes. The kinescope for example was an early machine that allowed patrons to view short films, individually though a peephole. This visual communication was groundbreaking as it allowed people to gaze at moving images. As time progressed shop owners began charging money and adding more attractions. “Arcade patrons flocked to coin-operated peep show machines, shooting galleries, grip and strength testers, stationary bicycles, slot machines.” Amounts ranging from 25 to 50 cents were the price of admission. Though during that time frame the value of 50 cents is much greater than what it is today. This new kind of media infatuated users as it is a new dynamic that previously did not exist. This is an illustration of McLuhan’s statements during his interview with playboy. He stated, “the medium is the message”. In other words the channel by which something is delivered has a symbiotic relationship on how the message is received. I hypothesize that the popularity for parlors featuring novelties advanced because the medium was well liked. This ultimately translates to the message being received well.
Moving forward, my experience with Boxcar was highly enjoyable for a multitude of reasons. The Barcade is a neo rendition of the arcade, which reached the height of its popularity during the 80s and 90s. The logo however was very modest in that it did not reflect wild colors and shapes of the 90s. Instead the signs were very modest and conservative. This gave it a very “histerish” feel that is heavily associated with young adults. Hipster culture is surrounded by much ambiguity however most agree that it is primarily composed of young adults ranging from the 20s to 30s in age. One interpretation of hispster culture is that it is young professionals whom live in affluent neighborhoods. Under that definition occupants of the “Barcade” coincide with hipster culture being that Raleigh is an affluent city. Another facet of hipster culture is the rejection of anything that is considered mainstream. A bar mixed with a traditional arcade is not a widespread mix, furthering its hipster essence. As a 90s baby I was born on the heels of the era where arcades were popular. This left me with enough memory of the time frame to appreciate the nostalgia of this experience.
Next, Boxcar had an array of classic games that allowed millennials to revisit their childhoods. As I walked in I saw some of my personal favorite games such as Street fighter, NBA jam and even an arcade version of guitar hero that gave it a modern twist. Other attractions included shooting games such as Jurassic park and more interactive games like “Dance Dance Revolution”. One of the most important aspects of a bar is the lighting. Multiple layers of light is a tool to obtain excellent lighting. The setting was very dim such that the much of the illumination came from the arcade games themselves. The bright lights along top of the game that displayed its name provided a large amount of light. Also, the lights in the building were dim, this gave it more characteristics of a bar than an arcade.
Additionally, the employees contributed to the laid back feel of a traditional arcade. By this I mean workers were not heavily involved in the establishment’s gaming aspect. For example, when I walked in though I noticed few individuals wearing boxcar shirts (whom I assumed were staff) in the arcade area. The only place where employees were active in serving customers was at the actual bar. Throughout my entire hour endeavor at Boxcar, I did not interact with an employee once. Upon first entering the venue, I was not greeted at the door. I stood in observation as I watched people migrate from game to game. Customarily when you enter any establishment you are asked if you require assistance in what you are looking for or told to let a staff member know if you need help. This was not the case at Boxcar, patrons walked around the arcade freely without interruption from any employee. Needless to say this was new for me. It was not until I shuffled around clueless for a few moments that I noticed the change machine against the wall. This supported the entire notion of having a relaxed staff that did not interfere much. Seeing the machine it was my assumption that I would need cash, however the machine accepted debit. The machine furthers my hypothesis that having a laissez faire staff is apart of Boxcar’s business model. The t-shirt stand was also a center for employee interaction though I did not partake in that aspect of the venue. Interestingly enough, the hands off business model of Boxcar worked against them during my experience. There was a situation in which I was playing “Street Fighter II” and the analog stick was unresponsive. I lost the round and ultimately wasted the money I put into the machine because I couldn’t move my character. I felt somewhat about this, as I looked around to find a staff member who could potentially rectify the situation, there was not one in sight. I was not compelled to go out of my way to find assistance on a 25-cent game .At the same time I feel as if the service should have been at a standard that would not have allowed me to be in that circumstance to begin with. Perhaps if the employees were more active on the gaming floor this would not have been an issue. Having said that, the “hands off” attitude towards the gaming aspect can be both good and bad for customers. On the positive side a laid back staff allows for the customer to enjoy themself without the inconvenience of having to go through several hurdles involving staff to play the games. Consequently this can have a negative effect in the event of requiring assistance during bad experience comparable to mine.
Furthermore, there is a terrible double standard that exists within the gaming culture. Women are frequently chastised and disrespected by men because gaming is often seen as an activity that should be only for men. This sexist attitude towards females manifests itself in 2 main ways in the video game industry. First ‘The British Broadcasting Corporation’ (BBC) stated that since the 1990s female characters in video games have remained plateaued at 15 percent. Unequal representation serves as a way of driving women out of gaming culture. Sadly enough within that 15 percent of female characters, a high concentration of them are sexualized to appease men. This representation is merely a facet of a much larger problem regarding women being seen through a lens of objectivity. This has caused disproval from not only women but also children. A study, which polled about 1,400 United States youths, showed that 47 percent of middle school and 61 percent of high school boys are displeased with women being over-sexualized in video games. The other facet that this sexism manifests itself is through cyber bullying and online persecution. Many female gamers face harassment from peer gamers simply because of their biological sex. There is evidence of this. For example a “New York Times” article told the story of one gamer’s struggle, Brianna Wu. She is a prominent online gamer who revealed that a online troll once sent her a messaging stating he wanted to end her life by putting a drill through her forehead. Having some knowledge of women’s struggles in gaming, it was interesting to observe their interaction in a gaming environment.
To my surprise, there were more females at Barcade than I had expected. Women were not only present with men in a date like fashion but there were also groups of women present. People watching is a hobby of mine so naturally when in a public space I spend a little extra time observing the individuals I share a space with. The most interesting observation regarding women occurred at the guitar hero station. It was in this scenario that I encountered a group of females playing head to head on a heavy metal song. They were submersed in the “full Barcade experience” as they also had alcoholic beverages as well. This was refreshing to see as I am someone who considers myself to be a feminist, liberal and advocator of equality. Thinking about the rules of the establishment both written and unwritten there were some that I noticed immediately. I noticed that when I used the change machine it gave me “Boxcar tokens” as opposed to quarters. I question if that is an effort to prevent people using the machines to get quarters and using them elsewhere. Secondly, I question the purpose of having boxcar tokens as a method of starting games as a whole. With regard to written rules I imagine that high intoxication to the point of disrupting others gamers is not acceptable. However thinking of unexpected rules I imagine arcade aspect allows for leeway with certain things. Of those one would be noise level. Video games are a visual medium that contrives excitement from users. Because of this I think things such as running, play fighting and being a little noisy are acceptable. Though my experience I felt it was necessary to go with friends who will play the game with you. I looked around and it seemed as if I was the only person who was there alone. Each game had at least 2 occupants, for competitive gaming. At the same time I did not know if it is an unwritten rule to where you intrude and ask other gamers for them to play against you or join their “group”. This was especially a barrier for me because I am introverted and often come off as socially awkward. In any setting not solely the Barcade, if I am alone in a setting that I do not know anyone, I wont say much. Therefore that behavior remained constant at Boxcar and I played against the CPU in each game that I played.
In conclusion, my experience at the Barcade was less than desirable due to going alone and faulty arcade games. Also, the hands off staff did not provide much help when need though I can see its benefits. Concepts of sexism and Marshal McLuhan’s “the medium is the message” were on my mind throughout my visit. Overall The visit was fulfilling as I can walk a way with an heightened understanding of the arcade medium and its history through my field trip to the Barcade.
Works Cited
Out of Class Sources
“Chapter Four. Moments of Vision.” Reading In Memoriam (n.d.): n. pag. Web.
Dougherty, Conor, and Mike Isaac. “SXSW Addresses Online Harassment of Women in Gaming.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 13 Mar. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
Gittleson, Kim. “Why Does Sexism Persist in the Video Games Industry?” BBC News. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
“Lighting Series: The Importance of Lighting In Restaurant Deisgn.” Http://www.whitlockarchitects.com/. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
Class Sources
“Music, Social Media and Global Mobility.” (2011): n. pag. Web.
1. Published In: Handbook of Computer Games Studies, Edited by Joost Raessens & Jeffrey Goldstein, Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press, 2005. Erkki Huhtamo (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
“The Playboy Interview | Next Nature Network.” Next Nature Network. N.p., 23 Dec. 2009. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
Stuart, Keith. “Even Teenage Boys Are Sick of Sexist Video Games, Survey Finds.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 10 July 2015. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.