Tagged in: Hollywood
By David L.Reinke
"A victory? What have we won? We've won a rock in the middle of a wasteland, on the shores of a poisoned sea."
– Flavius Silva in the 1981 mini-series Masada
I vaguely remember watching at least part of Masada when it was first broadcast in 1981. A direct result of the record-breaking success enjoyed by Roots, Masada was part of that Golden Age of the Television Mini-Series when the viewing public had an insatiable appetite for long form epic dramas of historic events. So long as it was “Based Upon A True Story” the audience would seemingly buy anything, and lots of it.
What can video games teach us, if anything at all? Decades after the introduction of the ATARI 2600, truly the world’s first successful home video game system, the debate rages on. Initially, there were the usual criticisms, speaking about “the destruction of our youth” through desensitization or other nefarious means. Truly these were kneejerk reactions, but not completely without merit. Later, various studies came to light linking hand-eye coordination, critical thinking, and other skills with the amount of hours spent playing video games. Today, video games are ubiquitous; Playstation3 alone has sold nearly 34 million units worldwide; and an entire generation of people has grown up playing video games. Much of the controversy has died down, though some issues remain.
