The Never-Ending Battle
This is an opinion piece written by Radical Edward and does not necessarily reflect the views of NintendoGal.com as a whole. Remember back in the 80’s (or 90’s, for some of us), when you were sitting in front of a video game, eyes wide with wonder, and your mom/dad/grandparent walked into the room and told you to "stop wasting your time and rotting your brain on those damn Nintendo games"? In this age of gaming, it’s easy to forget about those early days, when video gaming felt almost like a rebellion. Nowadays, it’s the parents who are gamers, having grown up with Ataris and NES’s, while casual gaming is placing Wii controllers in the hands of the elderly. It both amazes and frustrates me that many kids growing up today will never hear their parents call video games "garbage." It amazes me because it shows how this "garbage" has grown from a handful of geeks in a basement to becoming more and more accepted as a form of entertainment. One that no longer rots kids’ brains, but teaches them how to read. Some games are even considered works of art. It frustrates me, because I’m jealous. You see, my family has never seen gaming the way I, and most likely you, do. And no matter how much I try to defend my hobby, no one in my family has ever been able to get past the same old stereotypes that originated in the 80’s. Now, my father was the person who brought home an NES in 1988 and changed my life, but since then, not once have my parents ever bought me anything video game related for a birthday or holiday. I’ve been on my own, so to speak, for my entire life. The only game I owned for years and years was Super Mario Bros, which probably explains why today, I can race through the game in under 6 minutes (close to a world record). For years and years, I’ve repeated to my parents any results from studies that showed the good side of games. The studies that show that gamers make better drivers, that they can be used as a form of physical therapy, etc etc. My parents seemed to show some interest in the Wii, but I guess they eventually dismissed it as just another console.
So why am I bringing this up? My birthday is in a month, and after that, Hannukah and Christmas. My family, once again, wants to know what I want – even though I tell them the same thing every year. I want games. Sure, there are other things I’ve wanted. Books, clothes, DVDs. And it’s those other things I’ve always gotten. But this year I chose to fight for my hobby. I told my mother, you don’t understand, games aren’t what they were in 1988 anymore. My mom told me they’d rather get me things that are productive. So I asked, would you say reading a book is productive? Yes, she says. Then, I say, how can you say gaming isn’t? Games have evolved. They’re not just about moving a man from Point A to Point B without falling down a hole. I told her that I can pretty much garauntee that Bioshock has a better narrative than any book she’s read this year (which is a stretch, considering she’s in a book club and reads lots of award-winners… but it’s the PRINCIPLE dammit!). I explained to her about how I, a graphic novelist, use video games as a tool to learn how to better express a story through visuals and complex characters. Sure, not every game has the depth of Braid, but not every book wins a Pulitzer. I don’t have high hopes of recieving any of the games on my wishlist again this year. My mother has even told my significant other not to buy me any (on account of them being too expensive). But at least I know my own children won’t have to suffer the same plight I’ve spent the last 15 years of my life championing. They won’t need to explain how a game can be just as thoughtful as any Oscar-winner. And when they ask me for games for their birthday, their wishes won’t go ungranted (within reason)… Lucky bastards.
