When I saw “What Do Your Games Say About You?”, my first thought was not to take it literally.
It’s a great ad, don’t get me wrong, and not just because they picked an excellent name. I was just thinking a little more metaphorical/existential. A little pop psychology. One thing that I think some non-gamers miss about games is that they’re like any other media – there’s something for everyone. Anyone who is comfortable with technology on a very basic level can find a game that appeals to them. With that diversity comes the fragmenting and self-selection that happens with any mass media audience. People flock to the particular games that reflect who they are or who they want to be.
This is where Jane MacGonigal comes in. I think some enterprising young marketing exec at Sony read her book and internalized a critical message for non-gamers: playing is empowerment. Or at least, a reasonable facsimile thereof. Jane argues that games and their derivative lessons can literally empower people – and I don’t doubt it – but I think the feeling of empowerment may be just as important.
This gets into Matrix territory pretty quick. A sophisticated simulation is really just a set of rules for interacting with a space and it’s inhabitants. Rendered well, it’s complex enough to be interesting but completely understandable. There’s a process for figuring out what you can and can’t do, where you can and can’t go. There are always obstacles but a good game designer will leave enough clues so that you can figure out at least what to do, if not exactly how to do it.
Contrast this with real life. Who the fuck knows how to get anything done? We can’t even get a workable situation figured out with the DMV. We don’t know what’s possible and we often don’t even know how to find out what’s possible.
I think now we’re in Donald Rumsfeld territory. Somewhere in the vicinity of the point I’m trying to make is the fact that too many choices have killed our ability to do anything. Too much information. Sorting through it has become a full-time job.
I digress. I liked the commercial. Games should make people feel empowered. We’re all caught in this reverse wealth funnel called America, so I don’t see anything wrong with puffing your chest after you successfully killed all orcs or smashed all pigs.
Like books or movies or songs or, you know, any other creative works, games can make us feel however we choose. Let’s choose to make some that make us feel strong.