She Dreams in Digital
Because it’s better then nothing, now that control is gone.
Someone smart once disclosed to me that video games are changing my generation’s psyche in ways we don’t even realize. Like when the young entrepreneurs make their million-dollar dotcom industries and then go bankrupt, they shrug it off and start again like clicking NEW GAME.
I’ve got to say, playing computer games ever since I can remember has for sure changed the way I think about things. It makes me think weird thoughts. But you know, sometimes relating real life to a game is easy. Like, look at talents. Even at fairly young ages, kids are good at different things. And some kids are scary-good at some things. Generally, people spend time doing things they’re good at. And unfortunately, at times, people are unable to do things they want to, mentally or physically. Now that is just like some computer games, guys! Leveling up in stuff is just like spending time practicing something. And sorcerers can’t use heavy weapons because they’re frail and crappy, but they can conjure a fireball from nowhere and fry you!
So that was just a little preface, because once I actually heard myself wonder, “Guh, did I at some point level up on Practicality when I should have leveled up on Fun? I am so boring sometimes!!” Honestly if that’s not proof that games have messed with my brain, I don’t know what is.
This next weird thought would almost be a fun short story idea but I don’t think I could develop it right. But let me explain it and don’t get confused when I start talking about WoW abruptly… the tie-in does come!
So, I’m sure many people would agree that some lives are harder than other lives. If you’re a child born into certain parts of Africa, your survival chances sadly are not very good. If you do survive, your parents might die. Your siblings might die. You might be starving all your life and you might never go to school. It’s a hard life. Versus someone born in North America to an extremely wealthy family. You can’t compare, say, Paris Hilton’s life to the life of someone destitute in a war-torn country. And it seems odd and really unfair that these differences exist so dramatically.
Awhile ago I was playing WoW with Dillon and his friend, and we decided to try to fight this group of enemies that was probably too hard for us. I thought we might be able to do it but as it turned out, we all died. Their comment was ‘Heh, well, it’s good that we at least tried!’
You know how in some games you choose the difficulty before you start? And you get more of a thrill beating a game on Very Hard Mode than you do beating it on Easy? I think a cool novel idea is that people have chosen the difficulty of their life before they started it. They don’t know, at the time, that they did. But they did. See, I don’t think I could write that story very well but maybe someone could!
“Oh NO! You got me in a headlock! … Slash get-out-of-headlock!” — Dillon
I can always tell I’ve been playing a certain game too long because of the temporary effects that follow.
For example, when I was playing a lot of “Killer7” for the gamecube… well, in that game the enemies are these invisible zombie-like things called “Heaven smiles”, and when there’s one around it makes a little giggle. You press the L shoulder button to scan for it and it will become visible. I was on the train one day and I heard a little girl giggle behind me, and my left index finger actually twitched.
Oh, oh and if you’ve been playing Mario Kart DS and you’re in a real car, you expect to speed up for turns and powerslide instead of slow down for them?? Haha!
I think I’m more partial to television shows affecting me at a subconscious level than video games. For example, in my more angstful years, I spent a great deal of time watching Dragonball Z episodes.
For the un-anime, the show was about Kung-Fu and superpowers. The epical of the show was when Goku firsts achieves a level known as “Super Saiyan” which results in a vast improvement in strength, power, an additional 50 percent in muscle mass and blond hair.
During these angstful years, every time I got angry, I’d always picture myself as Goku and hoped that I’d rip through my shirts, gain a yellow-ish aura of awesome powerness, by able to fly and destroy things with my Kamehameha. I also started working out during this period…funny how that is.
Someday though…while I’m sitting in my office…I may scream “FOR THE HORDE” if something exhilarating comes my way. That will also be the day I absolve myself from computers and become a lumberjack.
Awe Aaron, thinking of mini-you imagining that you were Super Saiyan Goku makes me laugh… but you can laugh back because I used to think I was Sailor Moon. Like, didn’t just *want* to be, I thought I *was* her.
ROFL…my two younger sisters were really into Sailor Moon too (coincidently, while I was in my rageful and angstful Dragonball Z phase).
My poor parents, having to deal with two-pint sized girls who were constantly screaming “Moon Prism Power!!!!” and “I’m Sailor Moon, the champion of Justice!!!” on 1 floor of the house and with me on another floor, powering up, hoping to fuel my rage enough that I’d pop and be able to throw energy ball/beams from my hands.
*dies laughing*