186: The Hardcore Persuasion

[Christina Jen-Chia Hsieh]

The Hardcore Persuasion

There's a reason why the most compelling games are usually tragic, bloody affairs: The more grim and violent the plot, the more players are motivated to make things right.

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[Capo Taco]

This article is the reason I visit the escapist. I'll be thinking about this the rest of the day now. Thanks, that was great!

 

[goodman528]

"Tetris, while thoroughly amusing, is not a serious extracurricular pursuit."

Are you kidding me?! TETRIS is the original all nighter game. My aunt still tells me tales of half of the class staying up all night to play tetris in the computer room, back in the early '80s. That was when the computer room was call that because "the computer really was the room".

 

[Clemenstation]

V. thoughtful, especially the part about gamer faces. I was thinking about this the other day, because my girlfriend is always telling me that I look like I'm having the worst time when I play something on the 360. "I don't know why you keep playing Gears of War, you always look so pissed off." And, indeed, I usually am: at teammates, at being 'unfairly' chainsawed, etc. And yet I keep going back, because even though it doesn't LOOK like it to an outside observer, it's still fun. There's a serious discrepancy between my head ('wheee!') and my face ('meeeh').

Also: notice the (non)expression on gamer faces whenever there's a TV documentary about the 'new gaming phenomenon'. They look blank-eyed and dispassionate. No wonder uninformed commentators assume that gaming is a mind-numbing, slightly creepy activity. And no wonder the Wii, which forces you to make a dancing ass out of yourself, is so popular in response.

 

[paste]

I enjoyed this article a lot and agree with many major points you give. I think that games that have much tragedy are often moving. However, I think it's easier to be moved by tragedy. Most powerful classical music pieces are in minor keys. It takes real work to impress someone with a major key piece, but when it happens, it's also quite powerful. Take Tchaikovsky's Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet or Rachmaninoff's 18th variation from Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Both somewhat hackneyed by now, but unquestionably moving.

When games have stories, they need conflict, and so almost inevitably tragedy enters the equation. But it is the overcoming of adverse conditions that motivates us. It is the foreshadowed triumph that we want. Of course people generally enjoy pathos in their stories, and American audiences are learning to appreciate sad endings to movies and the like, but in general we don't want the main character to fail when we identify with him or her.

Yet, there are more reasons why people are moved to play videogames aside from just fighting evil. Sometimes it's competition with friends or with the game. So I think your slight on tetris may be unfounded. Pathos in games may be the most emotionally moving, but not always the most motivational.

 

[edgeofblade]

What about Fallout 3? You can make things "right" from a very limited perspective, but you are still living in a nuclear wasteland.

 

[Sgt. Dante]

Solid article, and some very interesting points. But i would disagree that for a game to qualify your interest in any serious way (Circa; being worth an all nighter) tha tit has to be a doom and gloom affair, i've quite happily sat up to the wee hours more than once on games like Super Paper Mario, Little Big Planet,Saints Row 2 and yes, these are slightly different from the diner dash example, but it's not about survival against great oppressive force.

I feel that it's the IMMERSION that keeps you going, as you mentioned earlier about the external purpose giving way to the "immediate here-and-now of the game's internal objective" that can make a game keep you playing. But maybe it's just me. violently oppressive games often don't keep me going till the wee hours. I liked your article as a whole, but the whole, "gaming must be oppressive" bit i feel is just unjustified.

 

[CUnk]

What about Fallout 3? You can make things "right" from a very limited perspective, but you are still living in a nuclear wasteland.

FO3 was the first thing I thought of when I read the article. I actually grew attached to my role of self-appointed protector of the Wasteland. I even made it a point to blow away any eye bots I came across after my run in with the Enclave, even though they are harmless and don't have and bearing on the game.

 

[Mr.Pandah]

Great article, especially the part about the all-nighters. I was one of those who was smiling while reading it, so mission accomplished on that. As far as what you set out to explain, which is the "Hardcore" side of gaming, I think you succeeded. As others have mentioned, my girlfriend also points out that I look way too serious when I'm playing games. In my mind, I'm having a blast, but my expression is a stonewall. A funny thing is, I had a recent conversation with my girlfriend and she had mentioned to me, "I don't want to play with you because I'm afraid you will get mad at me if I'm not good enough to keep up with you." Its interesting how one person says it, and another person materializes it. I'm going to send this article to her, just to get my point across now.

However, I feel that you've made just a tad bit of a sweeping generalization. While some games that contain the utmost doom and gloom are quite compelling, there are still those games that will keep you up for hours on end without any of that stuff. Viva Pinata is a perfect example of this. Harvest Moon anyone? Or just trying to 100% Jak & Daxter, or Banjo-Kazooie.

I personally find the most endearing games (the ones that will keep me up all night) are ones that let you play the game co-op with a buddy. Gears of War 1&2 were played into the wee hours of the morning with a friend of mine. So, you got me on that one, at least...as far as the doom and gloom goes in those games.

All in all though, it was an enjoyable read, I hope to see more from you!

 

[brettman170]

Fantastic article, the truest piece I've read in a long while. I need to show this to quite a few people who don't quite understand what a gamer today is.

 

[zacaron]

Spoiler

yes dont interupt me while hunting...in gaming or real life.

 

[Soigieoto]

hmmm well it was an interesting article me and my friends do actually smile and just laugh at each other while playing multiplayer.

I do think many people are to intense for my liking.

Its very fun to just stay up and laugh and smile while playing video games.

 

[[Gavo]]

I do smile when I game!

Granted, it's a evil smile that would have me scurrying of to the local psych ward if anyone saw it, but...it's still a smile! (I usually get it when I'm about to kick someone's ass. Very badly, usually in RTS's or with lots of explosives in FPS's).

 

[Brotherofwill]

Awesome article.

I do disagree on the conclusion that casual or "happy" games have little potential for an all- nighter... I've even had an all-nighter playing the Anaconda minigame of Timesplitters 2 with my friends

Well maybe it's just me

 

[Sylocat]

The reason tragedy is such a common genre is that it takes so little talent to write. Look at the movie industry, the artsy critics feel motivated to give EVERY movie with an unhappy ending a good rating and call it "moving" no matter how bad it was. Comedy, mystery, horror, these are hard genres to write, and a writer needs to be REALLY good to avoid being scathed by the press. But tragedy gets a free pass because "True Art Is Depressing."

I view the game industry in the same way. Just about any game with doom and gloom, with everything grayish-brown and stoic heroes learning how to be more stoic, will be popular with the "Hardcore" set, because serious games are somehow automatically deeper and more moving.

 

[TsunamiWombat]

I actually hate movies with depressing endings.

 

[DayDark]

The reason tragedy is such a common genre is that it takes so little talent to write. Look at the movie industry, the artsy critics feel motivated to give EVERY movie with an unhappy ending a good rating and call it "moving" no matter how bad it was. Comedy, mystery, horror, these are hard genres to write, and a writer needs to be REALLY good to avoid being scathed by the press. But tragedy gets a free pass because "True Art Is Depressing."

I view the game industry in the same way. Just about any game with doom and gloom, with everything grayish-brown and stoic heroes learning how to be more stoic, will be popular with the "Hardcore" set, because serious games are somehow automatically deeper and more moving.

what a tragic answer...yet so deep and moving.

 

[Jakkar]

Well done.

You're wise.

We (those who do) play the darker, the deeper, the epic and the free-er games because we crave that kind of freedom - to change the world for the better, or to deliver what we see as justice to enemies presented or half-imagined.

We are powerless, bound by legalities and tradition, and so many want more. Adventurelust is hardly new, but virtual worlds outside of lonely imagination -are-.

When millions are starting to show more interest in their virtual worlds, their MMOs, than in their real lives, you might start to suspect something is wrong in Wonderland.

- Jack

 

[Valiance]

This article sums up how I feel when I'm playing most games. Whether it's for survival, or to right wrongs, or to forge my own path in an unknown world, the ideas are just more exciting than my normal life. I do smile sometimes when playing though, but only a smile of satisfaction, a smile that reminds me just how awesome I am, a smile that says "Yes, that was perfect. Impressive..." after blowing apart a boss without being hit once, a well-executed dodge, a perfectly placed shot...

But hell, I seem to even take "casual" games too seriously (see stepmania) for most people, but I've played and enjoyed my fair share of casual games.

But "doom and gloom" nearly always take prevalence.