Erika Luo- Jargon - Week 3
I find it interesting how many types of jargon there are. I actually find it pretty fun to learn about the different terminology associated with topics that I am interested in, such as cooking and crocheting. Even the official definition of jargon is “special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand” (emphasis on the word profession), but I feel like this word also relates to video game terminology. I fully believe that different video games have different types of jargon associated with it, such as in gacha games and fps games. In many of the games I play, the fandoms use specific types of vocabulary to refer to something; without the knowledge of the connection to the game, these words often seem out of place and nonsensical. For instance, in the game Genshin Impact, the term “whale” is used to refer to someone who spends money, typically excessively, on pulling (yes, yet another confusing out of context Genshin jargon here; it basically a feature of the game where you use primogems, a type of currency in the game, to gamble for special weapons and characters) characters and weapons. Without me explaining the specific “jargon” from this video game, it would make no sense to people who have not sold their soul/play Genshin Impact.
But how does this relate to the topic of memory? Well, I have wondered over the years of learning different video game jargon, what is the learning curve for learning the different types of jargon and how is it different from memorizing definitions of words? For me, when I try to memorize vocabulary for school, I use a variety of flashcards and repetitive studying in order to memorize definitions and connect them to the word. When I learn video game terminology however, I find it so much easier. Learning video game terminology is almost like being able to speak another language in my perspective; whenever I talk about video games with my friends, other people comment on how they have no idea what we are talking about. Overall, I think that I find it easier to learn different types of jargon, as they typically require personal experience that corresponds to the words. What kind of jargon are you familiar with?
Comments
I agree with how Genshin jargon is hard for others to understand because my sister plays Genshin, but I do not and I can not read her texts to her friend half the time. I think that this connection you made is very interesting and I agree with how you said that people can remember words better when actually using them in context. It is like when people move to a new country, since they hear the other language a lot and actually use those words in a meaningful way, it is easier for them to pick it up. A type of jargon I know is ballet terminology. I understand the French words that most other people would not know.
Many fandoms have their own set of definitions and I think it's pretty funny that they use this term to determine who has played for quite a while and who hasn't. Like many of the terms I didn't even know of as my brother is a heavy gamer. Knowing some of these terms for me actually makes it easier for me to communicate to my brother or control him from playing too much. As you defined earlier about the term Whale something for Asphalt players would not really say people that spend too much on drops but just called ogs and skilled. As for aliens it is basically with the trend of "never let them know your next move" and would do special speed tricks (rail grind, double 360, wall ride, fly bye).
I never really noticed how different video games have different types of jargon that comes with it. For me, I love to play brawl stars, so whenever I’m gaming I start talking based on what is happening in the game. Some of the things we say are “push a brawler” or “gadget them”. Like you said, if not given a context, it’s hard to understand what the meaning of these particular phrases are. But I’ve observed and although all games are different from one another, the language is usually pretty similar when it comes to team games or trying to eliminate an enemy.
Sincerely,
Faith Tong
I do not play games and I never will. But, jargon is not only used in games, but also in other activities. For example, there is a certain type of jargon for classical dance, but there are variations corresponding to the classical dances. If you didn't learn dance for a good 2 years, you would have no idea what I am talking about because everything is just so different.
Sincerely,
Mrinmayee
I do play a lot of games and honestly, jargon is truly used a lot. When people say they are going to "pull" for a character/item, I immediately think of them getting something from the gacha system. But, I do use the word "roll" when playing those types of games as well. Some other words I can think of social media wise could be "retweeting" for Twitter, but I keep saying that instead of "reposting" when referring to Instagram.
I’m super psyched to see Genshin in your blog! Video game jargon especially can be confusing unless you’re experienced playing or studying the game; it’s a kind of latent learning, which is when the knowledge that is learned is not especially displayed until a situation where you must apply the knowledge. I keep this as a little reminder for myself when studying for tests that involve memorization that novel phrases or mental images tend to stick to the mind more. That means I’ll probably encode words that are more unique or stood out to me. In that sense, jargon, especially when given a situation to apply it, and because it is typically unique to a category/situation, is easy to remember. I’m familiar with (as embarrassing as it is) League of Legends, Genshin, osu!, and Valorant jargon. Essentially, just jargon from the games I play all the time.
-Angel Susantin