Hyper Reality Gaming. What it teaches us by David Dunkley Gyimah

Hypereality Gaming.

In a distant memory in London's docklands we gather. A major toy company has laid on hospitality for reporters to test its revolutionary new laser guns heralding a new era in gaming.

If that wasn't remarkable enough, it hired ex royal marines to supervise the day.

Today, in a new generation of gaming, what was back then a surreal moment of Jean Baudrilard's   hyper reality, a blending of the real and fake, has matured into an industry that blends physical and imagination - a new type of hyper reality.

No Marines no lasers, but the expertise of being a professional paintball champion representing your country and thus figuring out how to stage an event. That's the claim for 26 year old Tommy Pemberton behind Go Paintball London.

As a videojournalis and casual geek, there is no doubting the impact of video in gaming, so eruditely put by Guardian journalist Keith Stuart and howvideo is changing games, but nothing beats the physicality and adrenalin rush in the field.

Today I sat this one out today, but I couldn't help but be transported into the world of cinema videojournalism. Cue these images I took and produced that evoke the dystopic world of Children of Men (2006).

Hyperreality II

In recent years from reporting within Nato's War Games and  and filming the Special Forces working in Africa and I couldn't help but think if I had my videojournalism kit with me, I would have had sneaked a run at making a film about the day.

My reasons aren't merely frivolity, but that gaming teaches us an attribute that can be found lacking in collaborative work: trust and team work.

And it gives me a chance to work aesthetics (I am writing about for a newspaper) for work I'll be doing in the field about a new type of cinema in journalism. BTW cinema does not mean movie. I have posted some new stuff on viewmagazine.tv.

I'm certain some of our International Masters students, who have to work in teams to problem-solve would echo some of this. I put together these images for a presentation I'm delivering in Denmark next week, before a gig which involves going to Turkey to train videojournalists reporting from within Syria.

Close  Hyperreality 

Tommy Pemberton 

David Dunkley Gyimah reporting from West Africa circa 1997 on the Special Forces. David, a senior lecturer at the world's 19th best media institution, The University of Westminster. He is an artist in residence and consults for a number of companies in digital. He is a recipient of the Knight Batten Awards and does digital on his site www.viewmagazine.tv

David Dunkley Gyimah reporting on Special Forces training in West Africa

David interview former CIA chief James Woolsey. Trailer on Viewmagazine.tv