The Message of Games

[Wolf Kanno]

I was reading an article from The Week today about whether Western powers had given up on the idea of Globalism in the face of the Brexit vote and the rise of Pro-Nationalist leaders like Donald Trump; and the first thing that came to mind for me was the Front Mission series. This is because the "big picture" drama of the franchise is a future where the world has been divided into major geopolitical unions in a hope of maintaining political and economic relevancy but now faces internal conflict as the various organizations face nationalist movements within that aim to wreak the balance of power. By the end of the series, one of the organizations has pretty much collapsed in on itself and one of the others is badly damaged from all the wars and terrorism over the course of the series. The series relevancy today is rather startling, but I appreciate the fact the series approaches the issue a bit more even handed than most stories dealing with political or moral messages.

This got me thinking more about the games I've surrounded myself with and the messages they wish to convey to us the player. So what messages have you loved from the games you've played? Which ones failed for you? Should games actually feature real world commentary or should it shy away from it because the medium is meant for recreational use?

[Spuuky]

Should games actually feature real world commentary or should it shy away from it because the medium is meant for recreational use?They should do whatever they want. They aren't mutually exclusive goals. The world is a big place.

[Karifean]

Should games actually feature real world commentary or should it shy away from it because the medium is meant for recreational use?

Absolutely not. The medium of video games has great narrative potential, bringing elements to the table that no other medium can emulate nearly as well. They're no less valid of a narrative medium than any other.

In regards to messages I've taken away from games, well that's basically exactly why I like Key and 07th Expansion as much as I do. Key visual novels generally carry very positive and idealistic messages, and they've helped me see the various good sides of life and take notice of and appreciate things I didn't before. And as for 07th Expansion's novels, well, Umineko taught me the meaning of the words "without love, it cannot be seen"... which in turn changed the way I interact with people, with pieces of fiction, and pretty much everything else.

[Randy]

Games should do as many different things as possible.

There is a bias in the medium though that tends to keep some stuff out. There are a few exceptions but for the most part, you need to be able to present your idea in a way that's continuous with some appealing gameplay mechanics. People clearly lost interest in walking simulators within the space of a few years.

This is why I like RPGs. They're probably the best gaming genre to present more complicated ideas without it ruining gameplay.