The latest in entertainment… books!?
I’m an avid computerfan - I have tried a lot of different games, I program a bit in my spare-time - generally the computer is the first thing on the agendy in the morning and the last thing to be turned off in the evening. And then yesterday the strangest thing happened - I read a book… well, 6 to be more precise. I was sitting there in the afternoon, didn’t really feel like playing any of the myriad of games I have and I have long ago discarded my television.
Then I went to the bedroom and found the long row of books that line the wall - many of which moved in along with my fianc?e. And then browsing through the titles, my eyes fell upon “The green mile” by Stephen King. I thought, what the heck, might as well see if it is any good… 8 hours later, a good deal sleepier, I had plowed through all 6 of them…
Now, I’m no shrink - and that’s probably a good thing, but if I had to give a medical oppinion as to why I couldn’t stop reading… I’d probably have worn one of those bowler hats. My imagination was stirred, and that is what I like in a game as well. I guess, it is just really hard to get into a game these days. I think a lot of the problems stem from everything being as life-like as entirely possible - every little detail is so perfect in itself, that there is no room for imagination. Also, the storyline has to be simple enough for the younger audience to follow… And it often ends up being … well, kinda dull.
I guess that’s why I like the single-player (some can be played as multiplayer, but then you are in the same party) RPG’s so much. There you get to choose sides, you get to go “Hmm… I bet there is some catch to that… better check it out”. I’m impressionable much as very young kids are - I am easily surprised and sudden things scare the be-jeesus out of me. So, I can’t play Doom 3 without breaking a sweat, nearly ruining my chair and turning off my monitor from time to time…
As a reader, I read fast - I don’t afterwards remember the details, but I remember the ‘feel’ of the book - the emotions that I had while reading it. I often listen to music while reading, and can usually remember those emotions when I later hear that music. I have a little bit of that with computer games as well, but I’m far from as immersed as I am with a book. I can remember that I played Diablo II whenever I hear Metallica’s “Load”, but I have trouble remembering how I felt.
I guess, it’s the same I do with movies - and that’s why, with books and movies - I can watch/read them over and over without boring myself. Even if I know how it ends - I’ll have forgotten how it happened that way - and I’ll go “oooh” and “aaahh” a lot. With computergames it’s a lot different. I haven’t digged up an old game with any kind of success - it’s mostly been “What the… did I waste half a year playing this crap?”
Here’s to hoping gaming companies will give us more appealing games - more story, less technics. The standard of games today is so high that it’s time for a great story. I know I’ll be buying them.