The Gamer’s Quagmire: 9th Edition
- Jamison DeLorenzo

Gaming, humor, and insanity in harmony

Ever since Grand Theft Auto: Vice City became a smashing success the media and several special interest groups have started pounding on the franchise in the hopes that they would have an impact and further their cause. Lawyers have tried to make careers out of taking down such a powerhouse gaming franchise. Part of what makes me such an intrinsic video game fan is that video games are viewed so negatively by many of those people who consider themselves to be part of the American mainstream culture. It is this same feeling that enamors fans of comic books and skateboarding to their hobbies that much more. All of the true fans of these activities were drawn to them because they were fun and no other reason. Those who attack these activities only make the bonds to these activities stronger.

What makes my attachment to video games so strong is that as an introverted kid at school, while I did have enough friends, video games were a way for me to entertain myself when I wanted to be alone. Video games were a way for me to use and feed my imagination. Video games allowed me to experience a story, universe, or event when I wanted to see it instead of waiting for it to be scheduled on television or at some location in my hometown (playing tennis whenever I wanted to was a fantastic feeling). The fact that I was a computer geek only heightened my fascination with these games and the technology around them. The Atari 2600 was there for me during some very impressionable years of my life. Once my parents did me the immeasurable favor of purchasing that system and spent time playing games with me I became a lifetime fan of video games (not to mention gaining yet another level of respect for my parents).

For these reasons and more, when people attack video games I tend to take the attacks personally. When people around me state their disdain for them from a distant point of view, usually citing the worst examples of video games, it annoys me. When lawyers attack video games through lawsuits it angers me, aside for the same reason, because they are attempting to take advantage of a tragedy for professional gain. When politicians attack video games it infuriates me because they are doing it to advance their political agenda. It is quite common to hear people whine and rant about video games while being completely removed from what some of the best video games can do for people. It is easy to attack ideas you do not take the time to understand. Disdain born out of ignorance is a major problem.

Of course not everybody wants to do something about video games because it may advance their own career- some people do have pure and strong personal reasons for attacking video games. I was making a gross generalization, so at least I know that. When you have personal accounts that lead to such feelings that’s fine, but attacking an industry as a whole is never justified. If you want to blame GTA, Lineage, Warcraft III, or any other game for causing a personal tragedy then go right ahead. Don’t drag down the whole industry with those thoughts. Go on record for stating that Mario is evil and expect a slew of parents to get upset over this (believe it or not there a plethora of parents that like playing Mario games with their kids because those games are fun and accessible). Go on record and state that DDR is evil and get ready for people attempting to lose weight upset at you (I’m not even kidding- playing that game can help you achieve that).

I do not have the time or the inclination to play every game that people like to attack, but sometimes just being a fan of video games is enough to draw ridicule from some people. I am not asking for a reprieve from these attacks and I am not even asking for the PSP (or even, ugh, cellular phones) to help bring a larger acceptance of video games into society. Just like a sports fan loves to debate and argue over their team and players, which is another one of my fun hobbies, I love to argue about video games with people. Sometimes it is impossible convince another person why they are foolishly ignorant in their dislike or disdain for video games. That’s okay. The fun is in that I know I can go on for hours about all the good things about video games and all the different examples that make certain games something far more than entertainment is enough. This is one of those cases where the value of the journey vastly outweighs the outcome.

By the now the message should be pretty clear- I love video games and always will. Even if two playable games come out in one calendar year I will still play them, love them, and wait for more good games the next year. Even if the industry is bloated, even if the industry is corrupted, and even if the industry is too conservative there are still plenty of games that provide a good amount of entertainment. They are a great source of entertainment, a creative outlet, and a place where I can be myself and ignore the world. It is not as tranquil as fishing but it works.

The reason I bring this up this week is because this past week has provided the perfect opportunity to explain why GTA is good for society. Anyone who has had to deal with car insurance nightmares will understand where I am coming from. After hours of battling with insurance & DMV employees to straighten out a series of issues with driving registration, insurance, payments, companies, and licenses I needed to get away from the universe. After sitting down and meditating over which of my hundreds of video games would bring me the most pleasure I decided on GTA. Why? Easy- it is a fun game, it deals with driving, and I wanted to work out some tension and anger that had built up over the course of the day. A ‘normal’ person may have gone working out, turned up the volume on their favorite CD, played an instrument, watched a tape of a classic sports event, or just relaxed on their favorite park bench.

I decided to play a game that involved blowing up cars, running people over, shooting innocent bystanders, and breaking traffic laws in numerous ways. What can I say, Carmageddon just felt way too subdued for the frustration that had built up. Smashing traffic lights, beating up other drivers, and blowing up vehicles that cut me off with a rocket launcher has a sense of satisfaction to it. In real life I know that it would be immensely moronic for me to do this in the real world, and I knew that if I was afforded the opportunity to play a game that allowed to work out some vehicular frustration then all would be well. This is one of the many instances where video games are more than just entertainment- they can be stress relief and irony rolled into one. It is entirely possible that on a day when I get hit by some punk on a skateboard that THUG 2 is the game of choice at 6 pm. Before the Super Bowl I just may have to put in NFL2K5 and do a couple seasons in franchise mode. Just as there’s a right time and place for a certain CD, book, or movie there’s right time to play a certain game.

So go ahead, attack video games all you want. Sue as many companies as you can find and try to invent some ratings system that’s more 20 times more detailed and hypocritical than what is in place for movies. You cannot take video games away from me, and you cannot take away the need for games such as Grand Theft Auto. Video game companies do not create the demand for these violent games- the people purchasing and playing them do. Video games can be blown out of proportion but they are never given the credit they are due.

You know what? Maybe that is what makes me enjoy them as much as I do.

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