So it hit me last night (technically this morning) that I need to start a blog. I realized I've been blogging my own thoughts in my head for years, so I might as well commit them to the web where they'll at least be of use to me as a record of my own musings.
And what is this fantastic blog to be about? Why, video games of course!
I've been gaming since before it was popular, from Super Mario Land on the old school Gameboy through Sonic the Hedgehog on the Genesis, and all the way up to today where I'm currently putting my nose to the ol' grind stone to banish Dracula and his evil minions in Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin. I've considered myself a true believer ever since Master Miller (Solid Snake's mentor in Metal Gear Solid) encouraged me to "trust my instincts as a gamer." Ah, I can still feel the swell of pride in my chest when those sage words fell upon my ears. I had a title; I was a gamer.
Granted, my interests include much more than just gaming, but I feel deep down that it's been gaming that has shaped my thoughts, whimsies, and values into the person I am today. I'm no stranger to adventure in the physical world (some might erroneously dub it the "real" world): I'm an active scuba diver, I've toured around Europe and the US as part of several musical ensembles, and I'm now studying to be an Aerospace Engineer, aiming to get my Ph. D. in a few more years. Hell, I've even climbed Mt. Fuji.
That, however, is not all I've done with my life. I've rescued more distressed damsels than I care to recall, felt the sweat drip down my face knowing the lives of my comrades depend solely on me, faced mind-numbing terrors to fulfill my duties. I've watched from the shadows as men rise to power, and stepped out of the shadows to bring them crashing down again. I've given my life for those I love, and watched in horror as my most concerted efforts fail to benefit anyone at all. I've made true comrades, and I've also pulled the trigger on a few. I've sat by the side of dying heroes, I alone have known the truth of their lives. I've avenged my fallen master, taken back my rightful kingdom, and averted nuclear disaster countless times. I am a gamer, and these things matter to me.
Back to the topic at hand, this blog will mostly be about my musings on the trends of the gaming industry, where it's been and where it's headed. I'll give my thoughts on what it means to be a true gamer at heart in today's culture, and how I view the events in the world around me through eyes that have seen the rise and fall of empires through the video screen.
But isn't this just a waste of time? Actually, it's the opposite. Though I can't remember the title for the life of me, I saw a Chinese film several years ago about the lives of a modern Chinese family dealing with loss, occupational stress, and the chaos of life in a developing world. It's considered a classic, but I admit the whole thing was pretty depressing. One scene, though, really stuck out to me. A boy was taking a girl from his highschool class out on a date. Being typical coy teenagers, they weren't really talking, but the boy eventually works up the courage to ask his date if she'd like to go to the movie theater with him. The girl looks up from the drink she's been nervously nursing, and the boy explains his idea.
His grandfather had once told him that there was a time when men only lived for about 50 or 60 years. They got up in the morning, went about their chores, then fell into bed at the end of the day. Then came the advent of the media: widely available novels, movies, radio, and television. Now a man may live several lifetimes within the short frame of his natural life, vicariously experiencing as many other lives as he may desire through the media available to him. These two troubled kids could get away from their imperfect lives and make pleasant memories if only they went to the cinema together. In a town where pleasant memories were hard to come by, this was a blessing indeed.
For a whole new generation, video games are this portal to realms of untethered possibility, of pleasant memory separate from, and yet deftly entwined with, life in the physical world. As a gamer, I have complete recollection of places I've never even been (think the mansion from Resident Evil), I've known friends and mentors for years who have never existed outside a game console (think Big Boss from Metal Gear), and I've personally played a role in shaping the future, wearing many different faces and going by many different names as I've done so.
Please join me in exploring the ramifications of today's rapidly growing games industry. I'm excited to share my thoughts with you, and I'd love to read your comments. Now, however, I have some serious work to get back to.
Dracula isn't going to slay himself, afterall.
