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When my good friend Tre first approached me about being a video game article
writer I was first and foremost surprised, second honored that he and other good folks and
friends at “ourhonestview.com” would consider me and of course being a rabid video
gamer I was totally stoked as well!
But where to start off for a first article?
Mario?
Pacman?
PONG?
few actually ask or even consider and that is (as the articles title implies)… What is a
gamer?
Is a gamer just somebody who plays video games? Well no, I don’t believe so. that’s
like saying an artist is just someone who paints a pretty picture, or a musician is just
someone who strums a guitar. No, there’s more to it than that. A musician will tell you that
it’s not just a matter of playing notes, you have to feel the music and let it move you, while
the artist will tell you that at times you have to let the art take shape and see what
develops.
Like these examples there is more to being a gamer. Video games and video gaming is a
crazy culture all its own and one that crosses over into many other cultures as well. It’s
one that has grown, spread, and evolved over time. One that is vast and varied with lingo,
jargon and terminology to match, with more than a few inside jokes and references that
only gamers will get. Anyone that has seen Wreck it Ralph will know what I’m talking
about.
But it’s not only that, like the musician or artist will tell you, it’s a form of expression
and trust me folks, gamers LOVE to express themselves as surely as villains love a good
monologue, or people in survival horror movies love to split up to cover more ground! Just
ask Bioware about Mass effect 3’s fan feedback if you don’t believe me.
Seriously, there are few ways to strike up a conversation with people of all different walks
of life and cultural backgrounds faster than a speeding death by head shot in halo 4 on
legendry than to bring up video games except for politics or religion, but that’s a whole
different issue. I should point out that video game conversations will also oftentimes
descend into some pretty hysterical and side splitting banter and/or debates.
The point is is that there is so much more to it all than just the playing the video games
themselves, although there’s a lot to of playing video games too. There are the stories they
tell and the experience of being drawn into them much like a reader gets drawn into a good
book. A few of my most memorable video game stories include Breath of Fire 3 on the Ps1,
Final Fantasy X on the PS2, Skies of Arcadia on the GameCube, and of course Mass Effect
12&3 on Xbox 360.
Other times it’s just the zany fun of a good party game with friends like Mario Kart,
Smash Bros, Twisted Metal 1 or 2, or Mortal Kombat. And of course there’s the memories and laughs you get from such get togethers.
Also, for many gamers there’s the feeling of nostalgia from playing old-school games on retro systems like the original Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Genesis, or even Atari. And let’s face it, who doesn’t like playing old-school Pacman, Mario, Sonic, etc.
Now there are some who say video are a bad influence.
Can it be?
Well, in much the same way that movies or music can be, yes it can. Please note I said CAN, because games, just like movies, have a rating system. Movies are rated G, PG, PG13, R, and NC17, while
video games are rated E, E10+, T, and M. So what does any of that mean? Well parents, let
me ask you something; would you let your kids go see an R rated movie at the theaters by
themselves? No? Well it’s kind of the same thing with video games, so parents please stop
buying games like Saints Row the 3rd for your 1st graders…. “PLEASE!!”
But I digress a bit; yes video games can be a bad influence (I know I’m a traitor now
right), though no more or less so then other forms of media, and video games can be a form
of escape for some people. Don’t get me wrong; I love video games. I’ve been playing them
since the 1980’s and it can be easy to lose yourself in them. That being said, parents need to
be actively involved in and know what their kids are playing, as well as knowing what’s
really in them. Also, older players need to use some self-disciple and discretion. Again,
while video games are fun they’re no substitute for human interaction.
Alright that’s enough of the heavy stuff for now. So what else can we say about the
video game culture? Well, it’s come a surprisingly long way since they first debuted a few
decades back. For instance, video games now have an effect on many other forms of media
from movies, comics, novels, and anime, and that doesn’t even include the plethora of T-
shirts, energy drinks, toys, clothing, artwork, fan fictions, and music..... sweet, sweet, kick-
butt video game music tracks. Sorry, I got nostalgic for a second there, although video game
music scores are among some of the most unique and truly amazing music there is. Some of
my own favorite game soundtracks include the soundtracks from Double Dragons 2 the
Revenge, TNMT4-Turtules in Time, StarFox64, Final Fantasy X, any of the games in the
Mass Effect series, Skyrim, and I’ll give an honorable mention to Tiny Tina’s intro song from
Borderlands 2. What can I say; I love that song.
Indeed, video games and the video game culture have come a long ways, especially
considering that the first real console game, if memory serves correctly, was created by
accident with of all things electronic diagnostic equipment. So yup, there’s a lot to video
games and video gaming. So much so that if the contents of this article and the views
expressed here do not give you a suitable idea of what it means to be a gamer, well then I
am sorry to tell you this but: your princess is in another castle!
P.S. Thank you readers for… well reading this article. If you have any comments please feel
free to post them on our Facebook page. They are welcomed and appreciated.
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| Andrew Desrosiers |
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