Jiafinalproject

Introduction
] The twenty first century has presented new mediums of entertainment for us to enjoy. For instance, the classic game Mario that was first released in 1981 for a Nintendo arcade game featuring Donkey Kong has advanced through enhanced graphics and game options. However, the implication of modern technology has forced it to change from a game that was once played on an arcade into a game that can now be played on the Nintendo Wii for family and friends to experience the action at home. In addition, as video games begin to change, society does as well. For example, society becomes more interactive through mediums such as social networking. The inevitable truth is that as technology advances, it begins to conquer the previous innovations to represent remediation. With the growth of technology on the rise, our traditional culture of literacy has almost completely diminished because of technology’s digitalizing effect. However, due to technology, the changes that we go through have formed new arguments such as whether or not video games are considered art work. The most beneficial aspect of technology is the expansion of knowledge and how easily different interpretations are transmitted. These numerous changes have caused the classic game Mario to envelope technological advancements as well.

]This project will identify the significance of how the wired world has impacted [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Smash_Bros. Super Smash Bros.] There are new features that have accompanied the development of Super Smash Bros. that will be discussed. Upon the release of Super Smash Bros. there were new features that began to develop such as new systems used for home entertainment, and players creating guides by posting videos. The wired world has enabled gamers to conveniently access guides such as Wikipedia and also social networking that allow players to meet and interact. Moreover, the changes that Super Smash Bros. endured eventually caused fans to become more interactive by sharing game concerns and providing helpful tips. These online communities provide many new ideas from diverse backgrounds and expose gamers to new viewpoints that could potentially help them in their game. Due to technology, video game fans can acquire information rapidly because of search engines such as Google, which replaces written guides and this is considered remediation because technology is dominating physical text The process of change led to a gradual decline of traditional form of literature such as books. Instead, modern literacy replaces texts. According to Walter J. Ong, the author of Print, Space, and Closure points out that remediation such as new forms of media is inevitable because since the origin of language, there has been rapid changes from spoken language and then to written The change from the physical text to an online medium offers gamers new opportunities that will enhance their gaming experience because of the countless oppurtunities. As technology advances, new ideas and perspectives emerge. For example, in the classical era art was perceived to be sophisticated and music were used to elicit thoughts. However, just recently video games such as Super Smash Bros. have been categorized as art because it communicates with players. A defining characteristic of the wired world is a society of people with different interpretations. With this technology, information can spread rapidly especially among the community of Super Smash Bros. players. Through the distribution of interpretations, knowledge eventually expands. Gamers that dwell in the twenty first century are presented with new means of acquiring the necessitates to reach a new level of gaming.

]The growth of technology has provided fans of Super Smash Bros. a convenient means of interaction which helped expand information about this game by making it readily accessible to audiences. According to Pierre Levy, he points out that “New knowledge culture has arisen as our ties to older forms of social community are breaking down.” Levy implies that our new means of acquiring knowledge has caused a gradual breakdown in the old way of obtaining knowledge. For example, a community just for Super Smash Bros was created which includes Youtube videos and forums. However, all these new methods of obtaining knowledge through social interaction has remediated Mario strategy guides which was once the primary source of obtaining knowledge for video games. Modern technology made information easier to acquire, so from videos, fans can acquire more information about the game. These online communities have made it easier for new information to pour out, and simplified the game because of the constant help players offer one another.

Knowledge Communities
A feature of the wired world is how it enables individuals to disperse knowledge in a more convient way. The dispersement of knowledge is accomplished through online communities that allow the exchange of knowledge. This method has envitably enhanced the way individuals obtain knowledge. The rapid advancement of technology in the wired world has expanded knowledge globally through interactive communities.

Mario Wiki
Wikipedia pages such as Mariowiki is a knowledge community because anyone can contribute, so Wikipedia shares and distributes knowledge. The fans of Super Smash Bros. have access to this information which provides important game feature topics. On Wikipedia, different gamers combine their knowledge on this online community and provide game facts. For instance, there is a contents tab that provides an outline of everything that will be explained about Super Smash Bros. A detailed explanation of gameplay is provided, and anonymous users can add and modify information to make it more coherent. Furthermore, pictures accompany the text as well to clarify important topics. A character list is also provided that offer information such as the series that all the characters appeared in, the moves of each character, and a detailed description of the character. The character list offers important information for gamers because it categorizes them by default, unlockable, and non-playable characters. Therefore, this Wikipedia page offers valuable insight such as teaching gamers how to unlock certain characters. The contributors provided additional information such as the different stages in Super Smash Bros. and the items that can be used throughout the game. This Wikipedia page designed for Mario has many important features because all this information can provide gamers an advantage. One user added how to unlock the Mushroom Kingdom by stating “beating 1-Player mode with the eight original characters, and by playing on each stage in VS. Mode.” This Super Mario Bros. Wiki page has all the gamer’s necessities compiled together which is more flexible than print.

Die-hard Mario Fans
There is a forum known as smashboards community designed for fans of Super Smash Bros., and fans play a pivotal role in the wired world. Consequently, knowledge is distributed among users in these forums. Fans have the priviledge to post any upcoming information about Super Smash Bros., or they can help other gamers. The smashboards enable the distribution of knowledge about the game Super Smash Bros. These forums are the perfect place for gamers to obtain knowledge because there are so many users that have acquired valuable experiences from the game. Therefore, smashboards provide important information for Super Smash Bros. fans. For instance, this forum has a Smash news section that discusses different tournament videos and other events about the game. According to Omni a smashboards user discovered that the creator of Super Smash Bros. Masahiro Sakurai is about to release a new Super Smash Bros. game. Omni claims that "Sakurai is actually ready to start his push onto the newest Smash Bros. sequel for Wii U (for real this time)." This find is significant because it exposes knowledge that is only available to users that have joined smashboards. Afterwards, users begin to post about their own opinions about new information. The significance of this forum is it lists all three Super Smash Bros. game on the homepage and each of them has their own discussion sections. In each of the Smash Bros. game, there is a discussion topic that provides workshops and tutorials. There are also help sections that guide the players that have difficulties working their way through the game. Accordingly, users can also post questions they have, and experienced players will respond. The smashboards forum is an example of how the wired world caused friendly interactions, so players can unite and work more efficiently throughout the game.

Mario is everywhere
Another interactive feature of the wired world are blogs. This blog biasedvideogamerblog shares information by introducing the Super Smash Bros. 3DS Preview. The user BlueZero provides upcoming information about this new game by including key features of hardware for the 3DS such as local and WifI, messaging, and more. This blog post plays an important role in the wired world because the user BlueZero has inside information about the upcoming Mario game. However, the user still decides to share the information. This example is the circulation of knowledge across the internet. When other Mario fans come across this blog, they too will acquire this valuable information because the wired world has enabled this unique feature of knowledge distribution. Anonymous users can comment back on the blog and provide more ideas. For instance, play3dsnow a guest commented by mentioning that "yes, since the 3DS is out the demand for high quality games like this has risen up." This piece of information is important because it informs the audience about the increase popularity of the new Mario game on the 3DS. The biasedvideogamer blog in particular provides important information about the upcoming Mario game, and BlueZero's personal opinion accompanies it which makes this a significant feature in the wired world.

Remediation
Due to the modern technology, tasks that were once a hassle has been now simplified. These new mediums from technology has replaced society's traditional mediums that were once helpful. Eventually society becomes dependent on these new mediums to acquire information because of its accessibliliy and convienence. The wired world now presents these new features of technology that replaces the technology of the previous generations with new mediums that expands the flow of information.

Good Ol' Strategy Guides
Gamefaqs is a website that tends to remediate strategy guides. According to a voluntary poll on the website infendo the vast majority of voters would rather use websites to gather tips and information for game success. However, now only a small amount of gamers would actually purchase a strategy guide to accompany their video game purchase. An anonymous user posted “I use gamefaqs for about half the games I play nowadays, I think I have almost become dependent on it and forget how i ever gamed without it.” The gamefaq website remediates strategy guides because it provides gamers with the necessities that they crave in order to succeed in games such as group discussions that allow the exchange of ideas. Gamers eventually grew dependent on websites because of the instant responses for their questions. For example, gamefaq has an enormous list of Mario games that extends from the classic until the modern. Accordingly, there are also Super Smash Bros. cheats, game description, guides and ratings. In comparison to traditional print resources such as strategy guides, gamefaqs provide more opportunities for acquiring knowledge. The remediation of print has caused gamers to acquire knowledge differently than past generations. According to Nicholas Carr the author of "Is "Google making us stupid," he asserts that due to online search engines, our society has become dependent on instantaneous results. This also relates to gamefaqs because everything that gamers need is incorporated onto one website that provides instantaneous results

Mario is now on YouTube
The wired world presents gamers with new advantages such as videos. Videos are considered to be the modern strategy guides because it remediates print and websites. Fans of Super Smash Bros. can observe game techniques in motion. Popular video sites such as YouTube provide gamers with videos that show them upcoming games without them having to purchase a video game magazine. Youtube provides a gigantic list of videos about Super Smash Bros. that include game tutorials and walkthroughs. Moreover, the information that print provides is limited when compared to the countless videos that YouTube has to offer. The videos on YouTube are from experienced players that are willing to expose more about the game than publishers of game magazines. In fact, YouTube is a online community of players with a diverse background of game experience. This large online video community enable users to provide answers and gain valuable insights from other gamers. This form of remediation replaces strategy guides that only explain game procedures and tips. With YouTube, gamers will be given a new opportunity to explore the unique features that this new medium has in stored.



Mario goes Viral on the Internet
The official Nintendo magazine website has replaced the previous generation’s Nintendo Power magazines because of the numerous options to acquire information. This blog written by Colette Barr about Super Smash Bros. on the official Nintendo magazine website has an interactive feature that allow fans to discuss their thoughts which increases the amount of views. So far, there are approximately fifty eight comments on this blog about Smash Bros. 3DS. Unfortunately, subscribers of Nintendo Power that receive a copy of their new magazine do not have this option of interactively expressing their opinions on a new Super Smash Bros. game. Accordingly, this survey that was conducted by the Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism reports that “18-to-29-year-old group overwhelmingly cast their vote with the web; 65% said the Internet was their main news source.” This data shows that the dominant method of obtaining information now is through online resources such as websites. In addition, the Nintendo magazine website is more flexible because of the numerous sections which include news, previews, reviews, and more. The traditional print only offers information that is engraved which is limited to readers and it includes no interaction.



Interpretive Disputes
The signifcance of the digtal age is the expansion of arguments that are inevitable. Technology enables individuals to freely exchange ideas without restraint which leads to arguments because everyone has a different interpretation. The development of interpretation is from the unique experience that one is equipped with. The interactive society that audiences dwell in enables the sharing of different interpretations that eventually create disputes.

Melee vs. Brawl
This topic on gamefaq mentions the gamer’s dispute that Super Smash Brothers Melee is better than Brawl. These responses are soley based on the experience of players. However, this is how information expands and distributes among society. One gamer mentions that Melee is better than Brawl because it is “Capable of faster paced gameplay with actual combos. IMO, more skillful gameplay.” However, another memeber of gamefaqs with the username habefiet that played Brawl mentions its flaws “Tripping? Auto-sweetspotting the ledge? Not dying until infinite percents? Effectively impossible to do combos more than like three hits in a row?).” The dispute lasts for about six pages with each gamer posting their thoughts. This dispute is also important for individuals who wants to purchase the game and is trying to decide whether to purchase Melee or Brawl.



Super Smash Bros. Brawl Party Game?
A defining characteristic of modern technology is the expansion of interpretations. On gamefaqs, the thread creator argues that Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a party game. In order for the thread creator to support this claim, insightful examples are provided such as “In smash bros case, it's different, you need more than 2 people to do a party.” In addition, this gamer also compares it to classic fighting games such as Mortal Kombat and Tekken. However, fans will argue against this claim because some gamers believe that Super Smash Bros. Brawl is actually a fighting game, and others will argue that it is an RPG game. One gamer points out that "its an RPG. In case you all haven't noticed you do have to play the role of one of your favorite Nintendo characters.” These players all have different interpretations because they each have unique experiences after playing the game. This dispute lasts for approximately three pages with gamers constantly bashing each other trying to criticize the standpoint of the thread creator. Moreover, there are also gamers that side with the thread creator’s argument that Super Smash Bros. Brawl is indeed a party game. The significance of this argument is that valuable knowledge is being spread because the wired world has linked different people with unique game experiences to share their thoughts. The wired world has provided society with new means of criticizing contributors and providing opinions.

Sheik's Mysterious Gender
This Wikipedia page ssbwiki illustrates how the wired world presents diehard Super Smash Bros. fans with opportunities that promote interaction and introduce the argument of Sheik’s gender. The significance of this Super Smash Bros. Wikipedia page is it gives a brief background of the character and its origin and then initiates the dispute. From this wiki page, the contributor uses a significant amount of evidence to back up the claim that Sheik is indeed a female, such as “Sheik's Melee trophies describe her as being female, that Masahiro Sakurai refers to Sheik as female in her update on the Smash Bros. DOJO!! website, and that she is referred to as female within both Brawl and its manual.” Regardless of the contributor’s evidence, there will always be individuals that present their evidence and argue against it. Furthermore, this contributor also uses evidence from both Super Smash Bros. game Melee and Brawl to solidify the claim that Sheik is a female. For Super Smash Bros. Melee, the contributor argues that Sheik “is a transformation of Princess Zelda.” However, in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the anonymous contributor also observes that “Princess Zelda was confirmed as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, players were introduced to a redesigned Zelda.” These examples are solely based off one person, but there are other fans of Super Smash Bros. who have different opinions.



Additional Helpful Links on Super Smash Bros.
Wikipedia

smashfan

supersmashbros

gamefaqs