Creativity and New Media

Recently I purchased a Nintendo Wii U.  I am a huge fan of video games and more specifically Nintendo.  I grew up with the Nintendo 64, GameCube, Wii and every single game boy.  Video games were always a great way to pass and enjoy my time in my younger ages but as I grew up and gained responsibilities my time for video games had lessened. It was refreshing to buy a new gaming console and dedicate some time to it.  I always liked Nintendo for its simplicity, I do own an Xbox one but it isn't as enjoyable as the older systems because they are trying too hard to be advanced. Nintendo games were enjoyable, very rarely online play, if you wanted to play with a friend they would physically have to come over with a controller and you had to play with them in person. However when setting up the Wii U I took notice that this time around on the their newest console, they were focusing a lot more on the online aspect. After choosing a username (which Nintendo has never done before) it asked me to create a "Mii" or Nintendos version of an avatar. I remember doing this on the regular Wii, except this time they said "Create a Mii that best suites you, other players will see this online." So now I had to create a cartoon character that I felt looked like me. After spending 20 minutes deciding which hair best suit me, I was finally finished. I liked this a lot, it gave me to opportunity to create myself in my own eyes.  Although it wasn't very detailed and looked cartoonish, I was satisfied with the end results.  I feel like everyone enjoys this process because like I said, they get to create themselves however they want to be seen. People with insecurities are able to wipe the flaws they see in themselves away, and create this alter ego of themselves.

In many situations people become so consumed in this alternative version of them   that they pay more attention to that then they do their real life.  This happens often in games such as World of Warcraft and Second Life. It gives people a chance to escape from reality and live how they want to live.

Here is a picture of the "Mii" I created on the Wii U

This is the "Mii Verse" where people from all around the world can connect their mii's and communicate.  It groups you by types of games you play/like and as you can see here someone from Japan recently made an update in which I can see.