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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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Basically, I play games for fun.
While I'm immersed in the storyline of MGS, or determined to win that race in GT3, I forget all my troubles, and I am in a completely different world.
While I'm immersed in the storyline of MGS, or determined to win that race in GT3, I forget all my troubles, and I am in a completely different world.
Hmmm... I think I'm going to have to call our first meeting soon. Better start writing down what to discuss.
Well go back to basics then. Start with the Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone Fighting Fantasy books and work up from there!
(Mind you, Ian Livingstone did have a hand in the production of 'Deathtrap Dungeon' on the PSX, and that didn't sell to well...).
However, I think your point is that games today don't allow you to think enough? They don't allow you enough free reign to draw your own canvass?
How about the free roaming RPG's that are in development now for the X-Box, games where EVERY action you take determines the course of the game.
For example, there's one game where if you impress a guild of assassins, they invite you to join them, whereas if you are hostile towards them they take out a contract on you, thereby totally changing the game from thereonin. And EVERY thing you do in that game is like that, with millions of endings, millions of pathways and so on.
That kind of game you really DO have to think before you press the button or turn the corner. That's what I'll be developing in my future of gaming. (Just let me finish MSR first, ok?)
(Mind you, Ian Livingstone did have a hand in the production of 'Deathtrap Dungeon' on the PSX, and that didn't sell to well...).
However, I think your point is that games today don't allow you to think enough? They don't allow you enough free reign to draw your own canvass?
How about the free roaming RPG's that are in development now for the X-Box, games where EVERY action you take determines the course of the game.
For example, there's one game where if you impress a guild of assassins, they invite you to join them, whereas if you are hostile towards them they take out a contract on you, thereby totally changing the game from thereonin. And EVERY thing you do in that game is like that, with millions of endings, millions of pathways and so on.
That kind of game you really DO have to think before you press the button or turn the corner. That's what I'll be developing in my future of gaming. (Just let me finish MSR first, ok?)
FantasyMeister wrote:
"it affords your reign to unleash your imagination upon an otherwise normal environment and turn it into what YOU would like it to be"
No.
Playing games requires very little imagination. Have you ever been left to think things through for yourself in actions games? Perhaps puzzlers and point and clicks... but games in general are pathetic.
Your arguement also stands on the very same thing that you will soon argue against... games encouraging people to go out and kill people.
I don't play games because I want to be a pirate/hooker/dolphin. I play games because it provides that extra little bit of inspiration.
Books. Books require a lot more imagination. Now there you can put yourself in worlds and places where you want to be. It's not first person, it doesn't matter. It isn't an escape, it's simply just a book, and it's nice to read.
I still want to create games. Just not the sort of games that are crapped out by developers these days.
"it affords your reign to unleash your imagination upon an otherwise normal environment and turn it into what YOU would like it to be"
No.
Playing games requires very little imagination. Have you ever been left to think things through for yourself in actions games? Perhaps puzzlers and point and clicks... but games in general are pathetic.
Your arguement also stands on the very same thing that you will soon argue against... games encouraging people to go out and kill people.
I don't play games because I want to be a pirate/hooker/dolphin. I play games because it provides that extra little bit of inspiration.
Books. Books require a lot more imagination. Now there you can put yourself in worlds and places where you want to be. It's not first person, it doesn't matter. It isn't an escape, it's simply just a book, and it's nice to read.
I still want to create games. Just not the sort of games that are crapped out by developers these days.
OMG they've lost their reasoning for gaming!!!
Fine, stare at the sea all you want, but at least with gaming I can pretend to be a dolphin and dive into that sea and take out some bad jellyfish, sense the waves coursing over my body as I power through the icy cold wastes of the North Atlantic, or feel the hot sun on my fins as I wade about on my tail in the Caribbean.
And go for long walks in the country, breathing in the air, I'll be taking my Yamaha 500cc MotoX and tearing up some turf and pulling some air whilst your taking in the surroundings and thinking 'Wow, what a nice butterfly.'
You both seem to have that guilty air about you that suggests that you are both gaming as a way of avoiding things. SO WRONG. You've been gaming for years because it's FUN, you LOVE it, it's the equivalent now of reading a ripping good adventure story in a book 50 years ago.
Did people feel guilty then about burying their nose in a book? I think not.
Remember, gaming is a FUN way to spend time, it affords you reign to unleash your imagination upon an otherwise normal environment and turn it into what YOU would like it to me, thereby fuelling your imagination further so that when you've powered down your console you can think to yourself, "I can do better than that in REAL life!" and encouraging you to go out and beat it.
Gaming isn't a release from life, it's a PART of life, and should never be shunned as an excuse for not doing anything else. The reason we like to play games more than work, the reason we like to play games rather than do responsible things, the reason that we like to play games over MOST things, is that gaming is our favorite thing to do.
Simple.
Fine, stare at the sea all you want, but at least with gaming I can pretend to be a dolphin and dive into that sea and take out some bad jellyfish, sense the waves coursing over my body as I power through the icy cold wastes of the North Atlantic, or feel the hot sun on my fins as I wade about on my tail in the Caribbean.
And go for long walks in the country, breathing in the air, I'll be taking my Yamaha 500cc MotoX and tearing up some turf and pulling some air whilst your taking in the surroundings and thinking 'Wow, what a nice butterfly.'
You both seem to have that guilty air about you that suggests that you are both gaming as a way of avoiding things. SO WRONG. You've been gaming for years because it's FUN, you LOVE it, it's the equivalent now of reading a ripping good adventure story in a book 50 years ago.
Did people feel guilty then about burying their nose in a book? I think not.
Remember, gaming is a FUN way to spend time, it affords you reign to unleash your imagination upon an otherwise normal environment and turn it into what YOU would like it to me, thereby fuelling your imagination further so that when you've powered down your console you can think to yourself, "I can do better than that in REAL life!" and encouraging you to go out and beat it.
Gaming isn't a release from life, it's a PART of life, and should never be shunned as an excuse for not doing anything else. The reason we like to play games more than work, the reason we like to play games rather than do responsible things, the reason that we like to play games over MOST things, is that gaming is our favorite thing to do.
Simple.
DeltaJava wrote:
> Hey! Where's the Grix in the first post?
Is this Spot the
> Difference?
Sshhh!!
*Looks shifty and wonders off*
> Hey! Where's the Grix in the first post?
Is this Spot the
> Difference?
Sshhh!!
*Looks shifty and wonders off*
Hey! Where's the Grix in the first post?
Is this Spot the Difference?
Is this Spot the Difference?
Whoopsedaisy, sorry!
No joking Grix, that is truly an inspiring post.
No joking, that is truly an inspiring post.
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