Contemplating Ian Bogost’s “How to do Things With Video Games” Part 2

Transit:

Bogost writes about the changes to human existence that took place with the advent of the rail system. The shortening of a trip from 10 days to 2 certainly seems like a positive thing, however, it is another example of society trading technological convenience for a little bit of our souls.

Just like the cliche says, “Life is not the goal, but the journey,” or some other trite phrasing. There is some truth in this though. We often watch the mile markers on road trips instead of watching the beauty that marks the way.

This is where video games can make a huge impact. Yes, I know that playing a game is not the same thing as living life, but we can find aspects of the journey while we play a game. I love games where there is a sense of discovery while trying to get from point A to point B. I especially love this when it is entertaining and worth the time of the excursion. I think this is where a lot of games often fall short. I think a lot of game developers would do well to ride a bicycle to work sometimes then their standard mode of transport. If they take a moment from time to time to look around and interact with the world they may bring these moments into the game play.

Branding:

I really dislike marketing so forgive me if I seem flippant or dismissive on this subject. I really like the part of this section when Bogost was discussing the early days of the game monopoly. Of particular interest was the part about offering a cheaper version of the game in which players had to provide their own pieces. What a great idea. It reminds me of Nintendo’s attempt to populate different games with individually designed Miis. It was a failed attempt, but a worthy one. I think it would have been more successful if the avatars weren’t so cartoonish and childish. I like to think of a future, kind of like “Ready Player 1” , in which we bring our avatar to all games and platforms. It would be really cool to be recognized in completely different games.

Electioneering:

I am so glad that all attempts to bring politics into video games has been an abject failure up to this point. I really disagree with this medium being inundated with political jargon and branding. For many people video games are a way to escape the daily grind and to bring that into games would disrupt that distancing. There is a reason why bars tend not to show news programming.

Promotion:

Again, I hate marketing. It just seems such a seedy industry. If a product is of high quality and usefulness, then word of mouth should suffice. Marketing and promotion just seem to me to be attempts to part people from their hard earned money to buy things they really do not need. On the other hand, if the Burger King games were actually original and provided a new form of entertainment, while also having Burger King iconography, then more power to them. If these large corporations want to invest in more creative forms of entertainment then, by all means, help yourself.

I hope to write more about this book as we read through the rest, but I make no promises.