How Video Games Mirror Society

When I was working towards getting my masters in business administration, I had a fascinating economics professor. When class would start, he would take his place in a fullback chair at the front of the classroom, fold his hands in his lap, and teach as though he were telling the world’s oldest fairy tale. He had a beard akin to Santa Claus and the demeanor of a kindly grandfather. He spoke about economics as if he were discussing a close friend. He knew his craft both in the cognitive and the intimate sense.

What made him fascinating, however, was the way he would pose questions or prompt answers. Before explaining a core concept, he would always say, “How do we tell this story?” Then one of us in the class would raise our hand and answer the question, to which he would always reply, “Continue telling that story.”

To my professor, every concept was a story, crafted long ago by an author, the work of which we only expound upon and revise as time passes. Our ideas and inventions are simply continuations of past works. As situations and circumstances evolve, we tweak and shape these works to meet our current needs and desires. An idea may be considered “original,” but it is rarely created from nothing. Instead, it is created using tools, ideas, or methods passed down to us over time.

So it is with video games. People often consider video games to be a solitary genre of entertainment created in just the past 40 years or so. To a large extent, this is quite true. I would agree that video games comprise a type of entertainment that is different than most other types, particularly in that players are able to immerse themselves within video games to a greater extent than most other forms of entertainment. Yet, video games too are the result of societal necessities and memes, such as the need to have fun, relax, create, and enjoy.

When I ask someone why they enjoyed a certain movie, I typically get answers like “It had a good story” or “The actors portrayed intriguing characters” or “It touched me emotionally.” Contrarily, when I ask someone why they enjoyed a video game, I typically get answers like “It was fun” or “It passed the time well.”

Why are video games often considered separate from the necessary elements of entertainment, such as story, acting, sound, and emotion? These elements are certainly present and, I would argue, often more developed within video games than in movies or music. Unfortunately, these artistic elements  are often dismissed by the audience members in lieu of their preconceived notions about video games.

Yet, I believe video games, like other forms of entertainment, were meant to mirror the norms and needs of their society. Video games are not fashioned simply with the desire of passing time in mind. Instead, they are products of their author’s unified sense of creativity, art, and preference. If you take the time to look, you will see key elements of society ingrained into the very fabric of video games.

In saying this, I am not saying that video games invented these elements. They merely purport them to a greater degree than what has become commonplace in society. Elements such as…

#1: A SYSTEM OF REWARD

What do credit cards, airlines, and supermarkets all have in common? If you said a point system, you are absolutely right. All of these things award users for spending more money, flying more regularly, or shopping more often. It is, at its core, a system of risk and reward. Putting more money on your credit is risky (and inadvisable), but the more money you spend, the greater your potential reward.

This promise of reward is what has fueled video games from their very inception. I think back to my days as a child, sitting on my parent’s living room floor, playing The Legend of Zelda for the NES. This game, both groundbreaking and phenomenal, introduced me to the video game system of risk and reward. By killing enemies, you garnered rupees, which you used to buy better weapons, which you used to kill more enemies and get more rupees, which you used to buy even better weapons, ad nauseum. It’s a simple system, but it contained the element that spurred future video games and the United States economy.

Think about it. I’m not an economist or a genius in any sense of the term, but I understand much of our country’s debt and greed stems, to an extent, from the promise of reward. Advertisements promise us happiness and well-being is simply “one purchase away.” Happiness, in this case, often takes the form of a product, lifestyle, or choice. Of course, you have to sacrifice or spend a little to get it.

Used in a wise manner, participators of this system – and we all participate – can get more bang for their buck. Used in a foolish manner, the system will dominate your money, your future, and your life.

It’s the same with video games. If you engage in their system of reward carefully, you can enjoy a deep sense of enjoyment and accomplishment. Do it haphazardly and you’re likely to spend a majority of your waking life propped up in front of the television or your computer screen.

The greatest example I have witnessed concerning this system rests in the most expansive MMO to date: World of Warcraft. This is nothing against those who play World of Warcraft. I myself played it for over a year. However, the game has an uncanny way of trapping its players in a never ending cycle of rinse and repeat, all with the promise of greater reward at the end of the tunnel. The most difficult and powerful items in the game must be either bought with insane amounts of in-game gold or farmed from the most difficult areas of the game. Spending the greater portion of a day or week or even month farming for one item borders on insanity. But the promise of your avatar being “just a bit better” than the competition is more than enough to get people to do it. On that note…

#2: COMPETITION

Competition, to a large degree, is what fuels innovation and success in corporate America. The company that maintains a competitive edge over other companies in its industry is the one that will survive. We wouldn’t have incredible inventions such as the iPad or the 4G smart phone if there didn’t exist a competitive need for them.

Likewise, competition helps to fuel the video game industry and especially the manner in which video games are played. In order for a video game to be mainstream successful, it can’t just be fun to play; it must also be engaging, visually-stunning, and contain a thoughtfully-crafted story. It must also have a competitive element built into it. Why do you think games like Gears of War, Halo, and World of Warcraft have garnered such a massive following? I would argue that all three games have ingrained a deep system of competition into their core gameplay. Players spend hours finding every possible strategy, nuance, and position to help them gain the edge over other players. This obsession with competitive edge has extended to big league tournaments. Players that have perfected the art of competitive edge can now use those skills to win large sums of money in sponsored tournaments.

The greatest benefit that competition gives to video games, however, it not that it has allowed a sparse few to gain national recognition for their skills. It is simply that it keeps players playing games. And when players keep playing, developers can continue producing their craft.

#3: CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT

This goes hand in hand with the concept of competition. In order for any product to retain its usefulness, it must consistently adapt to change. Remember those big league tournaments I mentioned? Someone who places first one year is never guaranteed a title the following year. This is not because he or she has lost a margin of talent; it is simply because the competition has adapted to better combat his or her strategies and skills.

Rules are modified, expectations shift, and preferences change over time. If a player or video game is not willing to change, chances are they will be left behind, ultimately becoming a relic. Some relics remain popular for an extended period of time before they are forever committed to memory. Titles such as Shadows of the Colossus and Silent Hill 2 have gone down in history as trend setters or historical gems. However, no title, however popular, will ever last the test of time.

So it is with everything else in society. Change is a natural part of life. Whether or not society chooses to change with it is, essentially, a choice, one that ultimately bears a consequence. Change need not be feared, however. In my opinion, change should be embraced, for it is the catalyst through which the institutions of innovation and progress are measured.

#4: CREATIVITY

I’ve heard so many times, mostly from older individuals, that my generation has lost the spark that once made America great. The fact is, every generation, theirs or mine, is going to struggle with some great issue (responsibility, work, foresight, money, etc). Yes, my generation has struggled greatly in certain areas. However, there is one area in which I believe my generation has succeeded greatly: creativity.

My generation has seen a great many entrepreneurs, inventors, and artists – Mark Zuckerberg, Bryan Singer, etc – who, at a very young age, have taken the initiative to either challenge social norms or pursue an ambition greater than what was deemed possible at the time. Without minds like theirs, our society would not be what it is today.

I believe video games, to a degree, are testament to the deep level of creativity that exists within my generation. A video game is essentially a conglomeration of the work of every artist imaginable: writers, actors, programmers, animators, musicians, and illustrators, to name a few. To disregard a video game is to disregard the work of many dedicated individuals. Now, when I say “disregard,” it is not the same thing as saying you don’t like video games. Playing video games is as much a preference as it is an activity. If you don’t play video games, more power to you. You have that much more time to do other things you enjoy. But please do not pass judgement on those who do. Uneducated opinions do little more than aggravate sensitive issues.

I, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoy playing video games, not simply because they are “fun” or “great passers of time,” but primarily because they are dynamic proof of the level of creativity and thought that runs deep in my generation.