My column went up! Here is a copy of it, conveniently on my blog for your convenience (otherwise, you can click here to go to the actual article on eGamer.co.za):
Due to the fact that far too much of my time has been taken up by my school’s infamous (and rather enormous) reading project (cue dramatic music), I managed to forget until today (or yesterday, assuming it is Friday when you read this) that I have to write a column for tomorrow (or today, once again assuming it is Friday when you read this). It is because of this (and my reading project induced panic) that I had originally planned to do what anyone who has read my blog will know that I do best – rage about how Activision, the shell of Infinity Ward and the Call of Duty series from Modern Warfare 2 onwards have begun a long and tragically uncomplicated series of events which will ultimately lead to the death of destruction of us all. However, just as with my previous column, I’m not going to be doing that! This time, though, it isn’t going to be out of self control as much as out of a genuine maturing process in my outlook on all that nonsense.
You see, as I was mapping out my rant, I had a moment of such great epiphany that, had I not been already seated I would probably have had to sit down. So great was the epiphany that I no longer hate Modern Warfare 2, and now honour it with capital letters in writing, just as any normal proper noun deserves. Once again, if you read my blog you would know just how big that is.
“But Duncan!” you may be asking no one in particular as you sit in front of your computer, reading this column, “Are you not the same dashing young man who warned us never to tread near the path of Call of Duty ever again, just as a concerned parent suggests their child stay off the lawn of the convicted paedophile?”
To which I would reply, “Why yes, extremely complimentary reader, yes I am. That, however, was before my aforementioned epiphany!”
To which you would reply, “So tell me what this damned epiphany is, already!”
All right, all right. Long winded, fluffy introductions and arbitrary dialogues with my imaginary reader (who, from this column forth we shall name Martin) aside, let’s get down to business.
The realisation that has really changed my whole perspective on this whole issue is that the games industry is not one entity made up of one part, but rather one entity made up of a number of parts. But more analysis on that a tad later.
For now, accompany me as we envisage ‘The Dream’… what on earth is the dream? The Dream is gaming popularised. The Dream is to turn on the TV and see Super eSport showing the highlights from a recent StarCraft 2 match. The Dream is professional gaming being a viable career. The Dream is ultimately gaming becoming as fully integrated into our society as sport is.
While the matter presented in the above paragraph could fuel several columns all on its own, let’s ignore the debate for now and assume that The Dream can become a reality.
The question that assumption begs is then what would be necessary for this oh-so-awesome Dream to become a reality?
The answer to that question, given our tragically capitalist society is simply: demand. If enough people ask for it, it will happen. Perhaps not immediately, but we are already beginning to see the emergence of gaming as a far more popularised, far more mainstream hobby. Hell, even here in South Africa professional gaming is becoming a more and more viable occupation as we see new tournament organisation bodies emerging, and more and more companies stepping up to sponsor tournament prizes. Which is pretty awesome. But I digress.
So, we as gamers need demand, right? Right. The thing is, that demand isn’t going to come if the community doesn’t grow… which is where the post-Call-of-Duty-4 Call of Duty series comes in.
The hype created by each successful release of a CoD game is so enormous that I shy at the idea of creating an apt yet witty metaphor to match it. And that, dear reader(s), is exactly what we as the gaming community need. It is because of the massive hype created by games like Call of Duty that they draw in people who have never touched a game before in their life.
Ironically enough, my very own gaming career started as a result of the hype created around Call of Duty 4 (granted, that hype was justified). I saw the posters and huge cardboard cut-outs for it this one time in Look & Listen and realised that it had to be my Christmas present. I had no idea that I was buying what was arguably one of the greatest games of last decade, or just how hard I would fall for gaming at the time – all I knew was that the dude on the poster looked hardcore and had an assault rifle. For me, and many others like me, that is more than enough to justify a purchase that could alter the course of one’s life forever.
You see, those first time gamers / tragically uneducated noobs don’t give a flying fart about who the hell Infinity Ward are, or why dedicated servers and LAN support are so important to the hardcore crowd… all they know is that if they click the left mouse button (assuming they don’t have a completely retarded control configuration), the gun their in-game avatar is holding shoots. And that is awesome.
That is also when the bugs bites. When you play one awesome game, you want to play another. And another. And another. Eventually, you start to stumble across sites like this one, or a copy of NAG catches your eye on the way to the checkout counter. You start to educate yourself, start to form opinions, and take your next steps on the path to becoming a true hardcore-gamer-crackhead.
Now, let’s go back to that thing I mentioned earlier about the games industry being a multi-faceted entity. Now that we’re back there, let’s compare it to a fishing scenario!
So, the hook hangs in the water. Acting as the bait is a freshly caught, fat, juicy, delectable worm probably drowning to death as I write this. A fish of undefined species swims idly past, but returns upon catching the scent of the aforementioned freshly caught, fat, juicy, delectable worm (by now it should be dead). It sniffs (I think fish sniff?) at it a few times and depending on its temperament and level of sustenant satisfaction will either take a bite or leave it alone. Let’s assume this fish recently escaped from a gulag, and so it’s pretty hungry. Our gulag escapee takes a bite, and the hook drives into its fishy flesh, the barb securing a purchase. The fish is hooked, and the fisherman on the surface awakens from his stupor and begins to tug wildly on the rod, and reel the fish in. The fish breaks the surface of the water, suspended by the fishing line on the hook, and the fisherman reels in a tad more and, when satisfied that he can easily reach out and grab the fish, ceases to reel and surveys his catch.
Now, let’s analyse that rather narrative, probably a tad long-winded metaphor. The fish is, of course, our prospective gamer. The hook is the game itself. The line could be considered the level of their passion, with the amount they have been reeled in being directly proportional to the amount of forum posts and opinions they have under their belt. Finally, when the reeling in is complete, we have a fully matured hardcore trout gamer, just like the rest of us! The bait is, of course, the hype surrounding the game in question.
Naturally, there is a metric ass-ton of hype surrounding the release of Modern Warfare 3 (for example), and so the above scenario would be happening en masse. And if it happens en masse, we get more demand, which ultimately perpetuates The Dream!
You see where I’m going with this? Exactly!
With both of these scenarios, however, there is a price to be paid. In the scenario of the fishing trip, the dead worm was the price. In the scenario of attracting new gamers, it means we have to tolerate bureaucratic, backstabbing nonsense from a company which has forgotten how to listen to its audience.
While it may be a rather annoying price, I don’t think it foreshadows the way forward for gaming (thankfully), and ultimately if it leads to the realisation of The Dream, I will gladly pay it.
Besides, by the time those metaphorical fish reach the end of the line, they will have learnt the error their ways anyway.
For those unsure, the column just ended
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Last thing! Just a heads up that my Warhammer 40k/D&D blog is also going to be going live soon, so if you're into that nonsense please do keep an eye out.
In closing, enjoy this picture of a cat pushing a watermelon out of a lake... (you were supposed to click there)
Duncan
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