The Musings of Scott

Updated with more resources 3/15/10

The past few years, many folks have analyzed the obsession, and apparent addiction some people show towards video gaming. After recently coming across yet another thought-provoking viewpoint that offered insights on this new cultural phenomenon, I felt a need to share my favorites. I have been known to play some PS3 now and again, though the time I log in now pales in comparison to the times of my carefree youth. I never have “fallen” to the kind of depths illustrated by some of these subjects, but I do find the sociology-technology interaction fascinating. I’ve gathered my favorite resources which helped me see quite a few new angles on this new cultural phenomenon.

Though often over looked as a niche appeal, MMO games are a form of social media in themselves (large networks of people socializing and interacting). Some of these networks are so complex as to have created “real” economies which actually begin interacting with the actual global economy. Furthermore, they have proven to be much more profitable (and addictive) than conventional social media networks. It’s hard to not find these developing alternate realities fascinating, and the people living in them so very unique that they seem almost alien to the non-gamer. Part of the selection process of the perspectives was I wanted to only include those who did not condemn the differences of these people, but tried to understand, convey, and “humanize” their subjects. Coincidentally, all of these can be viewed online at your leisure…

2000: Video Games: Behind the Fun

Showing it’s age 10 years after it was made, this shows a nice overview of gaming from it’s roots, and shows how it became such a dominant entertainment industry. This is currently available in 5 parts on youtube (part 1 above), however i also enjoyed it on Netflix.

“Make Love, Not Warcraft” is episode 147 of Comedy Central’s animated series South Park which first aired on October 4, 2006. This episode takes a satirical look at the popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) World of Warcraft, and on videogamers. In 2007 the episode won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour). -Wikipedia

Watch Full Episode

2007: Ben X

Ben X is a 2007 Belgian film about a boy with autism (played by Greg Timmermans) who retreats into the fantasy world of the MMORPG ArchLord to escape bullying. The film’s title is a reference to the leet version of the Dutch phrase “(ik) ben niks”, meaning “(I) am nothing”. The film won three awards at the 31st Montreal World Film Festival: the Grand Prix des Amériques, the Prix du Public for the most popular film, and the Ecumenical Jury Prize for its exploration of ethical and social values. It is based on the novel Nothing was all he said by Nic Balthazar, who also directed the film. The novel was inspired by the true story of a boy with autism who committed suicide because of bullying. The movie was the Belgian entry for the Academy Awards 2007 in the category Best Foreign Language Film but failed to receive the actual nomination.-Wikipedia

When Steve Wiebe got laid off, he turned to the classic arcade game Donkey Kong for solace; soon, he decided to challenge Billy Mitchell’s long-standing record score. So began the bitter rivalry that lies at the heart of this curiously compelling documentary. Providing a history of competitive video gaming and a look at some of the key players, The King of Kong is at its best when revealing just how far Mitchell will go to retain his crown.

Second Skin examines people whose lives have been transformed by virtual worlds in online games such as World of Warcraft, Everquest, Everquest II and Second Life. The documentary follows a group of online gamers whose lives are intensely woven together inside and outside the virtual worlds, a couple whose lives have changed since meeting online, and an avid player whose life spins out of control due to his addiction to playing MMOs. It also presents disabled players who have been given voice and mobility in the virtual world and explores the controversial world of Chinese gold farming and presents astonishing facts about online gaming. -Wikipedia

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