As her title suggests, Arina's post dealt primarily with the Tomb Raider series legend Lara Croft. She raised many interesting points from a female perspective of this video game character, points which I would never really consider as a male. While I enjoyed the commentary she provided, my reply to her has to deal with a comment she made slightly unrelated to the topic of her post.
I grew up as an avid video gamer. There has been a video game console in my house since the day I was born. As such, I have played countless hours of various genres of video games. For me at least, I have used video games to do exactly what Arina described above - experience the world. Those who are opposed to children playing video games often don't see this perpective of gamers - the perspective of an explorer, of a learner.
The slogan above was the slogan for Sony's Playstation for many years, and was the slogan when I got my first Playstation console. It is a slogan that I didn't put much thought into then, but in perspective to the discussion now, it applies so much more.
The purchasing of a new video game is equivalent in a way to receiving an invitation to enter into a new world. A parallel can be drawn between those who just bought the game and the character that they are given at the beginning of their new game. These beginner characters are unaware and unable to utilize the potential they possess; instead they must go through multiple challenging levels that will help them gain the necessary skills and abilities to unlock their potential and to complete the game. While these beginner characters grow, so to do those who are playing the game. The character would not be able to develop were it not for the input of the gamer. This to me shows the real value of a video game.
Video games have always taken criticism for offering nothing to those who play it, these critics often feel that video games make your brain go to mush and cause your social skills to disappear. What these critics don't realize is that video games are designed to challenge our brain in ways that the real world could not adequately do so. As EA Games has stated in their slogan for years, they want video gamers to "Challenge Everything." Video games make us use logic, memorization and quick thinking to progress through levels. Video games encourage us to not accept the norms of society that are forced upon us. By challenging that which is usually assumed to be fact, we can grow both within the game and as human beings.
Socially, video games have always been an avenue for friends to get together and have a good time together. Before there was online gaming there was still multiplayer gaming. I remember the days when all my friends would come over and we would play hours of Goldeneye or Perfect Dark on my Nintendo 64. Now that online capabilities have been introduced we still get together, just in a virtual meeting room. I have met a lot of new friends thanks to online video games, and I have made friendships I already have stronger thanks to the video games we play together.
Video games are simply a cultural phenomenon of the current generation. Kids used to go to arcades to play these games and to socialize, technology has made it simpler for the new generation to do what arcades did for past generations. Every generation is going to blame the one before for differences, what all generations need to realize is that there is not much of a difference between them - the only thing different is our environment.
Blog post I am replying to:
http://wordofmouse999.blogspot.ca/2012/03/lara-croft-cyber-heroine.html
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