Mediascape in 5 years and in 15 years.

I think that in 5 years there will be new ways to see movies or continued technology in advancing media.  I think phones will get more and more advance and can do more things.  An example would probably be advancement in phone graphics and interface.  There will probably be sleeker and more modern, touch-based phones then there are now.  Even now, games are moving into the 3D or immersive experience with the anouncement and releases of the Kinect for xbox 360 or the 3DS. Now, even though there will probably be advancements and improvements on the technology we have nowadays, I don't think technology will keep moving forward as fast as it has in the past decade.  There's always a limitation to the technology in media that we use and even trying to improve that could take a longer time than just 5 years.

In 15 years, well, I think there will be new technology we haven't seen before.  There could be new variations of technology and how media will be presented in 15 years.  That's a long time away from now, and maybe the technologic slowdown of right now will be past by in 15 years.  I can't really imagine what will be produced in 15 years time.  I would guess that people will be more immersed in technology even more so than they are today.  Things will probably become smaller or larger than they were before and also work faster, too.  What we thoguht might be silly or impossible at the moment, but in 15 years I could see the movement of immersive media and technology to be more prominent and popular than it is right now.

In 50 years, I think the mediascape will be so broad that I really can't fathom what it would be like.  Things will probably be so different from now that I'll probably be amazed at how far we've come in advancements.  There could be holographic immersive media, where you're actually in the scenario.  I think movies will be more immersive in 50 years, and phones will just be turned into small ear buds.  Everything will probably be very different than from it is now.  TV might become something that can be carried around with you or maybe video games will go beyond 3D in some sort of way.

Final Fantasy 9 and How it is Literature.

 

     The first game that came to mind was Final Fantasy 9.  As an old favorite from my childhood, there are many attributes in the game that can make it a part of literature.  Everyday, we are immersed in new and rapidly growing technology that literature doesn't just have to be a book or novel anymore. 

    This game has always reminded me of old adventure tales with princesses and the unlikely hero.  It really took me back to where stories that I read when I was very small, to a story where I can relate it back to it, as well as it also being more for an older audience.  It basically was, at its core, save the world with an unlikely bunch of heroes.

    Which brings me to the next point: characters.  There are 8 total main characters, all drastically different with design and with personality, as well as their background histories.  The main protagonist, Zidane, is a teen member of a bandit group masquerading as a troupe, who eventually want to kidnap the princess of the town he's visiting.  The princess, Garnet, is a princess of which she doesn't remember where she comes from, as she is only an adopted daughter of the ruler of the city.  She wanted to leave Alexandria, her home, to talk to a man by the name of Regent Cid.  She had noticed how her mother had been acting strangely and wanted to speak with him. As they escape Alexandria after a battle with the queen, Brahne, they start their journey and are joined by a knight, Steiner, and a black mage, Vivi.  All these characters, as well as the 4 remaining main characters, each have a story to tell that relate back to locations that are within the storyline.  They are all well-fleshed out character, each with their own style and stories to tell within the greater scheme of things.

    Though, even though the story starts off as a sort of “take the princess and have an adventure” type of thing, it grows into even more than that.  Zidane finds out as time goes on about who he is because he didn't know where he had come from.  His brother and antagonist of the game, Kuja, is the one that wants to bring distraught and chaos onto the world.  Through character growth and accepting himself and his friends throughout their journey, Zidane grows to be a strong character, with a bit of a comedic stroke in him too.  The game never has a completely downtrodden or foreboding feeling as Zidane, and a few other characters, bring comedic relief to the story. 

     Garnet as well changes as a character.  She starts off as a somewhat naïve and sheltered girl because of her adoptive mother's upbringing.  She has had memories of what may have been her and her real mother in the past, but she never really knew for sure until she left her home to find out.  Through trial and tribulations, she grows with alongside her newfound friends and finds out who she really is.  She develops and changes, making her into a strong female lead, who I personally love and admire from a player's point of view.  She even goes through the old, cutting her hair off to be a new person type of spiel, but it really was a nice scene within the game because she accepts who she is and Zidane supports her decision. 

    This game has all sorts of elements that could lead it to be literature.  It has action, adventure, fantasy, comedy, and romance, all combined beautifully to make a compelling story that is driven by just as compelling characters.  The characters feel like you can relate to them in a sense of what they feel and what they fight for, as well as the whole game itself being something that could be written down and be read as a true piece of literature.

Female Body in Media

 

 This picture is of a woman body builder. This representation of the female body isn't so prominent in everyday magazines, but more so in advertising, particularly for weight loss or exercise machines.  Having this kind of body takes more work and focus than the ordinary person would usually put into it, misleading the people who watch these commercials.  This type of body shows physique and good muscle tone through work and good health.