I'm in awe

To say I am addicted to gaming is a falsity, however (like a lot of people I suspect) I have had those “I’ll just sneak in a quick half hour” times that have turned into a “holy crap it’s already 4 am” moments. The situated immersion completely takes over; if I don’t kill the sword wielding assassin in my way how could I possibly go to bed with an ounce of peace of mind? I become so immersed in the game world, so focused on the goal of winning that reality takes a quick holiday, it is a place that just does not appear as desirable.

In the game world I am a warrior, in the real world I am a university student. What starts off as a quick game soon becomes much more, it becomes a vacation from the boringness that is normality; it becomes an escape into a place where the rules, the laws that govern and restrict us in the real world do not apply. The agency of the game, my choices, my actions are all obviously simulated, but the fact that I am capable to do so without (certain) bounds is what becomes so very appetising. I would never actually commit any crime in real life, so when I do so in a game (killing an enemy, stealing a car etc) it feels like being a daredevil for a while without reaping any of the real life consequences :p

So I am not addicted, I am in awe; in awe of a media that can grasp my attention and emotions in such a way that makes me forgo my valued sleep time, which can provide an outlet for the inner ass kicker in everyone. Games should not be criticised for causing shootings, or creating anti-social behaviour or any of that crap. Games should be praised for creating a simulated real world that allows everyday people to be a little adventurous without actually doing any real damage.

Olivia Prasad