New Game, New Life
Ian Smith
Dr. Watkins
College Comp and Research
February 2, 2016
Can playing video games really give the player what some would describe as an “extra life?”Author Tom Bissell talks about this in his article “Extra Lives.” He talks about how even during the presidential election, he was playing Fallout 3. Bissell believes that being able to play these games in times when he is feeling down or depressed, gives him that extra life. He mentioned that he had even played a game called Oblivion for 200 hours. He also talks a lot about the game Fallout itself during the article. I agree with the fact that Bissell says that video games are not like other types of entertainment and that games that are the most entertaining are the ones that tell stories, but I disagree with the fact that he doesn’t believe games like Fallout should be judged on the world in which the game takes place rather than the story.
Tom Bissell believes that videogames are different than any other type of entertainment like movies or a book. He believes that he would tolerate more things in a videogame than say a movie. Bissell states “I routinely tolerate in games crudities I would never tolerate in any other form of entertainment” (Bissell 358). I agree that videogames are different than other types of entertainment because my experience playing games and watching movies or reading a book confirms it. When I watch a movie and something happens early on that I do not like, I often change the movie. If I am playing a videogame, however, I often overlook it. I believe I do this because I know that the game could change and go in a million different directions, whereas the movie will probably remain the same throughout.
Bissell goes on to state in his article that there are some types of games that he enjoys playing more than others. He claims that, “The games that interest me the most are the games that choose to tell stories” (Bissell 359). I agree that when a game tells a story it is much more enjoyable to play, a point that needs emphasizing since so many people still believe that games should take out the story so they can focus more on how the game looks. When I play a game that has a good story to it, I feel like I am getting immersed into the game. I find myself wanting to play the game more than one that maybe did not have a story mode in it. I have also found that overall, I have spent more time playing a game that has a story mode because it feels like there is something to work towards. I may decide to quit playing a game if you have to restart every time I fail or die.
Bissell also thinks that all games should be judged based on how their story mode is. He says, “The counterargument to all this is that games such as Fallout 3 are more about the world in which the game takes place than the story concocted to judge it” (Bissell 359). By focusing on the story mode, Bissell overlooks the deeper problem of judging a game on what they are really made for. Not all games are made to have a story mode. I think that you need to judge a game on what the creator makes the game to be. All games that are made for say multiplayer would fail if you judged it based on its story mode. That is not what it is made for.
Tom Bissell does a good job of describing his overall experiences with videogames as a whole in his article “Extra Lives.” You can tell by what he writes that he is very serious about the video games he plays. He is also right on some of his claims that he makes, but on others he is not. He believes that when he is playing video games, it gives him another life to immerse himself in. I believe he is right when he says that videogames are their own kind of entertainment and that when a game tells a story it is much more interesting and enjoyable to play. However, I think that he is wrong in thinking that all games should be based on how well that their story is.
Dr. Watkins
College Comp and Research
February 2, 2016
Can playing video games really give the player what some would describe as an “extra life?”Author Tom Bissell talks about this in his article “Extra Lives.” He talks about how even during the presidential election, he was playing Fallout 3. Bissell believes that being able to play these games in times when he is feeling down or depressed, gives him that extra life. He mentioned that he had even played a game called Oblivion for 200 hours. He also talks a lot about the game Fallout itself during the article. I agree with the fact that Bissell says that video games are not like other types of entertainment and that games that are the most entertaining are the ones that tell stories, but I disagree with the fact that he doesn’t believe games like Fallout should be judged on the world in which the game takes place rather than the story.
Tom Bissell believes that videogames are different than any other type of entertainment like movies or a book. He believes that he would tolerate more things in a videogame than say a movie. Bissell states “I routinely tolerate in games crudities I would never tolerate in any other form of entertainment” (Bissell 358). I agree that videogames are different than other types of entertainment because my experience playing games and watching movies or reading a book confirms it. When I watch a movie and something happens early on that I do not like, I often change the movie. If I am playing a videogame, however, I often overlook it. I believe I do this because I know that the game could change and go in a million different directions, whereas the movie will probably remain the same throughout.
Bissell goes on to state in his article that there are some types of games that he enjoys playing more than others. He claims that, “The games that interest me the most are the games that choose to tell stories” (Bissell 359). I agree that when a game tells a story it is much more enjoyable to play, a point that needs emphasizing since so many people still believe that games should take out the story so they can focus more on how the game looks. When I play a game that has a good story to it, I feel like I am getting immersed into the game. I find myself wanting to play the game more than one that maybe did not have a story mode in it. I have also found that overall, I have spent more time playing a game that has a story mode because it feels like there is something to work towards. I may decide to quit playing a game if you have to restart every time I fail or die.
Bissell also thinks that all games should be judged based on how their story mode is. He says, “The counterargument to all this is that games such as Fallout 3 are more about the world in which the game takes place than the story concocted to judge it” (Bissell 359). By focusing on the story mode, Bissell overlooks the deeper problem of judging a game on what they are really made for. Not all games are made to have a story mode. I think that you need to judge a game on what the creator makes the game to be. All games that are made for say multiplayer would fail if you judged it based on its story mode. That is not what it is made for.
Tom Bissell does a good job of describing his overall experiences with videogames as a whole in his article “Extra Lives.” You can tell by what he writes that he is very serious about the video games he plays. He is also right on some of his claims that he makes, but on others he is not. He believes that when he is playing video games, it gives him another life to immerse himself in. I believe he is right when he says that videogames are their own kind of entertainment and that when a game tells a story it is much more interesting and enjoyable to play. However, I think that he is wrong in thinking that all games should be based on how well that their story is.