Importance of Video Games: Analysis of Jane McGonigal's Article

In the article ‘Be a Gamer, Save the World’ by Jane McGonigal makes the argument that games are not a waste of time but rather a useful tool to promote growth. She shows this when she says “many critics consider such games a mind-numbing waste of time, if not a corrupting influence. But the truth about games is very nearly the opposite” (497). Since I play games, I have come to realize that games in moderation are generally good for the mind of the individual. It makes me ecstatic when I play games because it gives me a sense of worth when I win or help in the game. I believe McGonigal's use of factual evidence shows the importance of video games to critics. She presents an exigence to the critics, and she uses it to get them to stop criticizing gamers. How she uses persuasive devices throughout the article gives us insight into how she is trying to get her argument across. Her use of factual evidence not only strengthens her argument, it exhibits her use of the classes of argument to make her paper sound logical.

The article presents a kairotic moment for those who criticize video games. This then creates an exigence within the article. The exigence being that video games are not a waste of time but rather something that can be useful for the world and the individual. This is true because playing video games is a way to make the people who play them happy. She argues this by saying “My research over the past decade at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Institute for the Future has shown that games consistently provide us with four ingredients that make for a happy and meaningful life: satisfying work, real hope for success, strong social connections and the chance to become a part of something bigger than ourselves” (497). This appeals to the audience because it creates empathy for those people who play games. It shows that video games let the person feel productive. They will want to continue having this feeling outside of video games, so they set goals for themselves in the real world. She reassures this by stating “One recent study found, for example, that players of Guitar Hero are more likely to pick up a real guitar and learn how to play it” (498). I personally can agree with this because I am an avid fan of Guitar Hero and ever since picking it up, I've wanted to learn the guitar. Thus, backing up a part of her claim that video games promote growth for the individual and the world.

McGonigal's use of persuasive devices helps her develop a more logical argument for her article. Her use of logos not only strengthens her argument, but it also establishes her overall ethos. Her use of logos is presented throughout the article. She shows this when she brings up the game ‘EVOKE’. This game was later used to make 50 real companies from South Africa and India to Buffalo, New York. Her bringing this up shows the audience what gamers can accomplish if put to the test. This thus gives the audience another reason to reconsider gaming's usefulness. This also helps her develop her ethos because she created the game. If that wasn’t enough, she also uses another example of gamers working together in order to get things done. For example, she brings up another game called ‘Foldit’. This game was used to find out if a group of people is better at folding proteins to help cure cancer or prevent Alzheimer's than a supercomputer. The people ended up beating the supercomputer at more than half of the game’s challenges. McGonigal's use of logos here is very helpful in her argument. It does not only give a direct example of gamers being useful to the world, but it also furthers her argument. Furthermore, she adds a bit of pathos to her article by stating “It’s no wonder that 40% of all user time on Facebook is spent playing social games” (499). Though the statement is mostly logos, it evokes a sense of pathos to the audience. The fact that 40% of the user time on Facebook is games makes you feel shocked. It shows how much of the world uses games to feel connected. She uses these persuasive devices to help get her main point across to the audience.

McGonigal uses almost all the classes of argument that I have learned as a student. First, she makes a factual argument in the article by showing that video games have caused a change for the betterment of the world. She presents this by providing all sorts of statistics and real-life examples. These examples tell us that video games being useful for the world have happened. For example, when she states, “More recently, more than 19,000 of EVOKE an online game I created… undertook real-world missions to improve food security, increase access to clean energy and end poverty in more than 130 countries” (500). She gives a clea