The idea that technologies affect the ways we perceive and interact with our surroundings is not new. Neither is the observation that technologies range from dedicated scientific instruments and commercial machines to mundane, even consumerist, tools and gadgets. However, variations in the ways specific technologies function merit examining what differences they possess relative to other ostensibly similar devices. As video games have moved from mere entertainment to an increasingly complex art form, they reproduce common technological elements while displaying distinct features of their own. Phenomenological approaches, focused on lived and common as well as uncommon experiences, provide a foundation for assessing what influences video games may have on our perceptions of the world. These initial claims can then be examined in a wider context of how individuals produce, consume, reify, and contest media influence.
