A lucid state of mind

I’m going to flag up something from yesteryear. The gamers amongst you might cringe and laugh in equal measure having probably seen a few episodes, whilst those who haven’t experienced these crude ravings might come to feel the same way as the former, or alternatively, might find this informative on some level. I should also preface this by mentioning that there is a fair amount of coarse language that may offend some, quite a bit in fact.

The Angry Video Game Nerd, aka James Rolfe, is ostensibly an avid video gamer who goes to great lengths to highlight the flaws in old school video games/ consoles for our viewing entertainment. While it is hardly academic in nature it can be fairly insightful- aided by the colourful language he employs- in mapping the progression of gaming culture, and inadvertently, mind-set. In that vein, it dawned on me that over the years I have engaged with quite a few games have pushed my frustration levels over the limit. Games that may not have been worth the effort in the first place; just as there exist poor movies, games are not exempt quite obviously. But persistence, or misguided hopes that there might be improvements around the corner, perhaps just one scene of note to lift the spirits, have always overridden any notion of discarding with the game. An admirable loyalty to finishing what was started in pseudo- psychological vernacular, or so I’d prefer to claim. This is purely speculative reasoning at what my question is, that being, what make one persevere with gaming, even at the expense of other priorities, beyond the oft-mentioned age of maturity barrier that main stream culture trumpets? Is there a set ‘profile’ that a gamer adheres to- beyond the banal ‘nerd’ stereotype- or can be identified by- a disinterested bystander who might think to himself, here’s someone who clocks in 20-odd hours of gaming a week? Is the frustration a psychological motivation that can only be satisfied this way, almost intrinsic? Perhaps a juvenile make-up, the pull of naive wonder and fascination, trumps any rational judgement- no matter how trite the game may be- derived in a singular moment of game play, or even during a brief moment of respite. No, you’re just self-destructive with emotionally unbalanced tendencies- so say the projected musing of some ‘authority’ figure or another! Devil’s advocate or base inquisitiveness, I hope to find clues as to what makes video games so entrancing through this course, even though I suspect answers will not be so forthcoming, let alone revelatory. C’est la vie.

Oh, and the part of the link that fires off pangs of shame, confused laughs, a few endorphins no less, and resigned introspection starts 5.23 minutes in. Don’t worry he’s never been as angry since. Batman Forever, so aptly named; it’s now around 15 years and counting!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFvtk5toGJg&ob=av3e

There are further links that helped expand and ‘inform’ on two topics related to Fridays lecture for those so inclined:

Pong consoles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvT8jG1OVdI&ob=av3e

Console Wars: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q2Tn00ErZk