I ended my previous post on videogames by stating that I was merely assessing the state of the medium today, rather than providing any of my own opinions on the matter. But as I reread my post in preparation for this one, I realize that was a silly assertion.
It's quite obvious that I play videogames.
My greatest dilemma as to how to conclude my thoughts on this series has been whether or not to bring any personal investment into the subject. Because although I've critiqued the validity of the aforementioned labels, I've also realized they are still not something I can easily embrace.
It's easy to write about topics from the comfort of my desk, for an unknown and relatively silent audience. Yet when I considered putting any personal investment into this particular subject, I realized that the stigma surrounding it is a powerful thing, even from behind this screen, let alone in life.
I'm aware that contemplating such depths for a topic like videogames seems like a weird, if not downright laughable juxtaposition. Or perhaps that is just my conscience speaking again...
Anyway, I've figured that the best way to conclude my thoughts is simply to give some insight as to why I continue to play videogames. Hope you enjoy!
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1. They're fun.
I'd be lying if I put any other reason here. While there's lots of other reasons to play games, if one isn't having fun, he/she just isn't doing it right. Videogames are a unique form of entertainment that have merged many of the greatest aspects of other mediums. They often boast cutting edge visuals and cutscenes that rival those of cinema. Some tell sweeping stories that are made all the more effective by the player's personal interaction with the plot's characters. They have music in practically every style imaginable, and while not all of it is good, some of it is downright
amazing.
In mixing all of these elements, videogames do one thing that no other medium does. They involve their audience directly. This is the key to why games provide a breed of entertainment that I have not found replicated in any other format. That element of direct interaction is a powerful tool, both for
treating mental illnesses, and for addicting players to games until their time has vanished.
Like all things, videogames must be played in moderation. But in terms of pure entertainment value, for me they're simply unmatched.
2. They're creative
Videogames need a setting. By setting I don't just mean physical location (although that's usually important too.) Rather, a game's setting is more an abstraction of its fundamental construction, which includes its interface, design choices, artwork, and music.
The cohesiveness of all of this in a well made game continues to amaze me. Good games play with the continuity of a movie. Their scores are like musicals, reusing leitmotifs and variations on style to convey emotion. And of course, their gameplay evolves subtly to match any shifts in the game's direction.
I admire not only the technical brilliancy behind this, but also the artistic elements of the game itself. You have simple games like Tetris (which is already a work of art in its own right) and then you have stuff like
this. You really never know where games are going, and that's part of what makes them so exciting.
The music in games is similarly unpredictable. One thing that makes game music unique is that it needs to catch one's attention in a short span of time. Back when game consoles didn't have enough power to create elaborate music, games had very little data to make music that should enhance the game. The results were things such as
this and
this.
By nature, videogame music started with a tradition of making the most of very little. To me, this is the definition of creativity. A ball of playdough can make a man. A few legos can make a world.
With a few beeps and boops, one can make a song. Maybe with 16bits, one can conduct a
symphony.
Today's videogame music still pays homage to its humble roots, despite its ability to match film score in quality and complexity. The development of the two genres is a fascinating topic in its own right, but I think that topic is best saved for another post.
Overall, videogames take a lot more than just programmers to create. It's the artists, musicians, and creative visionaries who make it come alive. And for the most part, they do a darn good job at it.
3. They bring people together.
The days of the isolated basement dweller are long gone. Games are always better with company. Nintendo did a lot to popularize this idea of social gaming with the Wii's family oriented software, but even before that, "hardcore" gamers have always understood the value of community.
Many multi-player games (the Mario kart and party series for example) are only fully functional when shared with friends. Without a fellow human being to laugh and yell with, they are pointless.
Anyone who's ever played an "icebreaker game" or even a board/card game knows the power that shared activity can have on bonding. Even if the players learn nothing significant about each other, the sharing of the activity itself prompts conversation and mutual enjoyment in each other's presence.
Videogames take this concept and turn it up to the max.
I'll make no claims as to the effect of videogames on introversion/extroversion or any other social inclination. What I will say is that the bond forged between two people sharing a night of Smash Brothers is a powerful thing.
4. They keep me in touch with my past and its meaning for the present
Nostalgia is powerful. Games are often in an especially powerful position to generate nostalgia from their players because many long running series create new iterations boasting similar elements.
The Legend of Zelda series for example, has existed since 1986. Let's say a player first experiences the game when he/she is 12. By now, he/she is 40. And the series shows no sign of stopping.
This is not a retrospective kind of nostalgia. There are still new and innovative Legend of Zelda games coming out every few years. But they all share certain elements and throwbacks to their roots. This merge of old and new is part of the reason why gaming nostalgia is particularly effective.
Another more important reason is that games rely on their specific experiences to stay in one's memory. These could include a particular stage, boss, character, or piece of music. Nostalgia is often an abstraction to a set of feelings during an event rather than specific events themselves. With games, the emotions one feels while playing a game become inseparably tied to the particular aspects of the game itself. This allows games to recall that nostalgia with ease simply by evoking that particular aspect from a previous iteration.
Essentially, games become time capsules.
Within each title lies a storehouse of memories that are particularly potent for the reasons listed above. And every new games calls upon and reinterprets those memories.
Thus for the gamer who has played for years, booting up a new game bears not only the excitement of horizons yet undiscovered, but also promises of old sentiments revisited.
Somedays, I reflect on how much I've changed since I last played a game as a kid. I think about how my thinking and goals have evolved, and how I'm different in as aspects of my life beyond just what I'm playing at the moment.
Having an activity that grows with you is a wonderful experience, whether that be playing an instrument or sport, family tradition, or any other familiar, yet gradually changing activity.
It ensures that one is never to estranged from his/her own previous identity, which is essential not only to future growth, but to living a meaningful life in the present.
Do I always think about this when I'm playing videogames?
Sometimes I do. Of course, there are some days when I really need to just have a little fun.
