The New New Media

I have a bit of a confession to make before I begin. This article is arguably entirely self serving, so take what I state with as much salt as necessary.

I love video games. I have loved them since I was first introduced to them in the early ’80s. It is a passion that borders on an obsession in weaker moments.

You can imagine, then, that it is a bit difficult to hear a lot of criticism in modern circles, Catholic or otherwise, about the so-called “Single Young Male (SYM)” that modern society seems to be infested with. You know the type. The man-child who has no job or family. He avoids responsibility. He plays video games all day, etc.

I always cringe at that last descriptor. Mostly because those who cite it often have a very negative view of video games. For some the fact that a SYM plays video games is proof that he is a delinquent. Much in the same way that a homeschooler is viewed as “socially awkward” by our modern society.

I will grant that some of the criticism is warranted. A depressingly large cross-section between so-called “hardcore” gamers and childish males does exist. And, yes, there are some serious behavioral issues such as vulgarity and misogyny that are serious enough that the gaming community is starting to realize this and combat the problem.

However, that is not the whole story. There are a lot of gamers out there who are far more normal than our stereotype would make us out to be. In fact, just like any other kind of profiling, when one digs a little deeper we find gamers from all walks of life.

Video games are increasingly becoming a true interactive media that in some cases rival movies in presentation and immersion effect. While it doesn’t hold that ability to communicate at a truly human level yet, games are exploring topics and game companies are creating worlds that modern films just can’t match. The landscape has become far more complex and dynamic. It is a new media.

In keeping with my thinking on the New Evangelization and how I should approach it, I have taken a hard look at my writing and my life. I find that in most of my writing something is missing. Me. The best writers are the most authentic. They write about things they care about. And it shows in their writing.

I bring this up because in my own attempts to write about the Faith I’ve kept my gaming hobby in the background. Almost like it is a part of me that is divided from the more Faith-focused aspects of my life. Lately I’ve come to the conclusion that this is a mistake.

So I’ve decided to do something about my passion. I once heard a vocation described as “the intersection between your greatest passion meeting the world’s greatest need.” I honestly don’t know if we “need” video game commentary but I’m willing to give it a go. At the very least, I hope to turn my time spent on my favorite hobby into something useful.

I will write next time why I think the gaming community is tough but fertile ground for evangelization. For now I will simply say this. To my knowledge the gaming community has not had anyone to try. It should be fun at any rate.

Colin Gormley

Colin Gormley

Colin Gormley is a 30 something Catholic who is married. By day he is a contract worker for the state of Texas. By night, or whenever he’s trapped with his wife in her biology lab, he blogs about the Catholic faith from an apologetics perspective. He often strays into politics given the current debates in the country, but he tries to see all issues with the eyes of the Church. His website is Signs and Shadows.

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4 thoughts on “The New New Media”

  1. Thanks for your post.

    Early on I had misgivings about my son playing video games. But gradually I saw him develop an understanding of how they work, an understanding of strategy, and an understanding of how teams (guilds) work together to take on projects. Over time I got more interested in what this kind of experience will mean for him in the political-economy of the future.

    Then I came across the Catholic approach to political-economy called Distributism [ see http://distributistreview.com/mag/ ] and had the insight that my son’s gaming will fit naturally with this perspective.

    Hence, Catholic evangelization will grow substantially, I see, when the “gaming” community applies what they know beyond their current practicing to our real challenges.

  2. I’m very sorry, but I’m not sure I can agree that gaming should be elevated in such a way. I’m 31 and grew up with Sega Genesis and an original Playstation. Those were fun to play at the time. Now video games are much more intense. I don’t follow them or play them, partly because I know myself and that I would probably get sucked in and want to play all the time. There are plenty of Saints who warned against frivolity and justifying the pursuit of frivolous activities.

    I don’t see how gaming builds teamwork and all that. It just creates temporary allies in Call of Duty when a 31 year old is on the same team as a potty mouthed 12 year old. Men are not designed to be sedentary. We are physical. We need to be active. (I’m not denying that there are female “gamers” out there, it just seems to be that there are more men who are dedicated to it at a deeper level) Teach teamwork on the playground in an epic game of freeze tag (for the younger kids). At least then everyone’s actually moving.

    I’m not saying these things to criticize you personally, and I’m not trying to infer a derogatory tone or to insult you. I just think you’re reaching and trying to justify something. I will leave you with this link. It is a video by a psychologist who has made a link between pornography addiction, video gaming, and arousal addiction. It’s only about 4 minutes long. Check it out. If that interests you, check out his book which goes into all of this in more detail: The Demise of Guys by Philip Zimbardo.

  3. I have a bit of a rant on this front. I agree that video games are new media, telling a story in a new way. I know several games (long, 60+ hour games) which have intricate storylines and positive themes (one of my favourites is fairly blatantly pro-life). I wish I had more time for such games in my life–the storied games (usually JRPGs) or group games (think Mario Kart or Smash Bros) are the only ones I’ll play with any love or dedication.

    However! There are two major issues with using games as evangelization. The first has to do with the Catholic Ghetto. So often, things done by Catholic groups end up being very stilted and “moral” and really terrible in most other areas aside from the fact that it makes people feel fuzzy about their faith. We need actual good media turned out by Catholics which can be watched by non-Catholics but still carry a subtle Catholic message–the less blatant, the better. (Les Miserables is an astonishingly good example, since it’s a story of redemption.)

    My second issue with using games as a form of media is planned obsolescence. I think this has actually made video games less prominent as a possible medium for real literature because the companies stop making the platform and then all the hours of work which went into this super-intricate 60 or 100 hour game with the most riveting storyline and lovable characters has gone to waste. Companies have no motivation to make games like this outside of a niche fan base (like the Tales series).

    Until those two issues are much better resolved, video games won’t be taken seriously as a form of evangelization. When they ARE taken seriously… well, I have some ideas.

  4. Pingback: Gaming – and Faith?! « say Your Prayers well

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