Dead Pixels has 41 chronicles

1. Gaming and the Modern Myth
   

   Player Chronicle -- Posted on Sep 08 2009

   Gaming and the Modern Myth
   
   
   Dead Pixels
   9-08-09
   by Ryan M. Eft
   
   I was resisting sleep the other day as usual, because I find sleep weak. And my hand wandered to my DS and pile of games, specifically to Contra 4. I had bought this months ago because it was Contra, but had never played it. I’ve got a lot of games like that. I decided, what the hell? For those who think Contra has been a bit…diluted…over the years, you should probably track this one down. It revels in being impossible. The manual makes fun of you. But that’s not the point of today’s column.
   
   If you’re anything like me, whenever you consume a piece of entertainment, you see invisible threads connecting it to other pieces of information. That is, you see the influence that went into the shell, not just the shell itself. You also really really like spicy garlic sauce, but that’s another thing entirely. Anyway, I’m running through some classic 2D levels, showing the world how I rock some Contra (that is, on the easiest setting) and I get to wondering about myths.
   
   Now, when I said that, I’m willing to bet everyone had one of two thoughts.
   1. Something about Greek mythology, or
   2. When is he going to mention God of War?
   
   What it got me thinking about, specifically, is the subtle but present place of video games in the evolution of a “modern mythology”. For those who aren’t always thinking about stories the way I am, modern mythology refers to a certain collection of characters and stories, such as Spider-Man or Indiana Jones, who were quite clearly created in modern times for the purpose of entertainment but who have taken on a certain sense of legend in the public mind. When the Romans and Greeks talked about Hercules, it is sincerely doubtful they believed in his actual existence. He was simply part of a cultural consciousness, and while bits and pieces of his stories were no doubt based on fact, the man himself likely never existed. Modern mythology is somewhat different in that many of the larger-than-life fictional characters who are a part of it were deliberately put together using classic ideas to construct them, rather than being a direct offshoot of our own culture (you could argue that being cut-and-paste creations makes them more directly part of our culture, but if I got into that I’d be here all day).
   
   The point of all this blah-blah-blah is that I often get to thinking about what role games fill in all this. Obviously, classic games have a certain knee-jerk place in our minds. We often assume this is just the inescapable black hole of nostalgia, when in fact it is sort of a cultural mythology. Instead of Athena, Zeus, or the more recent John Wayne or Clark Gable to fill the roles, we have Mario, Link, Ken and Ryu. The list could go on.
   
   These are all fictional characters that exist within their own fictional boundaries, but in the processes of time they have taken up a more general part of our mind. If you need evidence that forming these characters into an overarching cultural myth system is a basic drive on our part, you need look no further than the Smash Bros. Series, or Marvel vs. Capcom. The latter even combines our own gaming heroes with a previously existing set of modern myths. I doubt that most gamers can tell you much about Contras, but they can certainly tell you about Super Contra.
   
   Of course, our eighties and nineties legends were mostly distilled into archetypes because that is what the format would allow. So where does that leave us as gamers today? Well, we still have the prototypical bronzed heroes who can cut through swaths of evil at a stroke (see Gears of War). And even ancient mythology has begun to encroach on our modern games.
   
   But what we’ve been doing lately is largely creating our own experiences in gaming, free from the set paths and sense of destiny and archetype that defines myth. And our hobby has become a massive entertainment business, separated forever from the sort of after-school gatherings and arcade moments that defined a generation and gave rise to a shared set of memories. Whether that is a good thing will always be up for debate.
   
   The one thing that isn’t up for debate is that our legends have seen better days. Mario is often reduced to hosting sporting events, Pac-Man can do little but relive past experiences, The Blue Bomber has become a footnote and Sonic has become totally irrelevant, ready for the Old Legends home. Sure, we’ve got Master Chief and Cloud and a few others, but by and large gaming is moving away from myth and into the hands of gamers. Does that remove it from mythology?
   
   I can’t honestly say, and since I don’t have an answer I wouldn’t presume to stuff one down anyone’s throat. For now, I’ll just leave you for the week and hope that, next time you pop in a game, you spare a small thought for the role it fills in our culture.

   
   

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Dead Pixels has 3 comment s on this chronicle.

1. Dead Pixels
   Posted On Oct 30 2009

   Dyna, I suppose I wouldn't know much about pro gaming. I've got to admit it's not a portion of the landscape I've ventured into. Maybe if I attended an event I would grasp what you're saying? I'll have to add that to the schedule eventually.
   
   A-Thon: the same example can also be applied to film. If you make a movie about some nameless adventurer going after a precious and possibly magical artifact, it may do respectable business. But make the character Indiana Jones, and there's a line around the block. Popularity doesn't quite cover this. It happens because Indy embodies certain facets of stories humanity has told for generations.
   
   It is much the same with Mario and Sonic. The platformer is one of the quintessential things that only games can do, and Mario and Sonic represent much of the best in that genre.
   
   This is a topic I'm probably going to address again in the column eventually, so if either of you (or anyone else) has further thoughts, pop a note in my inbox and let me hear them.

2. Dynafire
   Posted On Sep 08 2009

   Nostalgia is a large factor in determining a character's "mythological" status though. A lot of today's gamers grew up with these characters, and as we know, young minds are impressionable. Each respective character is usually responsible for some fond childhood experience. The first time playing Mario, for example, etched that name and character into my mind forever.
   
   I think a weird thing is happening as well. Gamers themselves are being transformed into legends of sorts. I don't even pay attention to competitive gaming, yet I know who the Ogres and Walshy are. The elite guitar hero players are in sort of the same category amongst rhythm gamers. You can usually ask any GH player about Hellashes, GHPhenom or Phenomman, etc, and they can usually know who you're talking about.
   
   I might have completely missed the point here, but if I manage to come up with a better response, I shall let you know.

3. A-Thon X
   Posted On Sep 08 2009

   In my public speaking class we learned that people are sometimes referred to as Homo-Narrans, or "People of story". Which is why these myths have always and will always persist. Its also why i don't think comic books will ever die out, but thats another chronicle entirely.
   
   You also mentioned creating our own gaming experience's free from set paths and destiny, and maybe thats why Mario is always playing golf or at the rodeo or the like, because people enjoy the experience without having to discover to their horror that their princess is in another castle. I don't think Nintendo has that kind of deep insight when they make Mario Party umpteen, they just make it because people will buy it. But i think thats why people buy it. If it was just normal tennis or whatever, it wouldn't sell as well, but put Mario in it, and its flying off the shelves. Because Mario is already part of modern mythology.
   
   And the same with Sonic. He's still making games despite the fact that they're not good. Its because he's Sonic. I for one hope Sonic doesn't disappear. I'd love to see him in a good game that doesn't screw up the too-easy formula of "Lets-just-have-him-run-really-fast-since-thats-why-ppl-buy-sonic-to-begin-with."
   
   But great Chronicle. Really insightful. Thx.