1. Mitchell is unabashedly cocky and fond of self promotion, proclaiming himself the "Sauce King" of Florida for his successful line of homemade hot sauces. Next to his family, Mitchell considers his arcade scores his greatest achievements in life.
How typical are these types of values and attitudes among 'core' gamers and how important is it to understand these values if you are a game designer? What *are* these values, exactly?
Core gamers have a drive to win, pushing the limits of what the game has to offer. He is very competitive and arrogant. This may have to do with him possessing the winning title and his personality. Over the years his ego has been fed to the point where he comes off as pompous. He found ways to be able to stay at the top, even if it lacked good sportsmanship. In his mind, his goal is to be the best, and he will use almost any means and bend some rules to achieve it. Since Donkey Kong is very difficult to beat, a high score is very impressing and yields great reward to the highest scoring player. Game designers must make the game a challenge, and consider how big the rewards are depending on the difficulty of achieving them.
2. Steve Wiebe has been laid off as a Boeing engineer, and now spends his time as a science teacher. His friends and his wife, Nicole, describe him as a tragic figure who always comes up short, despite being proficient at music, sports, art, and mathematics.
Is Weibe's 'tragic' aspect typical of core gaming 'types'?
What role does self esteem (high or low) play in the culture of hard core gaming and such subcultures as competitive vintage or 'classic' game playing? How would you best describe the relationship between low self-esteem and videogame mastery?
Steve Wiebe is the silent opponent. He can achieve the high scores, but is timid and lacks the confidence and aggressiveness a lot of core gamers possess. He is persistent, however, and should be commended for his sportsmanship and tenacity, especially when he is in a foreign environment with people of the Twin Galaxies community who are loyal to Mitchell. Self esteem is an attribute a core gamer must have in order to not only be the best and win, but be recognized by the community.
3. Despite Wiebe's protests that his own first score was disqualified for being submitted via unsupervised videotape, Twin Galaxies accepts Mitchell's score over Wiebe's and proclaims that Mitchell is still the record holder.
How valid do you think videotaped gameplay should be in establishing videogame playing records?
If valid, why? If not valid, why not?
I question the validity of Mitchell’s videotape. I also find it unfair for Twin Galaxies to disqualify Wiebe’s score due to the provider of game circuit board. It has to do with Weibe being an outsider, the underdog, who is challenging a renowned recordholder of the Twin Galaxies community. Mitchell is friends with Day and the rest of the men of Twin Galaxies, making it an unfair bias towards the “new guy”. Mitchell should have been honest and noble by playing against Wiebe in a public arcade. That way the players are using the same machine and witnesses are present.
4. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, wondering "Who would have guessed that a documentary about gamers obsessed with scoring a world record at Donkey Kong would not only be roaringly funny but serve as a metaphor for the decline of Western civilization?"
What do you think of the film?
Is it an accurate portrayal of what makes videogames so compelling for those who play them?
I enjoyed the film and showed me the subculture of the hardcore gaming community. Interviewing the people who are very passionate about arcade games lets the viewer understand about the psyche of serious, hardcore gamers.
5. On November 10, 1981, Walter Day opened an arcade in Ottumwa, Iowa called Twin Galaxies. Though it was a modest arcade of merely 22 arcade games, it soon became known as the International Scorekeeper for the burgeoning video game industry. Under Day's direction, Twin Galaxies set rules for gameplay on hundreds of games, while maintaining a records database of competitive high scores. Twin Galaxies is considered by gaming historians as being the first organizer of professional gaming, putting competitive electronic gaming on the world map.
How important do you think organizations like Twin Galaxies are in the vintage arcade gaming community?
Could such communities exist without such organizations?
What role does Twin Galaxies play ultimately, and why is this significant to the film and its story?
It is great that Twin Galaxies is around to keep that part of American history and culture alive. Twenty years from now, most people of the generation would not know or understand anything about arcade games. Twin Galaxies must exist in order to organize events, keep the community in touch with each other, bringing people of the same interests and culture together, and keeping records and the history as truthful as possible. It is the mediator and is very significant to the film.
6. The film depicts Wiebe's skill at Donkey Kong being linked to his ability to deeply understand the title's game mechanics, particularly the way that rhythm and timing work to ensure a successful outcome.
The film in one scene compared his love of drumming and his abilities at basketball as well as his musical talent as part and parcel of his gift at playing Donkey Kong.
How would you best describe this set of inter-related skills?
Have you experienced anything like this yourself when playing games? Have you been able to associate the skill of playing games with similar related skills and talents and how would you best describe the nature of this set of inter-relationships between skills/passions/abilities?
Wiebe was able to apply his hand-eye-coordination, knowledge of timing and patience to overcome Donkey Kong. These essential skills are the secrets to mastering the mechanics of the game. My eyes have been trained to see visual details, especially when it comes to textures. My way of solving problems also helped me guide my friend through the obstacles of Mirror’s Edge. I have also applied some of my game skills in the Airsoft games I have played with friends. One can apply their skills/passions/abilities to many arenas of life, work, etc. Most people do not see it that way, and lose the efficiency and potential success in undergoing a task (for example) with applied talents/knowledge.
7. In the film, Wiebe, while playing the game says hello to Mitchell. Mitchell didn't respond. As he's walking away from Wiebe, Mitchell says, "There's certain people I don't want to spend too much time with." Mitchell offered no explanation for his behavior towards Wiebe but did later explain that at the time of filming, he had not played video games for "more than a year", and that the filmmakers had not given him enough advance warning to train for a public record-breaking attempt. Seth Gordon, the film's Director, in referring to Mitchell's character says that Mitchell "is a true puppet-master", "a master of information-control".
What do you think Gordon means by this? What role does such behavior play in general terms in videogame culture?
Mitchell is the type of person who calculates the information he receives and chooses not to say certain things to be in control. One example is seeing Weibe’s tape. Mitchell was able to scrutinize Wiebe’s game style and method for conquering the game, using this to his advantage. When Mitchell submitted a tape with a supposed higher score, Wiebe was unfortunate enough to miss out on the viewing. This gave Mitchell the upper hand and more control over the situation. He is also affecting Wiebe psychologically, whether Mitchell is aware of this or not.
8. What did you think of the film? Is it really only about the game "Donkey Kong" and those who seek to hold the highest score or is it really about something more?
It is something more than just playing Donkey Kong. Mitchell wants the recognition of being the best, and maintaining his high score is the way to establish his place in the world. Wiebe, on the other hand, wanted to prove he is not always second best, that he can make a name for himself.
9. Have you ever played "Donkey Kong"? What was your memory of playing it? Where were you, when was it?
I have played Donkey Kong as a console game. I remember it being very difficult to play, and lost interest because I couldn't get past the first level. I did not own the game, it belonged to a friend of the family's. I remember being young, maybe about 10 or 11 years old. Knowing there is a sort of algorithm to play, I am willing to play the game again.
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