Why Do You Game??

By sweep September 8, 2008 12 Comments

To some people games are meaningless procrastinations.

This is fine, and most of these people would dub this the Casual Gamers segment. But for some, computer games mean something more. Not in any sort of pretentious meaningful way, but just as an understanding of quality substance. We can apprecciate a good game, just as with everything else in life. The people who fall into this category include most of you, as members of such a niche gaming website, and of course - myself. I like to believe that there is an understanding of quality which I can use to distinguish between the games that I play.

I dont like it when people tell me games are for kids. I dont like it even more when people tell me that computer games are the source of promlems with today's youth. Computer games have become the scapegoat for the violence and agression with youth culture for too long. I am the first person to jump up and defend Computer Games when someone claims that a game like GTA4 encourages or desensatises people to violence. We can retain our humanity despite exposure to the potential depths of morality. People need to grow up and mind their own damn business.

GTA4 is a great game. People will argue and disagree, because hey - no game will ever appeal to everyone. But its a great example of a game that can communicate to a wide audience and connect with all types of gamers universally. Which is a reason it recieved such negativity from the public. GTA4 has come and gone and, surprise surprise, its presence has not bought about a crime spree of brainwashed teens marauding the streets and terrorising old ladies. GTA4 was complex enough to imply a sense of understanding towards morality - despite the ambiguity of its violence the game retained a sense of human decency that was present in the character of Niko - and more emphatically in Roman and Kate. It had its action-flash moments but GTA4 left room for "right" and "wrong", and as such in the context of the game itself, I think deserves praise beyond that of being a "fun computer game".

I'm going to put my Beef right out where everyone can see it. I dont like Saints Row. I dont like the concept. I find it insulting to the intelligence of gamers. I can sympathise with the attempts to separate Saints Row from GTA4 by taking the Pimps And Hoes culture to the extreme - but in my eyes the game ramins tacky. If this was a film, the lead would be played by Steven Seagal. I dont understand how people can take away anything worthwhile at all from this game, other than some cheap thrills. I'm not suggesting that this game will pervert minds in the way that our parents believe, but I still think that Saints Row is a deplorable attempt to cash in intelligent game ideas for cheap gimmicks and gang affiliated colloquialisms.

I'm in no way suggesting that a game need be meaningful or revolutionary to qualify as a worthwhile experiance. But Saints Row seems such a crude and glorified representation of a culture that we should not be celebrating. The game is a mess. Annoyingly the creators would probly say that this was their very intention - to create a "wacky" sense of gang violence and freedom with no physical or ethical consequences. And that annoys me. The game is simply, too shallow. A game can be worthwhile without depth, but in the context of gang warfare I find the notion slightly insulting.

This is a slightly negative rant I know, but I just wanted to put my feelings out there and see if anyone else agrees. Frustratingly Saints Row 2 will probably end up on top of the sales charts...

Anyways thanks for reading
Love Sweep

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