Just A Game?
Contrary to what you may believe, but I am an avid gamer…and proud of it. Unfortunately, nowadays being coined a gamer associates you with the hermit-inducing World of Warcraft and other life-consuming MMORPG, or massive multiplayer online role playing game for the laymen. Where gaming on this extreme level (for me) is creepy, it is at the same time a healthy reassurance of the shift in media forms and the notion of how we are in the midst of a newly acquired participatory culture. If you are out of the loop in regards to the gaming world, allow me to inform you of the advances this ever-changing industry is undergoing…
As one would assume, the powerhouses of the video game entertainment industry are still at war. Nintendo, Sony, and fairly new on the scene Microsoft, all have thrown their biggest blows at each other. Microsoft has its 2nd generation XBOX360, Sony has it’s 3rd generation Playstation 3. Nintendo wields a greater weapon. Having toughed it out through the years, they have released their 5th generation Wii, with the capability to do things unimaginable physically with a video game. Putting the specs of these advanced computer-gaming systems aside, it is imperative to take a look at the effect this has had on the industry itself. With the advancement of the aforementioned companies, they have been enabled to reach a wider range of demographics. Even though the most expensive system available now is in the upwards of $500 (PS3) and as “cheap” as $350 (XBOX360) (compliments of my video game crack supplier Gamestop), whether young or old this industry is turning heads. If it’s the obese 11 year-old working out on Wii Fit via his Nintendo Wii, or a grandfather intrigued by a bead of sweat trickling down Kobe Bryant’s head in NBA 2K8 on his grandson’s trusty XBOX360, games are having a lasting effect on society. My apologies for going from one extreme to the other in examples, but that’s exactly how deeply engrained this industry has become.
It was only a matter of time before this happened though. I can safely say that I am part of the video game generation. Everyone younger than myself, my age, and even as old as my brother (age 28), have become so advanced in terms of technology, all thanks to the countless hours spent in front of the television “wasting” valuable time on either finding all 100 stars on Mario64 or feeding the addiction by “wasting” time on NHL 96’ instead of strapping a pair of skates on getting some actual exercise…but was it really wasted? It seems as though all of those “wasted” hours have transcended into advanced skills in problem-solving and the ability to adapt to technological advances, unlike older generations (aka those who coined it “wasted” time). Funny how the tables turn, being that we are now showing the aforementioned how to use their Blackberry’s or witness them still trying to figure out how to use a standard flip-phone. Now that I have successfully defended my gaming culture and my fellow gamers, I’d like to take a look a relatively new rendition of an old classic, of which seems to be taking the world by storm on multiple levels, not just in virtual reality.
In true gamer fashion, we now delve into the world of Liberty City, a new realm of gaming, where the bar has yet again been raised and it appears as if nothing is impossible…
As you can tell, the game seems as though it plays out like a movie if you were at a theater. The thing is here, the theater is at your leisure. I own the game and people in the same room as me don’t mind watching, pending the one playing is not a rookie with the controller and actually knows how to navigate.
The above advertisement is for Grand Theft Auto IV, the latest installment by Rockstar Games, a company that is acclaimed for housing one of the most controversial game series ever. Controversial here is in part defined as a game series of which has accumulated lawsuits against the company, due to the death of teenagers not able to tell the difference between reality and virtual. This game has been taken to the ultimate level.
When people think of the GTA series, they think of a game that promotes the slaughtering of authority figures and sexual activities with a hooker in an alley. GTAIV is a new beast. Not only are there those elements which are undoubtedly fun (who doesn’t like to live in a world where it’s no holds barred), but there is so much more. In this instant hit, set in Liberty City, which is a spitting image of New York City, you are able to establish relationships with people within the game. It’s as if the Sims has been incorporated somehow, but even better than that series could even imagine. You are given a cell phone with a phonebook of the friends you accumulate as the game progresses. You can call up your cousin or other friends to throw darts, shoot pool, bowl, get a couple of drinks, see a show, and of course, venture to the strip club. The innovative aspect here is that it has come to the point where there are games within the game. When you shoot pool or bowl, it’s as if you are playing a Yahoo! Game online, but much better. You also have a girlfriend basically at your disposal, and after taking her on a date, you can press a button to “Test Your Luck.” All of this is happening within the game, in the midst of a serious storyline.
I could go on for days in regards to the intricacies of the game that make it so unique and mind-blowing, however one of the greatest aspects is that of the capability for you to take your individual character (customized to your liking) online to play with others, as I have on XBOX Live, Microsoft’s $60 annual fee to play others in the XBOX world online. On this platform, you can walk down the streets with an entourage either pillaging or just enjoying what the world has to offer. This is where the creepiness factor comes into play, just like World of Warcraft, however it just feels much better when playing this game. It’s unbelievable to think about a game that a person goes from interacting with artificial intelligence to each other online…but who would have thought that a game would branch into the real world?
Seems like a random statement, however this game is having so much of an impact that I read an article recently in the New York Times on how GTAIV is creating a stir even in the production world. It seems as though Michael Hollick, a working actor, was paid just $100,000 in the past two years for the work he put in for providing the voice for the face of the game, with no intentions of receiving any residuals on a title that has raked in over $600 million just in three weeks. Apparently there has been an on-going battle, as the actors providing their “talents” feel entitled to some portion of what the monstrous company are seeing pouring in. Within the article it was said that:
“What we’re seeing is a basic shift in the way that people seek their entertainment…People want their entertainment to be convenient. They want it in their home or in their iPod for the train ride, which is a lot different than the old mode, where I had to spend hundreds of dollars to see a Broadway play or pay $12 to sit in a crowded movie theater where I can’t even pause or go to the bathroom. And games are the first entertainment product that has taken full advantage of that shift.”
This quote was provided by the voice of a supporting character in GTAIV, and it embodies the notion of convergence culture. Who would have thought we would be talking about a video game that is creating such a stir? This was bound to happen too, as the gaming world continues to provide consumers with an experience at your leisure, in this case, one that is an-going movie. Where the argument at hand about receiving residuals as a Tom Cruise would on a movie, the opposing side states that it is because a couple of stars can make a movie, whereas the “talent” doesn’t necessarily flock to the gaming realm. The opposing argument is null and void, as times are changing. Actors are increasingly providing voices for video games, as Ray Liotta even provided his voice for a game in the GTA series.
Zooming out and taking a look at the bigger picture, one can see that it truly is amazing in regards to the leaps and bounds this industry has made, and continues to make. The shift in media consumption is taking place, much like the journey we made from discussing a video game and how it affected the real world, however minute of an affect it may be. It seems like as the year’s progress, technology continues to change and we see something better every year. It’s getting to the point that how much better can it get without physically/mentally placing a gamer in a virtual world?
It will be more than interesting to see where this industry is and the affects it will have in years to come. Stay tuned…
