Videogames and Subcreation

Turkle makes some interesting observations about the state of gaming in 1984, but as I read her excerpt I found myself wondering if her conclusions are still applicable 22 years later.

I like Turkle's discussion of how video games compare to television and sports, and I think she has accurately described how video games were in '84--without finite storylines or character development, many games didn't have an end and "winning" generally was a matter of being able to enter your initials into the high scores list.

As computer, arcade, and home systems have employed more complicated technology, the games have become more realistic and story-driven. We buy games on DVD not for just the realistic audio and graphics, but also because Tolkeinesque worlds require that much space--they don't just use the same screens over and over. Anyone who has played the later Metal Gear games might describe it in the way Turkle envisioned people playing out alternate endings to their favorite movies.

Of course, the typical first-person shooters and beat-'em-up games still exist where any story/dialogue that exists is fairly basic--players probably get the same feeling as those who played Pac-Man in the 80s. That is, players are more concerned with figuring out the rules of the game than identifying with the character or story.

But this distinction between player and programmer is one which is blurring in many games that are out there. I concede that there are still rules that dictate what a player can or can't do in a video game world, but I don't see how that is necessarily different than the "rules" which govern how one should play Superman or Lois Lane. Games like Elder Scrolls: Oblivion and Fable will "change" depending on how one acts. It seems that most games now allow players to create their own characters--even more mainstream titles like Tiger Woods or the Madden Football series do this. Now we can take these characters online and through text or voice chat further personify these alternate identities that allow us to interact with others in ways we never could in person. My own experience tells me that some people try to replicate themselves exactly, while others create characters who look and behave nothing like they do in the real world. And I'm sure some do both--switching between different personalities effortlessly.