Ohhh, the famous Need for Speed, and not only any game specifically, Need for Speed: Underground. This game deserves it's own discussion because the degree to which driving games have with the conception of the magic circle and creates new discourse to the overall topic. The original Need for Speed game allows users to immerse in a space like no other, being able to control a car right behind the wheel, in the preference of degree that the user wishes. This speaks volumes not only to the magic circle experience in what is created but, the overall multimodality of the game space.
Most people have either witnessed ( maybe some children) or are guilty of doing this themselves, the famous controller move where you think that if you move your controller left or right your car will be in follow. This act can be the effect of the magic circle. In this virtual world there are many adaptions from reality but still drive people’s interests because of the sensory experience of playing a a race car driver.
"When videogames are set in 3D worlds, they become even more difficult to capture semiotically than on 2D interfaces. In most current 3D games, the individual player-characters perspective can be changed and adjusted almost indefinitely -by zooming, panning, lowering and lifting the camera angle" (122-123 Gaming and Multimodality).
The game released in 2003 had definitely been an impact in the game sphere because it had enhanced features in which users got to experience next-to-real driving experiencing, from having 360-view of the car, change perspective of first-person to birds eye view. It seems that the the game wouldn't be able to reach its full potential ( during its time and the graphics) if these listed features weren't involved, and that the magic circle would lack a desire for an interesting game and overall interaction. The interesting aspect to this gameplay is that users were not only given the opportunity to race but build internal careers, and a garage for custom cars when entering the storyline mode.
What does this mean for the magic circle and the bridge of multimodality?
The interconnection of both the magic circle and multimodality in this instance is that full user experience is heavily reliant on the graphics and adaptability of the space with these cars. Without the 3D graphics, or mobility to move outside of the confined space of racing, the video game can be seen to offer as much as a digital game. Having said that, this game coming out in 2003, definitely cannot compare to the digital uproar of video games of now but, created a space that integrated both layering and space to create an overall user experience.
The unique space that is created within need for speed is the set of artificial rules and consequences set with driving games like such. In reality, there are driving rules, regulations that need to be obeyed and spaces like need for speed allow users to experience the full potential of driving
Without the real life consequences of getting tickets, crashing etc. The interest than that is sparked in this context is to create a fantasy filled space of cars, that don’t cost real money and race against other that doesn’t have real consequences of these actions.
Below is the work cited in this piece:
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Im not too sure that a perspective like this can take place... its just a race car game lol?! is there really anything else too it?