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"Stop playing games with my mind"

Ever played a game where you've become really involved? When I say involved I don't mean the old, trying to win real hard, I mean seriously involved when you have been beginning to question what real life really is and where the boundaries between games stop and begin. When you've got to this stage, you've crossed the line of playing games, and playing with your mind. Games can influence us in many ways, feelings can draw us into the experience more than everything, emotions are what make games so immersive.

When you speak of being compelled by a game, it tends to be in the way it makes you feel, the way it seems so real to you. Sometimes games can be so inwards drawing that however hard you may try, you somehow can't quite escape that worry, that niggling feeling that the game your playing has been left behind and that your life is life at all and not just a game. This my friends, is total internal immersion.

No longer is your life, your life, the game IS your life. At every turn you wonder who’s around there, where the plot is going to twist next, why that shady character has been following you around all day. You begin to get paranoid..... The game you were playing is influencing your life, almost distorting reality. A dark corner is no longer a dark corner; it’s now a sniping place for an enemy agent working for the government attempting to assassinate you. Barriers have been broken, new rules have been set..... The game has taking over your mind.

If your not lost yet I will explain what I meant by that strange introduction. As you all know, games can make you feel emotions, fear, paranoia confusion, many more. But some games have more than this. They don't only affect your emotions while playing the game; they actually manage to affect your outlook on life. A prime example of this is Deus Ex. The master of all paranoia inducing games. It doesn't want you to feel safe, it wants you too trust no one. When you have left your PC it wants you to be wondering why, when and how. It truly wants you to believe that the games events have and are happening.

Conspiracies begin to seem more likely; no one can be trusted anymore. Everyone is a suspect. Mind you, not all developers have the ability to immerse you in this way. Why? It’s mainly due to a lot of games having weak storylines, something Deus Ex certainly doesn't have. But why does the story affect the way you feel? The truth is it isn't only the story; it is also to do with the character you are playing as. To get you to this state of mind the game needs to have a character you can really relate with, their problems are your problems...no longer are you Joe Bloggs, your now JC Denton and working to dispose of the NRS.

Connecting with the character is a major part of this effect. If you can't relate to them, you want feel emotion. You have to become one with the character and believe you are them and not just controlling their actions. This way you will feel hurt when they are hurt and emotional when they are confronted with an emotional matter. Its a hard thing to do, and something not many developers have managed to do, but when its correctly done it can work wonders for the game itself, drawing you into its world instead of seeming like your looking through the looking glass.

So after reading what I have to say..... Do you agree that games are playing games with our minds? We may not all want to believe it, but we all know the truth.... don’t we?.........

VKTR

The only game that has ever got me too this state of mind would have to be Deus Ex I think. For the story really. MAkes me paranoid.

VKTR

I wouldn't say I have been totally involved to the point that it messes with your head. I have reached the point when you hit the zone and you reach perfect concentration. That feeling is wonderful.

Anyone here got any serious comments on this topic???

VKTR

Vektor wrote:
> Ummm, excuse me? Whatever mate. Are you a Virtual Newbie by the way or a genuine
> Newbie?

What is it with this signature thing? Oh and if I told you I'd have to kill you MJ. Oopps

Ummm, excuse me? Whatever mate. Are you a Virtual Newbie by the way or a genuine Newbie?

VKTR

Vektor wrote:
> Look mate, not every long post I do is to do with winning GAD, in fact it tends
> to be the last thing I am interested in. I want peoples opinions on what I
> write, not winning a game. Oh and I have my ways of getting people to
> reply.

VKTR

YEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS MAAAAAAASSSSSSTTTTEEEERR

I WIIIIIIILLLLLL POOOOOOOOOSSST INNNNNN YOOOOUUUUR THREADDDD

Look mate, not every long post I do is to do with winning GAD, in fact it tends to be the last thing I am interested in. I want peoples opinions on what I write, not winning a game. Oh and I have my ways of getting people to reply.

VKTR

Vektor wrote:
> Hard As Nails wrote:
> *cough* GAD attempt *cough* greedy *cough*

Insults
> will get you no where.....of course its a GAD attempt :P

VKTR

Yes maybe so, but didn't you just win last week and I saw another GAD attempt post from you yesterday. But you have been out smarted and will be beating at your own game ; - ).

It's just weird how people reply in your thread but poor old mine which is slowly falling down the forum right now just gets ignored.

Hard As Nails wrote:
> *cough* GAD attempt *cough* greedy *cough*

Insults will get you no where.....of course its a GAD attempt :P

VKTR

Sorry about definetally b in spelt rong.

*RiCkOsS thinks this through*

hmmmmmmm