That’s right. You read that title correctly. I feel that, as the President of the Nerd club on campus, I should have some sort of input on video games in our society. But, the bigger question is what can I say? Video games have been around for a while now, and they’ll continue to expand and broaden as time goes on; no one should be surprised by this. But what I’ve found surprising is the amount of impact games have had on our society. Now I’m sure we all remember the controversy that Grand Theft Auto will make your kid violent, and all the violence in video games is causing the issues that we have today. While that’s not exactly wrong, it’s still up to the parent to do their job of parenting ya’ know, but we often forget to look at the amazing things games have done recently. Not just for the game itself but for others. Video games have stepped into the light of art; they’ve had to and will continue to tackle political issues, help others find stability or comfort after a terrible accident, and inspire on the same level as theatre and music.
The video game industry has advanced beyond the level of movies, as more often than not it allows a person to live the life of adventure and heroics through someone else’s eyes the same way movies do, but also allows a sense of connection that rarely comes from the big screen. I’m not here to tell you that you’ll fall in love with your favorite character from some MMO somewhere, what I’m stressing here is the allowance of a connection to characters to delve into stress, depression, loss, and even death. You can look at the recent titles and see how these have all allowed, through amazing use of voice actors, the emotions of the character to resonate with the players; simply put, we desperately don’t want our friend in the game to die because we’ve build a world with them. But these are the normal things; no one should be surprised by a games ability to make you want the perfect ending.
However, the greatness comes from the fact that there won’t be. Recent games have made strides to tackle cancer, depression, death, spirituality, and acceptance. Games have branched forward from the “pew pew’s” of Call of Duty, to games that allow you to experience situations that mirror your own and allow you to cope with the emotions that follow. Simply put, games have been created now to treat and help, not just to entertain. They’ve allowed a connection to the emotions that we constantly hid in check by countless bullets being shot into a zombie. We’ve been allowed to feel, allowed to see the life of others that deal with loss, and that's helped us do the same.
Go out and do a search, look for games with strong emotional handles. If you ever get tired, play those games. If you let yourself fall from the stereotype that playing games is weird or off-putting and allow yourself to enjoy the world that was created for your enjoyment you will find a world that helps you through your problems. Video games have done, and will continue to do, some amazing things. Don’t be afraid to give them a shot.
