Iqbal 1

Somaan Iqbal
Kate Durbin
INTD 100
11 December 2015
Final Essay
Video games in todays day in age has become a huge part in our society. The gaming
industry continues to grow more and more every day and has become essential in many of our
daily lives. Companies, depending on what type of game it is, spend millions upon millions of
dollars just to develop a master piece. The Visual Football League (VFL) is a new game that will
be available for both the PlayStation 5 (PS5) and the Xbox 720. This game uses technology that
has never been utilized in a gaming system before. Virtual Representation, new technology
currently used at Clemson University, creates a 3D virtual world from goggles used to
experience practice at an entirely different level. This scenario in most cases would be thought
as only a game, however many aspects of this game can be used to relive dreams players had
once imagined.
There are many different aspects when it comes to creating a game and many factors
should be considered in the process. The Virtual Football league in theory would revolutionize
the way games are played. Once playing VFL, there is no going back. The unique component
about this video game is that it has never been done before. The games we have studied in class
are all irrelevant once compared to the VFL. As of right now most if not all games utilize a
television set to be used in order for the game to function properly at a mediocre level. Once the
goggles are put on you literally enter a different dimension which makes you feel as if you were
there. Players can get the look and feel of a real game when playing this video game. This

Iqbal 2
technology takes advantage of the human body through the use of the brain to make it feel as if
you were there. The reptilian brain, the oldest part of the brain, is where all of our instincts as
humans are located. According to Understanding Video Games, this in essence would change
public perception of video games because human activity is not geared for survival, however
this technology will eventually change that view because it works directly with the brain.
What differs from this game once compared to all the others is that it can be used to for
many different reasons. This new technology allows the unfortunate to live life to its fullest once
again. The disabled, visually impaired, and those with loss of hearing all can benefit from this
scenario. The 3D virtual world created allows the crippled to feel as if they were running once
again causing a sensation he or she will not want to lose. They use the ethics in video games to
represent objects that may provide hope or pleasure for many gamers (Nielson). According to
Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen, CEO of Serious Games Interactive, this technique is a strategy used to
attract a bigger audience which in the end will result in more money.
The Virtual Football League can be used for all different age groups but it is really meant
for those who really love football. As of right now the vast majority will most likely be male,
but I hope for this to change in the near future. Cultural attitudes would initially claim that
women are not involved in football, however that is not always the case. Women are beginning
to become more present in the football world. Little girls are now playing football in the youth
leagues with other boys from around the neighborhood. In fact a couple of girls have become
quite famous over the internet. Of those who play, many have become kickers and quarterbacks
showing that nothing is impossible and that women can perform at the same level with the same
efficiency. Both male and female characters are present in VFL; the player is also allowed to

Iqbal 3
design his or her character any way she wants to avoid several tropes that may be assumed by
society which is stated in Reality Bites Back.
The inspiration behind the game was originated when I was just a little boy. Spy Kids III,
a movie where life was literally transformed into a video game, depicts young kids who are spies
that have to save humanity through a video game. The key reason for the inspiration was that it
allowed their grandpa, who lost his legs to his arch enemy who was the creator of the villainous
game, a second chance to run and play as if it was real. The imagery created throughout the
game is so vivid that it created a realistic atmosphere making the grandparent not want to leave
the game. Although the human body is physically in the room where the game is being played,
mentally you are stuck in the game living a separate life.
Pop culture in my eyes initially was a very broad idea, but I realize now that it is not.
There are many different things that are created within the society that make the world different
for both the good and the bad. Many different aspects, even in video games play a huge role in
why things are the way they are. Society has certain views on video game characters as to what
they should be. The relevance of whether or not female characters exist in a game plays a huge
importance on a game like football. The way women are dressed and appear play a factor as well
because this changes how society would view them (Pozner). By allowing players to customize
their characters to however they please, this will solve the factor by preventing targets against
sexism (Pozner). Most previous football games in the past have not had a female character
present on their roster, although all the people in the NFL are male but still, this can discourage
the female audience and give them a reason to not play the game. This is why I wanted to make
sure the aspect of characters are both fair and equal regardless of what their attributes are. In the
virtual football league, regardless if it is male vs. female the matchup against the two will remain

Iqbal 4
the same because that it is only fair. It will not be one sided so no side will have the clear
advantage.
Creating a video game is not as easy as it looks. Many perspectives are clearly shown
and creating the perfect video game for everyone is extremely difficult. Society will always have
an opinion in if it right or wrong but in the end, it is just a game.

Iqbal 5
Works Cited
Nielsen, Simon, and Jonas Heide Smith. Understanding Video Games: The essential
Introduction. New York: Routledge, 2008. Print.
Pozner, Jennifer L. Reality Bites Back: The troubling Truth about Guilty Pleasure TV. Berkeley,
CA: Seal:, 2010. Print