Pocket Universe

There’s an interesting thread over at Evil Avatar about backwards compatibility and the future of video games. Basically, the editorial suggests that developers release “greatest hits” packs containing selections of classic games, primarily for those who have never played them before.

The discussion brings up an interesting point: Why is it that you can go to Best Buy and pick up a movie that is fifty years old, but you can’t find a game that was made more than a few years ago? Can you imagine if someone wanted to watch a movie, but couldn’t get anything that was released prior to 2000? Or if a salesman said, “Why do you want to watch that old movie? You should check out of these new movies that just came out!” For some reason, we have great respect for the history and tradition of movies, but games are still stuck in the “newer is better” mentality. And of course, as a side effect of the short release cycle for games, they typically retail for $50, to maximize the profits during their relatively short shelf life.

This strange dichotomy between movies and video games just struck me, which is why I wanted to mention it. Hopefully the Wii, with its downloadable games from the first three generations of Nintendo consoles, will allay this accepted practice somewhat. Instead of a game that uses two analog sticks, four face buttons, and four shoulder buttons, I could show my son a game that uses one joystick and a jump button. I think need to remember where we came from to truly appreciate the games of today.

or: Why Do I Want to Do Dishes After Paying My Bills?

Whenever I watch a movie where someone’s life is spiraling out of control due to drug addiction, whether it’s Goodfellas or Midnight Cowboy, I am always frustrated. The character is usually using drugs as a way to escape the depressing reality of his daily life, but I always think, “Why doesn’t he just stop using drugs? Doesn’t he realize that his addiction is the cause of all his problems??” And the answer, of course, is that it’s easier to seek a temporary escape from your problems, instead of confronting them head-on. And the more you avoid them, the worse they get, which just compounds the avoidance instinct.

So what does this have to do with me? Quite a lot, actually.

So the other night, I’m sitting at home, reading a few web pages, and just generally minding my own business. Suddenly, I get an invitiation to an audio iChat. (For you PC users, iChat is the Apple version of instant messenger, and it supports video and audio chats.) Since I didn’t know the person requesting the chat (their name was a mishmash of letters and numbers), I refused, but out of curiosity, I sent a text chat back to the person, just to find out who they were and why they were trying to contact me. Actually, what I said was, “Yes?”

“sorry - just at the mac store trying to test this…”

The Mac store? Interesting! Still curious as to how they got my name, I asked them which Mac store they were in.

“ginza”

…

…uh, Ginza? As in, Ginza? Why would someone from an Apple Store in Japan be sending me an iChat?? He said he just clicked on a name, and was hoping it would give him a tutorial or something, then he apologized for bothering me. I was understandably curious as to how someone halfway around the world ended up sending me an anonymous audio iChat…but before I started inquiring about how he got my name, I decided to attend to higher priorities first. Specifically, the guy was at an Apple Store, trying to get a Macintosh demo. Hey, I may be curious, or puzzled, or amazed by the prospect of an random international connection, but above all else, I am an Apple evangelist, and if he wanted to get a Mac demo, then come hell or high water, I was going to give him one!

To make a long story short, there was some problem with the iSight on his end, so we could only connect with an audio chat, not a video chat. Over the course of our text and audio discussion, I found out that he used to live on both L.A. and Santa Barbara, and went to UCSB from 1993–1998. (I myself attended from 1992–1994.) From there, he got some voiceover work in L.A., then eventually moved to New York, and from there, to Japan. I thought it was an odd coincidence that we had both lived in Santa Barbara, and he said, “I think that Santa Barbara is one of those beautiful places in the world, and once people have lived there for a while, they always remember it and want to go back.” I thought it was a nice sentiment, and very true, at least in my case.

So anyway, we said our goodbyes, they thanked me for the demo, and that was about it. Oh, and how did they get my name in the first place? I took a guess, and it turns out I was right: My good friend Bobby, who is now living in Japan, happened to visit that very same Apple Store, where he entered in my information, hoping to get a video chat with me. And once he was finished with his test, he was either unable or unwilling to delete the information. So there it remains, in the Apple Store in Japan, just waiting for someone to click on it and start an iChat with me. I’m hoping that next time it will be a video chat. I think that would be pretty cool.

At this point in time, we�re on the cusp of four more years of the Bush presidency. In addition, the Republicans got the votes to control both the House and the Senate, just like they did in 2002 (even though the Congress usually shifts the other way after a new President is elected). Florida looks like it�s not even close, and even Ohio seems to have a comfortable margin.

The most common responses I�ve heard from my liberal friends run somewhere along the lines of, �I don�t understand how this could happen!” �I can�t believe that half of the country thinks like you do!” They are just shocked and amazed, because it seems so obvious to them what a horrible person George W. Bush is, and they have no idea how he could possible get reelected (or, indeed, have gotten elected in the first place).

Now, let�s examine what we�ve gone through in the last four years: �Selected Not Elected”; �Like Father, Like Son, One Term, and Then You�re Done”; Fahrenheit 9/11 and the Oscars; weapons of mass destruction; manufactured evidence against Bush; an inherited recession, followed by the largest domestic terrorist attack in American history; performances in three debates that were at the very least underwhelming; and 11th-hour fears about missing weapons in Iraq.

Yet, with all that, Bush still looks like he�s going to win this election. And that�s not even considering the events of the 2000 election, where you had Bush running against the incumbent Vice President, coming off of eight years of a successful, highly popular President, along with the greatest period of economic growth in recent memory. And even with all that, Bush still managed to squeak out a win, when it shouldn�t have even been close.

So for my liberal friends: How you can explain that? Are that many people in the country that much stupider than you? Or maybe, just maybe, are you wrong about some very basic assumptions that you are making about the President?

Just something to think about.

Here is my take on the controversial subject matter of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (and let me first apologize for not chiming in on Daves thread when he mentioned it many weeks ago):

I think that video games are often credited with more impact than they deserve when compared to, say, movies or books. I wasnt very active in the blogger community back in 1971, but I dont think there was a great outcry about the subject matter of The Godfather when it was released. Nor, I doubt, was there a great outcry about the original book. But for some reason, video games are looked at as more influential than these, although I would argue that quite the reverse is true.

But lets say for the sake of argument that its not. Lets assume that video games have more of an impact and are more life-changing than movies or books. Even then, why is the subject matter of gang life automatically taboo? The last time I checked (about an hour ago), The Godfather sat squarely at the top of the IMDB list of highest-ranked movies of all time. Yet here is a movie where a character goes from being an innocent, through a progression where he becomes the head of a large mafia organization and arranges for the murder of his sisters husband. The movie culminates in his denial of that very crime to his own wife. It does not end with redemption. (And if you watch the other two movies, it really doesnt end with redemption.) So why is this movie so universally lauded? Why did it, and its sequel, both win the Academy Award for Best Picture in their respective years?

I believe The Godfather is highly praised because it accurately portrays an American subculture that many (or most) people are not familiar with, and more specifically, how one extended family deals with life within that culture. It doesnt pass judgments, and it doesnt try to offer solutions. It just shows life how it is, or how it might be, and lets the viewer draw their own conclusions. Some people see The Godfather as a stern warning against the eventual corruption and destruction that come from a life of crime; others see it as a reinforcement of the importance of family. I can see how both interpretations are valid, because the subject matter is presented honestly. Even in Goodfellas, which is a much bleaker movie, people come up with wildly different interpretations on why events unfolded as they did, and what lessons can be taken away from it.

Which brings us back to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. In a recent videogame magazine, someone (I cant remember if it was an editorial or a letter) complained about San Andreas, saying that the glamorous tradition of the mafia was a suitable subject for a video game, but the thuggery and seedy lifestyle of Los Angeles gang warfare was not something that was worthy of making a game about. To me, this smacks of elitism and ignorance. By implication, our respected Italian immigrants were complex people, whose struggle to survive in America led to a strong family bond and a desire to protect each other, even if it meant going outside of traditional law; while black street gangs are simply thugs and criminals, whose motivations are as complex and well-reasoned as a drive-by shooting. If you follow that logic, Boyz N the Hood is really just an inconsiderate and ill-conceived exploitation movie, not a poignant tale about the day-to-day life of people living within the poorer sections of Los Angeles.

Now, not having played the game, I am certainly not claiming that San Andreas is the videogame equivalent of The Godfather, or even Boyz N the Hood. For all I know, it could be a digital Soul Plane. All Im saying is that is the subject matter doesnt automatically preclude it from being something meaningful. In fact, this game might be more significant than the previous releases. For one thing, there have been plenty of games where the protagonist is a mob hitman, but how many put the player in the shoes of a black gangmember? Many games let the player choose a black character, but out of a selection of characters which includes some white characters. I think this is actually a sign of progress in terms of race relations.

Another reason why San Andreas is significant is because it is the first game that I am aware of that deals with these issues from the perspective of an insider. Its one thing to dismiss the actions of gang members for whatever reason, but its quite another to be playing a game where your best friend just got shot, or crack dealers are roaming the streets of your neighborhood, or whatever stereotypical motivations you can think of. In fact, I may have to change my earlier position: Maybe videogames have more of an influence, not less, than movies or books, because instead of watching another character make decisions based on his own drives, you are making those decisions yourself. Now, Im reasonably sure that San Andreas doesnt have a gameplay option where you study hard, stay in school, stay away from gangs and drugs, and become the first person is your family to go to college with a full scholarship, but within the confines of the story, there are decisions to be made and motivating factors to be aware of. From that perspective, I think that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has at least the potential to be a significant and important form of entertainment. And if you want to play and just shoot people and run over hookers, you can see how far that gets you. But unlike the movies, you make the choices, and you determine what happens to your character. If for no other reason than that, the game should be given a chance.

I have to share a cool story: So I am having issues with a purchase I made online, where the company in question has not yet delivered, and I have been unable to contact them over email. (I am intentionally leaving the details vague, for reasons you will discover in a minute.) In desperation, I looked up the domain-name registration for the website, and found the phone number for the company who provides web-hosting services. I called them to ask for help, and the guy said he could forward my concerns to the company over email, and that I should call back in a few weeks if I hadn�t heard from them.

A few weeks go by, and I have heard nothing. So I call the web-hosting company back and explain the situation again. This person checks with his manager, and explains that they can not give out any phone numbers associated with the company. I explain once again that I am at the end of my rope, I have been unable to contact the company, and if I can�t get a phone number, I have no other options. So he says, �Well, there is a name and number that is listed on the public record for this website. Would you like me to give that to you?” I say sure, and he gives me the info.

And then he surprises me by saying, �So, is your number 319-555-2826?” For a half-second, I was confused, since he seemed to think that I was in the same area code as the previous number he provided. Then I figured it out: �No, that�s not my number.” He said, �Oh, okay, I must have been thinking of someone else. So that number was 319-555-2826.” I replied, �Nope, that�s not me,” as I wrote the number down. And he said, �Well, sorry I couldn�t help you out any further,” and I say goodbye.

Isn�t that cool? Just as I figured I�d face more corporate bureaucracy, I get some guy who is considerate enough to help me out, even though he�s not supposed to. I thought that was excellent! Obviously, I�m not going to say who it was who helped me out, since I don�t want to get him in trouble, but I thought that was really cool.

I have a theory about movie previews. The theory is as follows: Previews are really aimed at drawing in the viewers who might not otherwise want to see the movie, so more and more the producers have started giving away major plot points, in order to arouse curiosity. And even with the more tradition teaser” type of trailer, those with keen eyes and a good memory (read: me) may be able to deduce key plot points that might otherwise go unnoticed. You see a cool explosion; I see a Corellian freighter, and I immediately know who the pilot is, and I have some idea of what he might be doing in the new movie. (Extra geek cred goes to those who figure out the name of the most famous Corellian freighter). And in the worst cases, I actually remember that character X cant be dead yet, because he was in that one scene in the trailer, but it hasnt happened in the movie yet. So, in short, for good or ill, my damnable memory has ruined many a plot twist that I have seen in a preview.

But just imagine a world in which you had no idea what was going to happen in the movie. Just sit back and ponder that for a moment…. It may seem impossible, but imagine going to see Terminator 2, watching the Terminator about to execute John Connor, when suddenly he says, Get down!”, and shoots the ersatz hero, who turns out to be the real Terminator! Schwarzenegger, the hero? How can this be??”, you might be thinking. And for the rest of the movie, your brain would be under the thrall of this most elegant plot twist. But of course, that would never happen, since the aforementioned plot twist was hyped ad infinitum by the filmmakers for months before the movie came out.

So, you ask, what is the solution to this conundrum? Its simple, really: Dont watch previews. Or commercials. Or, if possible, pictures in magazines or advertisements in the newspaper. Now granted, this may seem like a daunting task at first. True movie buffs may suddenly find themselves torn, as their every fiber tells them to watch the trailer for a movie which they have been anticipating since seemingly forever. But once you power through a few times, and reap the blissful rewards of ignorance, you wont be able to go back. Of course, it may help to pick and choose the movies that you are going to avoid; if you know youre only avoiding one movie, it makes it easier to muster the tremendous strength of character required to sprint out of a darkened theater with your hands over your ears while humming.

At the height of my dementia, I had to avoid The Matrix Revolutions, The Return of the King, and the occasional Spider-Man 2 teaser. But as a result, each of those film experiences was much more rewarding and awe-inspiring than it would have otherwise been. I admit that it got tough for a while with the first Spider-Man; its hard to cover your eyes when you see something cool like Spidey leaping onto the peak of a New York landmark. But after a while, it becomes second nature to cover your eyes when you see something really cool. So please, pick an upcoming summer blockbuster and try it out. If the movie is any good, I can almost guarantee that your experience will be improved by not knowing all of the cool plot twists in advance.

Which brings me to my review of Spider-Man 2….