BulletPoints - Child's Play

Welcome back to BulletPoints, a series that discusses the timeless quality forms of entertainment like games, movies, games, TV, games, comics, games, and games. We discuss this entertainment in terms of art, business, and just the entertainment in of itself. As we’ve discussed in issues past, I don’t like it when entertainment is made or designed to be exclusionary. And it pisses me off more so when people ask me a question implying that said form of entertainment is, by default, exclusionary. 

I had a conversation somewhat recently about games. It wasn’t much of a conversation, but more of a question. “Will you still be playing video games when you’re forty?” Of course, the answer is, yes. Why wouldn’t it be? I’ve spend lots of money on this hobby. I’ve spent loads of time enjoy the form of art that is game design. And I find it a fun and relaxing way to express myself and compete or spend time with others. So long as I’m capable, I plan on playing games until I’ve got one foot in the grave. If I’m old and senile, I’ll be expecting to look for mushrooms and believe them to be extra lives so I can keep playing more games with people I care about.

The question, however, implies more than that. Simply put, the asker is under the impression that video games are for children. Thus, they should only be enjoyed by children and can’t be enjoyed or shouldn’t be enjoyed by those who are not children. First, that is incredibly misleading when you consider the wide array of topics and levels of maturity video games tend to cover. Second, I defend the opinions of feminists and ethnic groups when it comes to games as well as think little of the console wars because I want gaming to be an inclusive hobby that welcomes everyone of all colors, ages, and chromosomes. So when someone who I respect asks such a boldly misunderstanding question like that, yes, I get a little offended by this.

When you look at games like Kirby, Mario, Sonic, or LittleBigPlanet, yes I can understand such a misconception as those are games marketed and made for children. But when you look at games like Silent Hill, Dark Souls, Metal Gear, Fallout 3, Bayonetta, Killer 7, Portal, or a slew of other games I can’t spend an entire post talking about, you see that the medium of games has been for more than just children for a damn long time. It’s a form of artistic expression to tell dark stories, share provocative characters, or give us some kind of twisted metaphor that represents the most insane parts of humanity.

I might well ask if you’ll stop watching movies or TV or reading at the age of 40 because it’s basically the same damn thing. “But there are books, TV shows, and movies for adults too,” you would defend. Oh, no, but what about all those KIDS books and KIDS shows? Certainly those are cultural rubbish and you can’t enjoy those at all? Right? This is of course, ignoring that the best works of ANY form of entertainment aimed towards kids usually has something worthwhile for the parents to enjoy too. In the case of most Disney animated works, they had some subtle adult jokes for the parents to enjoy while the kids simply didn’t get it.

So, once again, to imply that games are simply for kids is a very narrow-minded approach to the concept of games as a whole and I can’t believe I have to spend an entire blog-post even having to discuss this. Video games have been one of the biggest and most worthwhile endeavors for technology in YEARS. Thanks to video games, the advancement of AI programming has gone a long way. Thanks to a game called Foldit, gamers helped break down and analyze the genetic structure of HIV in a matter of three weeks (which scientists hadn’t figured out by that point at all). Thanks to gaming, the internet has exploded into a bigger tool for communication and the spread of information than I imagine most ever expected during its initial creation. Thanks to gaming, artists who suffer from psychological issues like extreme cases of OCD can provide us with an experience that gives us a GLIMPSE of what it is like to live in their shoes (even if it’s only for a little bit). Thanks to gaming, we’ve found a better way to experience stories by getting engaged in the world of the story, instead of just being an observer.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. I know gaming isn’t perfect. Gamers have a long way to go to mature up and allow the medium to truly earn the respect we all believe it deserves. Game developers have a long way to go before we see the game that can be universally considered a work of art by gamers and non-gamers alike (if such a day could ever come). And we, as people, have a long way to go before we simply stop being prejudice and narrow minded about the beliefs, opinions, and preferences of others. But all of us will grow and more new and amazing things will come from games as the medium only continues to grow along with us and show us new things we never expected before now.

I end with this note. To call video games a children’s toy is to mock one of the things I enjoy from life most, and it is mocking art that someone else made (regardless of quality). To mock the art that I am passionate about, is to mock me and the things that I believe in. I may not be religious, but I believe that we, as human beings, have a right for artistic expression and the ability to enjoy that art however we like and wherever it’s from. So, please, do not belittle my hobby or my interests simply because you do not understand them because all it does is make you look foolish. Disrespect what I care about and you’ve lost my respect.

Thanks for reading and next time I’ll maybe talk about something a little less series then. If you enjoyed this piece, be sure to like, share, comment, and subscribe as well as check out our channel or social media pages.