Gaming Obsessions, Documented

While sitting in my room here I was cruising along the information super highway and read a post, at User 40.0, by Marc Benton about a new movie/documentary that is coming out about gamers called “Second Skin_“. Since I’m certainly invested in gaming myself and the assumption that game development wont stop, I thought I’d take a look at the trailer for the movie.

I think I speak for many when I say that the call of the game, the feeling to push forward, beyond what you had imagined, the ability to play with like minded people, is an extremely compelling one. It drives us to, day after day, play the game. It makes us want to step foot into that “reality” and be consumed. Although, interesting, I believe that most real gamers know that this sort of situation is a possibility. By possibility, I do not mean that each and every game thinks they will fall into the trap that is complete and utter dependence on a game, a virtual world. I mean that each gamer knows one or two people that take the game a bit too far. Granted this is all part of perspective, but really, where does one draw the line? Surely there are millions of gamers out there who do not obsess over a game, who play the game for a few hours in a day/week/month, without the feelings associated with addiction. Or, is addiction to a game really subjective?

In high school, I played football. In fact, I played football from about, Day 0 until I graduated high school. I ate, drank, slept football. I could have told you the names of players in the NFL, on college teams. I learned plays, strategy, and the works. I had invested even more into football than any video game or even combination of video games. So then, why was I able to just stop playing and not have it completely consume me? Was it because I was just a kid with no real responsibilities? Or, was it because it was something that I did, something that I loved doing. But, not that which defined me?
I think the real question we’re searching for is, who or what is to blame? I’ve played my fair share of games, spent a great deal of money into that industry, and more importantly, my time. Understandably, one could see how I may be irritated about the things missed, time spent, etc. right? To be honest, I don’t feel that I wasted anything. I had fun. The game provided an outlet of entertainment that would have been filled, one way or another. This just happened to be through a game. So, who/what do I “blame” for my time spent in these virtual worlds? Who can I say is responsible? Well, myself of course.

Game developers and designers try to push the limits of virtual systems and worlds to advance how we think about virtual worlds. Game studios try to provide realistic and enticing content both for the sale but also for the pure enjoyment of the time spent playing in that world. While some people use it as an escape from reality, others play the games for what they provide; the ability to use magic, to control epic battles on a field, to feel the real sense of team that they may have never felt before. One thing Marc mentions is:

Games like World of Warcraft provide dungeons that 25 to 40 players can enter as a raid. The guild or raid leader has the challenge of coordinating the efforts of his raid to reach a goal, usually the killing of a boss monster. In the latest patches of WoW, the encounters in these dungeons require all raiders to do their job flawlessly, one mistake can mean a complete wipe of the raid and a waste 30 minutes to an hour before their next attempt.

It is for reasons like the above that people play the game.So then where is the distinction between game, obsession, and reality? Who knows? I am eager to see where this documentary takes the notion of gaming. If the point is, like so many others, to place the blame on the game companies, to place the blame of addiction on the people playing them, or if it is purely just to document the lives of a few gamers to let the public decide. I guess the attendies of SXSW shall find out.