In my new game "Routine Checkup" you take your dog to the vet and find out Mr. Ruff Ruff has brain cancer and needs surgery you cant afford so you have to say your last goodbyes. You hold him in your arms as he struggles to keep his eyes open as the lethal injection sends him to doggie dreamland for the last time.

It's great fun!

Ryan's still my friend on WiiU/Nintendo ID.

I didn't know him personally other than talking with him on a few streams with call-ins and the Big Red Phone, but he immediately accepted my request of "Silver from Wichita, throwing this out there because why not" or something similar on there.

I didn't really think of it until this post, even though I've seen it on my list a ton of times in the Miiverse.

I can totally see how this kind of idea could be much more pervasive to those that direclty feel that loss, rather than just people that greatly amired someone from moderate interactions/afar.

Eff that! If my dog's gonna be put down I want it to be by my own hand (which I've done) Old Yeller style!

Catharsis is one aspect, then there's the feeling of solidarity with someone who has shared a similar experience - even if it's a character in a videogame.

It's also been posited (by some smart guy in an article I read years ago) that those who engage with tales of tragedy, despite never experiencing bereavement themselves, do so as a sort of emotional rehearsal. It makes them feel better prepared for when they too must inevitably suffer a significant loss.

There is an audience for this. I just hope the writing lives up to game's ambition.

Also, it's haggis week on Giant Bomb!

I don't like you.

I too like to seek out catharsis through media and art, and indie-built video games are the most fascinating vehicles to explore with. A couple of months ago my partner and I broke up after more than 9 years together. We're still amicably living in the same house (in separate rooms of course) because we run a business together, which in turn muddles any sense of finality to the relationship since we talk to each other every day.

I couldn't agree with you more about the mundane moments hitting the hardest, and this looks like a game I'll get something out of. Thanks for putting this on my radar Scoops.

I'm curious; what do you think would constitute "beating us over the head"? One too many mentions of the word "gay" itself? A frank statement regarding kissing/sex?

Just the existence of a homosexual character in a video game does not call for an outcry of people on the internet with comments like "OH MY GOD STOP BEATING US OVER THE HEAD WITH YOUR MESSAGES AND PROPAGANDA"

I'm extremely annoyed at the amount of people still bitching about Ellie in Left Behind and the sister in Gone Home. People are so juvenile. Characters should just simply allowed to be gay. It doesn't have to be some social commentary on our world or a message. Grow up.

By the way, this isn't directed at anyone in this thread. I just saw the subject brought up and I'm just speaking my mind.

That's a fair response. I don't think what you said was cynical - you simply have a different method of dealing with grief, as anyone in this world does. It's a personal thing that you are allowed to have your own take on. Kind of like art.

VIDEO GAMES = ART?!?!? Aherm. Let's not break that can of worms open.

Anyways, I perceived this to be more of a thing about remembrance. Grieving is of course, naturally a sad thing - but for me, it's tied to remembrance. In remembrance, I'm able to give levity and acceptance in remembering someone (or something) for more than that moment of loss or death, as tragic or sad as it might be. This of course takes time to overcome, but that's simply part of the grieving process.

As an introspective example for myself and hopefully others here to relate to - when I watch an old video with Ryan in it, it makes me laugh and it makes me smile, just like it did the first time I saw Ryan on camera or in a video. Of course, it makes me feel sad right alongside of that too, but that is totally okay. The happiness of remembering him again for as he was, for more than his death, gives me a feeling of acceptance for that sadness I feel in missing him. Personally, it would be an injustice to Ryan if I was to simply forget and be ignorant to the fact that he is gone, so reliving and remembering him is for me, something that is worth doing - especially when it was a life that was so incredibly worth celebrating.

Sure, maybe a game about grieving isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. But hey, some people might find a game about grieving useful, so who am I to deny that from them?

Look, let's put it this way. Should this be any different than watching a video of a wonderful man attempt to flush a pie down the toilet?

I wouldn't think so.

@apothaeos: Its called dota

@hassun: I, too, hope there are shooting and puzzle sections in a small, quiet game about loss.

Is this a better game than Depression Quest?

@thejoker138: Something I definitely did not imply.

By the way, there is already a game about grieving. It's called Resident Evil 6.

Hehe

My thoughts exactly.

I don't understand why you guys don't seem to understand why someone wouldn't play this. It's fascinating to see video games of all mediums being able to make you feel extreme emotions like this. It's the same thing as a movie making you cry.or making you scared/disturbed. No emotion is out of the question when it comes to art.

It's totally fine that you don't want those feelings simulated in a video game you play PERSONALLY, but this "why would anyone..." attitude is pretty odd.

@vierastalo: Things are removed from your front page after viewing. It's a little trick to keep things fresh.

Played that game jam version when it came out. Seems like a cool concept, but it didn't "move" me in any way. Either way, it's interesting and good to see it getting a larger release.

Sounds very interesting! A grim topic, but incredibly important.

Thanks Patrick!

@dark_lord_spam: Nah, nothing like that. I'm a bi dude myself so I don't really care about sexuality, I get annoyed when gay characters are written to be super one dimensional and their sexuality is the only substance to them. Really just comes down to poor writing, I don't like it anywhere.

@wohlf: Oh, definitely. It just sounds weird to me to hear people call poorly-written minority characters out specifically, since my immediate impulse is to think they don't want to hear from/about those people at all. I absolutely understand getting creeped out by lazy stereotypes. That said, I usually give a writer the benefit of the doubt when it's apparent that their intentions are to do good work with a character, whether or not they happen to be very skilled.

Because they are important topics that this medium should tackle, since its interactivity allows for new mature ways to do it? 90% of dramatic works deal with some sort of trauma, this kind of attitude basically means "we shouldn't make art".

@heatdrive88: First and foremost, your comment made a well thought out and valid point. More importantly, thank you for sharing that video. It is always a day maker when you get to experience a genuine 4 minute laugh.