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Once apon a time in the midst of confusion, somebody decided that beyond all things he could see, there was a much deeper meaning to why that man was placed in the position he was in.
The meaning of life.
We play games, I'm pretty sure of that. But have you ever sat comfortably and asked yourself truthfully why you play games?
Well you should have. And yes... you probably came to the conclusion that it was no more than an escape from the meer thought of living in our world.
But then, what are we really escaping from?
In a land of misery, we stand. We can't get away from what we believe our lives will end up like, the haunting voices speaking and telling us that we WILL fail, we will NEVER become more than anyone else. We are only human. In this land of misery, we could indeed fall.
I don't believe I will never fall. I know I will never fall. I will always stand to see what I believe to be right, and I'm going to live my life as I see fit, not how people expect me to.
And "Sorry?" I hear you ask... "Where the hell does gaming fit into this?"
I'll come to it. Really.
You may have noticed the title to this post. Four things that all have one thing in common.
Experience in creativity.
I have found it incredibly more and more difficult to sit down and play games. I just don't feel like doing it anymore, because I don't get anything out of it.
But... if I told you to go and look at the sea, I expect you would say the same thing to me. Nothing out of it. Pointless.
I beg to differ.
How many people look at screenshots and think: "Hey, that looks good!"
Yes, everyone. People might even put it as their desktop background because of it. Because someone designed some characters, programmed a bit of code, put it into a nice looking scene, and you love it, and it's your background.
The sea never changes. The sea has and will be there always, at least in our life time. So why don't people get the same reaction when they look at it than when we look at a picture of a new game?
We strive for things that are better. The rat race of things to please us before we die. That's what we're escaping from. Bigger and better things to entertain us before we pass away.
My life is now scripted inside my head. I don't know every single detail... I know what experience I will need. I know that I need money, and how to get it. I know that I'm going to have stills from movies on the corridors of the Swordspines Offices. But I don't know what qualifications I'll need. Do I need to be qualified?
Will it happen? Will I reach my dream?
When I was in year 10 I designed and made a ventriloquist monkey. "Oh... err... that's nice." I hear you say again.
Ever since then, I've always made the effort to outdo myself. Push myself beyond my limits. I cannot stop, because I cannot fail. The only way I can fail is by dying, and I'm pretty sure that won't happen for a while. As long as I'm careful.
And here's the connection.
While playing games and wishing for bigger and better experiences, I'll be pushing myself to make bigger and better things, to push myself, go beyond what I've done before.
Why?
Because I find looking at the sea, breathing in the fresh air and listening to music while watching the sunset much more important. It gives me time to think. It gives me time to think about what I can do next, to push myself beyond what I've done.
But hey... gaming is only an escape. Isn't it?
Or are we just hiding from what we're supposed to be doing? Pushing ourselves to become better as a person?
I leave that down to you.
The meaning of life.
We play games, I'm pretty sure of that. But have you ever sat comfortably and asked yourself truthfully why you play games?
Well you should have. And yes... you probably came to the conclusion that it was no more than an escape from the meer thought of living in our world.
But then, what are we really escaping from?
In a land of misery, we stand. We can't get away from what we believe our lives will end up like, the haunting voices speaking and telling us that we WILL fail, we will NEVER become more than anyone else. We are only human. In this land of misery, we could indeed fall.
I don't believe I will never fall. I know I will never fall. I will always stand to see what I believe to be right, and I'm going to live my life as I see fit, not how people expect me to.
And "Sorry?" I hear you ask... "Where the hell does gaming fit into this?"
I'll come to it. Really.
You may have noticed the title to this post. Four things that all have one thing in common.
Experience in creativity.
I have found it incredibly more and more difficult to sit down and play games. I just don't feel like doing it anymore, because I don't get anything out of it.
But... if I told you to go and look at the sea, I expect you would say the same thing to me. Nothing out of it. Pointless.
I beg to differ.
How many people look at screenshots and think: "Hey, that looks good!"
Yes, everyone. People might even put it as their desktop background because of it. Because someone designed some characters, programmed a bit of code, put it into a nice looking scene, and you love it, and it's your background.
The sea never changes. The sea has and will be there always, at least in our life time. So why don't people get the same reaction when they look at it than when we look at a picture of a new game?
We strive for things that are better. The rat race of things to please us before we die. That's what we're escaping from. Bigger and better things to entertain us before we pass away.
My life is now scripted inside my head. I don't know every single detail... I know what experience I will need. I know that I need money, and how to get it. I know that I'm going to have stills from movies on the corridors of the Swordspines Offices. But I don't know what qualifications I'll need. Do I need to be qualified?
Will it happen? Will I reach my dream?
When I was in year 10 I designed and made a ventriloquist monkey. "Oh... err... that's nice." I hear you say again.
Ever since then, I've always made the effort to outdo myself. Push myself beyond my limits. I cannot stop, because I cannot fail. The only way I can fail is by dying, and I'm pretty sure that won't happen for a while. As long as I'm careful.
And here's the connection.
While playing games and wishing for bigger and better experiences, I'll be pushing myself to make bigger and better things, to push myself, go beyond what I've done before.
Why?
Because I find looking at the sea, breathing in the fresh air and listening to music while watching the sunset much more important. It gives me time to think. It gives me time to think about what I can do next, to push myself beyond what I've done.
But hey... gaming is only an escape. Isn't it?
Or are we just hiding from what we're supposed to be doing? Pushing ourselves to become better as a person?
I leave that down to you.
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Nice post.
Different.
I don't entirely agree with you, but wouldn'y life be dull if we all agreed?
I can still sit by the Sea for hours.
And I can still play games for hours.
When I play games, it's for fun. Something to do because TV is ultimately unfulfilling, and it's easy entertainment.
Different.
I don't entirely agree with you, but wouldn'y life be dull if we all agreed?
I can still sit by the Sea for hours.
And I can still play games for hours.
When I play games, it's for fun. Something to do because TV is ultimately unfulfilling, and it's easy entertainment.
pb wrote:
> Well done Grix. Its nice to know some of the members of FOG who
> have been here a long time are still winning.
Ohhhhhh
pb having a dig, never saw that before :D
> Well done Grix. Its nice to know some of the members of FOG who
> have been here a long time are still winning.
Ohhhhhh
pb having a dig, never saw that before :D
Well done Grix. Its nice to know some of the members of FOG who have been here a long time are still winning.
Well Done PAHHH :P
Well done Grix!
Ironic though, isn't it... winning a game for a post about losing the will to play games... ;-)
Ironic though, isn't it... winning a game for a post about losing the will to play games... ;-)
Cheers mate!
10! Man I only have 3, calm down abit Grix. well done YH for winning y/day too.
Congrats Grix!!
10th GAD this Grix? What you gonna choose?
Swordspines Official Board Meeting
(Minutes)
Agenda:
Discuss who's who
Discuss where we are
Discuss what we will do
Discuss how we will get there
Any other business
Present:
Grix Thraves (Chairman and CEO)
FantasyMeister (Lead Programmer and Tea Boy)
The meeting convened at 23:01pm 02/08/2001
Grix: "So, FM, welcome to our first boardmeeting"
FM: "Cheers boss."
Grix: "Now then, to business."
FM: "OK. It says on the agenda 'Discuss who's who'."
Grix: "Hmm, tough one that, who am I?"
FM: "Well, you're you, clearly, you're Grix Thraves."
Grix: "Yes, I know that...but, WHO am I?"
FM: "..."
Grix: "OK, we'll skip that, what's next?"
FM: "Coffee?"
Grix: "But that's not on the agenda."
FM: "Can't we be flexible?"
Grix: "No."
FM: "..."
Grix: "Next item, 'Where we are'."
FM: "Well, I'm here floating in cyberspace."
Grix: "I know that, I think this is meant to mean as in where we are in terms of Swordspines."
FM: "OK, I'm floating in cyberspace whilst attending a virtual Swordspines Board Meeting."
Grix "..."
FM: "OK, well, I've learnt a bit of C, and I've got the book and all, and I've got MS Visual C++ coming on Monday or early next week."
Grix: "That's good news."
FM: "How about you?"
Grix! "How about that coffee?"
FM: "Sure!"
Grix: "Now then, 'What will we do?'"
FM: "Well, I see Swordspines as one of the leading developers in entertaining software for the masses, developing RPG's the like of which have never been seen before, multiple endings, and by multiple I mean millions, with millions of ways of getting there, games that are totally freeflowing, games that make you think, games that let you run wild with your imagination..."
Grix: "Sounds good, I've got this vision of a Western type game..."
FM: "..."
Grix: "OK, so how are we going to get there?"
FM: "That's easy, I can ring Bill up and get a developer's kit just like that, we've already got MS software running on our PC's so it's just a matter of the right words in the right ears at MS to get the freebie servers."
Grix: "MICROSOFT!!!!"
FM: "...or of course, if you prefer...Nintendo?"
Grix: "Yep."
FM: "..."
Grix: "So any other business?"
FM: "I know! Pay!!"
Grix: "..."
The meeting adjourned at 23:13pm 02/08/2001
(Minutes)
Agenda:
Discuss who's who
Discuss where we are
Discuss what we will do
Discuss how we will get there
Any other business
Present:
Grix Thraves (Chairman and CEO)
FantasyMeister (Lead Programmer and Tea Boy)
The meeting convened at 23:01pm 02/08/2001
Grix: "So, FM, welcome to our first boardmeeting"
FM: "Cheers boss."
Grix: "Now then, to business."
FM: "OK. It says on the agenda 'Discuss who's who'."
Grix: "Hmm, tough one that, who am I?"
FM: "Well, you're you, clearly, you're Grix Thraves."
Grix: "Yes, I know that...but, WHO am I?"
FM: "..."
Grix: "OK, we'll skip that, what's next?"
FM: "Coffee?"
Grix: "But that's not on the agenda."
FM: "Can't we be flexible?"
Grix: "No."
FM: "..."
Grix: "Next item, 'Where we are'."
FM: "Well, I'm here floating in cyberspace."
Grix: "I know that, I think this is meant to mean as in where we are in terms of Swordspines."
FM: "OK, I'm floating in cyberspace whilst attending a virtual Swordspines Board Meeting."
Grix "..."
FM: "OK, well, I've learnt a bit of C, and I've got the book and all, and I've got MS Visual C++ coming on Monday or early next week."
Grix: "That's good news."
FM: "How about you?"
Grix
FM: "Sure!"
Grix: "Now then, 'What will we do?'"
FM: "Well, I see Swordspines as one of the leading developers in entertaining software for the masses, developing RPG's the like of which have never been seen before, multiple endings, and by multiple I mean millions, with millions of ways of getting there, games that are totally freeflowing, games that make you think, games that let you run wild with your imagination..."
Grix: "Sounds good, I've got this vision of a Western type game..."
FM: "..."
Grix: "OK, so how are we going to get there?"
FM: "That's easy, I can ring Bill up and get a developer's kit just like that, we've already got MS software running on our PC's so it's just a matter of the right words in the right ears at MS to get the freebie servers."
Grix: "MICROSOFT!!!!"
FM: "...or of course, if you prefer...Nintendo?"
Grix: "Yep."
FM: "..."
Grix: "So any other business?"
FM: "I know! Pay!!"
Grix: "..."
The meeting adjourned at 23:13pm 02/08/2001
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