03-18-2013, 10:19 PM
Many people (i.e. non-gamers) like to say that video games are empty, devoid of substance and meaning. I say that that's crap. Games can evoke many more feelings than just the satisfaction of completing a game. How could it not?
Games imitate life. Though the setting may be as fantastical as being Hero of Time traveling across the land and saving the world from evil in the Legend of Zelda or as close to reality as possible like a soldier combating terrorists in the Call of Duty series, their journey, their feelings speak to us. If it didn't, then that game would be a failure.
And there are so many literary, scientific, and philosophical elements within these games that if you are looking for them, you will find them. When I play the Legend of Zelda, I can see the Monomyth of the Hero's Journey. When I play Grand Theft Auto, I wonder does crime pay or does might make right? When I play Chrono Trigger, I wonder if time travel is actually possible and can I change the past?
So why am I creating this thread? Well, I want to share my ideas with my fellow gamers... to show that video games can create discussions of deep issues within the game...That it isn't just something we do to pass the time... that it is deeper than just the gameplay. And maybe, one day, create a youtube channel like the dykgaming channel and share my thoughts with a much wider audience.
I have no idea how this is going to go. I'm playing this by ear. Maybe in the coming days, there can be a forum for these topics. But for now, I'll post it here.
Here is a list of topics that I'll eventually discuss.
The Hero's Journey in the Legend of Zelda: Why we care whether or not Link succeeds
Infamous and the Morality System: Does it pay to be bad or is it better to be good
Metal Gear Solid: We love a good conspiracy theory
Chrono Trigger: Can we really change the past?
Final Fantasy X: How does Tidus know that he exists?
These are just a few ideas. I have Which would you like to read and discuss first? Let me know in this thread. Or if you have your our ideas, let me know as well. Together, we can prove that video games are much more than just pretty graphics and gameplay.
Games imitate life. Though the setting may be as fantastical as being Hero of Time traveling across the land and saving the world from evil in the Legend of Zelda or as close to reality as possible like a soldier combating terrorists in the Call of Duty series, their journey, their feelings speak to us. If it didn't, then that game would be a failure.
And there are so many literary, scientific, and philosophical elements within these games that if you are looking for them, you will find them. When I play the Legend of Zelda, I can see the Monomyth of the Hero's Journey. When I play Grand Theft Auto, I wonder does crime pay or does might make right? When I play Chrono Trigger, I wonder if time travel is actually possible and can I change the past?
So why am I creating this thread? Well, I want to share my ideas with my fellow gamers... to show that video games can create discussions of deep issues within the game...That it isn't just something we do to pass the time... that it is deeper than just the gameplay. And maybe, one day, create a youtube channel like the dykgaming channel and share my thoughts with a much wider audience.
I have no idea how this is going to go. I'm playing this by ear. Maybe in the coming days, there can be a forum for these topics. But for now, I'll post it here.
Here is a list of topics that I'll eventually discuss.
The Hero's Journey in the Legend of Zelda: Why we care whether or not Link succeeds
Infamous and the Morality System: Does it pay to be bad or is it better to be good
Metal Gear Solid: We love a good conspiracy theory
Chrono Trigger: Can we really change the past?
Final Fantasy X: How does Tidus know that he exists?
These are just a few ideas. I have Which would you like to read and discuss first? Let me know in this thread. Or if you have your our ideas, let me know as well. Together, we can prove that video games are much more than just pretty graphics and gameplay.