Howdy! I'm back. On this episode of "Andrew Talks About Whatever He Feels Like Talking About," we will discuss video games. Specifically, addressing the critics. Allow me to explain.
Now, in general, most people love video games. I'm fairly certain that you've played at least one in your life, be it Angry Birds or GTA IV. They can be fun, scary, intense, challenging, and sometimes, beautiful. I love them so much, in fact, that I'm seriously considering a career in video game creation. However, not everyone shares this sentiment.
Some people hate their guts.
Most people who have an anti-gaming agenda usually say one of a few things.
-They rot your brain
-They'll turn you into a psychopathic killer
-They're a mindless form of media
Allow me to address these arguments one by one.
First off, games don't rot your brain. Well, the GOOD ones don't, anyways. A video game is designed to challenge your critical thinking skills, your organization skills, your reflexes, your prioritization skills, and sometimes, your ethics. How, you may ask? I'll explain, using Pokemon as an example.
Pokemon (literally translated "Pocket Monsters"), for those of you who have been living under rocks for the last 20 years, is a game where you collect and battle creatures (called Pokemon) against the creatures of other trainers. Simple right? Wrong. Pokemon requires you to think. Certain types of Pokemon are better suited to fight against specific other types (ie: Fire beats Grass). This gets even more complicated because of the fact that some Pokemon have two different types, and within these types, there are even MORE specializations when you realize that practically every Pokemon has their own special gimmick. Ever one gets four techniques that they can learn, and the effectiveness of these techniques depends on its "stats (basically, numerical values that represent its strength in certain fields)." I'm not even going to get into evolutionary chains, held items, double and triple battles, abilities, weather effects, or combos. Even with all of this, Pokemon is regarded as one of the SIMPLER games in it's field. Clearly, this throws any thought of no mental challenge in video games out the window.
Secondly, video games make you into a psychopathic killer? OBJECTION! Exhibit A: out of everyone I know who plays video games, zero have committed crimes such as murder, rape, or grand theft. Exhibit B: out of all the (mindbogglingly small) number of murderers linked to video games as a catalyst, practically none of them were all that mentally stable to begin with. Violent video games do not make violent people. Video games can be seen as a way to vent off aggression, giving people the ability to do things they wouldn't do in real life. If violence is diverted from real people to computer generated sprites, then I'm all for it.
Finally, video games can, in fact, be thoughtful and artistic. It has been more times than I'd like to admit where a video game had almost brought me to tears with a touching story (I'm looking at you, Metal Gear Solid 4). In many ways, video games are much better at conveying emotion than other forms of media, due to the overwhelming sense of empathy a player gains by putting themselves in the shoes of the protagonist. In some of the best video games, the protagonist is an extension of the player's own emotions, such as in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask and Half-Life. Now, I know that not all games are created for this purpose, but when it's done right, it's an unbelievably powerful experience. Add this to the fact that some of the best music, art, and stories I've ever had the pleasure to find have come from video games.
This blog post here pretty much summarizes the reasons I want to be a developer. Sure, the pay is great, the coworkers are nice, and it has one of the largest job satisfaction rates I've ever seen, but that's not the main reason I love it so much. Video games are a sort of super media. Practically every form of art can come together to form a beautiful display of elegance, emotion, and effort. It's just a dream come true for me.
Anyways, If you like what you see here, and you want to see more, don't forget to comment and subscribe. See you around!
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