Following Johan Huizinga’s concept of “meaningful play”, this edition of Innuendo talks about games. Not only computer or video games, but also playful activities, that children, adults, and even animals do, not so much for sheer entertainment (which is OK, by the way), but also in order to learn, discover, communicate and even accomplish a higher skill after lots of “training”. But, of course, the most evident (and familiar) games we play and discuss today are the computer games that, through 3D graphics and open-ended story lines, are the most immersive medium yet that play has ever been associated with. Call it escape to an alternate reality, where things are almost the same as here, but with a tad of difference, and, usually, with a lot of discipline, structure and order to follow for the mission to be achieved. Some argue that “Millenials” spend too much precious time in front of their computers, while others claim that one should look at the new set of skills they acquire through commitment and training. No matter whose side you choose, immersive games do have a tendency to haunt a player long after the game is over, which sometimes is a credit to the soundtrack as well as the voice actors who portray the characters. Therefore, a ride to Mount Chiliad in GTA: San Andreas turned into Rod Stewart’s “Young Turks”, and special credits had to go to Disasterpeace and his Fez soundtrack, as well as Starkey (feat. Kiki Hitomi) with “New Cities” from Dirt 3, and the ending credits from Far Cry 3, Brian Tyler’s “Further”.
02. June 2015
02. June 2015
02. June 2015, 15:54
Irina Hablecker