258: Every Game Is the End of the World

[Nick Halme]

Every Game Is the End of the World

The romance of the breakdown of society that Armageddon provides is that the social order would be reset and the downtrodden could become heroes. Nick Halme posits that each game that we play creates our own private apocalypse.


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[GuideBot]

Perhaps the most entertaining videogame related read since RedEye left Edge magazine. Many thanks.

 

[Mechsoap]

it made me drop a tear of truth *sob*

 

[Polock]

I live both lives.

 

[i am not god]

Brilliant, can't really think of anything else to say apart from that. And a non-patronising well done.

 

[the_pleasure_is_mine]

Brilliant article! I do love a good opinion on the escapism aspect of games... a very good read.

 

[Fortunefaded]

I don't get what all this marlarky abt the end of the world is. Also the article just seemed strange to me. Are we under attack for playing computer games?

 

[lazinesslord]

Damn its like you read my mind. As a nerdy kid in high school I never felt like I fit in anywhere and how boring and mundane my world is. I'm just glad to see I'm not alone and that other people feel exactly the same way I do.

Good article, man.

 

[Therumancer]

A little too artsy for my taste, but it seems right on when it comes to the nerd culture. Though it implies a degree of solidarity that we don't possess. Nerd Vs. Nerd conflicts are some of the worst there are. Especially when an outcast becomes an outcast.

That said, it was a good read, and articulated a lot of things that are hard to put into words.

 

[Jared]

Very good read, its something I have often discussed with my friends...in games, we are someone, and someone who can do something...where as outside we may be Jo blogs.

Many thanks for the intresting read!

 

[Royas]

Interesting read, and reflects some of my thoughts on the nature of nerd-ism. I've never been able to articulate those thoughts in a satisfactory way, but you seem to have captured some of it. In the case of myself and my friends, we weren't video game nerds, we were D&D nerds, but the principles remain the same.

 

[Rhino of Steel]

Very well said. I had a similar escape into WoW in high school except my friends sadly did not play. Being the only real nerd in my social circle meant that WoW was even more of an escape. At least there I had people who shared my interests. Fortunately, I have plenty of nerdy friends aside from the strictly online variety now but I swear those trips to Azeroth kept me sane in the waning days of my high school career.

 

[Newtsuck]

That was... amazing...

 

[Mr Waffle]

It's always a pleasure to read something from someone who "gets it". I remember when I lived at home, my dad would be annoyed that I got annoyed or angry when playing a game; he'd say, well, "it's just a game". Then go and get annoyed or angry when his favourite sports team made a mistake...

 

[Carboncrown]

A very nice read.

 

[Mutie]

Nice one, dude. Made me feel a little bit more comfortable with myself. Thank you.

As for the division of gamers from those in other media (you used film students as an example) I am a film student. It's my desire to highlight and celebrate the powerful link between film and game. Not in dogshit renditions such as Resident Evil or Doom, but as two of the most important devices in what I call the "Five Manifestations of Art".

Illustrative Composition.
Music.
Structural Sculpture.
Motion Picture.
And Game.

There's gamers eveywhere, man. Even where you wouldn't think to look for em.
I'm going to make sure every gamer I know reads this article (just like introducing Brutal Legend to a young Heavy Metal fan).

 

[JEBWrench]

Well, that was an interesting read. I don't agree with any of it in the slightest, but still very much interesting.

 

[Kaisharga]

Hands down the best writing I've seen on gaming as escapism, written for an audience of escapists via gaming. Moving, even. Hope to see more from you.