How Video Games Changed my Life

Any hardcore or moderate gamer knows the story - it's the summer holidays, you're feeling lazy or you're broke, and facing that terrifying glaring sunshine is just too much to bear. You grab your duvet and stumble over to the TV like a zombie on its day off and turn on your Xbox, intent on spending the day shooting, assassinating, or slaying dragons. And then you hear the inevitable footsteps, faint at first but growing closer. The door opens.

 "You're on that thing again?"

 You probably mumble something incoherent and hope the parent goes away. Unfortunately they don't.

"You could be doing something productive with your time. You'll never learn anything if you play games all day. Go out, it's a lovely day."

 Unfortunately for them, the parents don't realise just how determined us gamers are to avoid direct sunlight or social interaction on days like these. All that results from these one-sided conversations is the irritation of both parties, and the mutual shaking of heads. Generally they make a closing statement along the lines of 'You'll never amount to anything if you carry on like this', and storm from the room, leaving you to wallow in your own melanin-deprived squalor.

 The fact is though, that I spent most of my childhood playing computer games. From a sturdy old Master System, to a Playstation 1, N64, Dreamcast, PS2, and Xbox 360.  I'm now in my mid 20's, at university and with a busy home life, but even now if given an hour to myself you'll find me sat in front of an Xbox slaughtering my way through Renaissance Italy, shooting foul-mouthed 12 year olds on CoD, or riding Chocobos across wild and alien lands. Yes, I'm a game addict, but is that necessarily a bad thing?

 I remember my first experience at 6 years old playing a Master System. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 had just been released, and therefore everybody I knew had got the cartridge. The week before, we'd been playing in the playground as Power Rangers, now we played Sonic (much to my disgust, I never got to be Sonic - apparently girls were only good for being kidnapped by Robotnik).

 I started writing 'Sonic stories'. The teachers let me have an exercise book just for my stories, since I was defacing all my spelling books. I used to be so engrossed that they would let me skip school assembly so that I could carry on. I still have some of the exercise books in a drawer somewhere, and one of those stories would one day become the groundwork for my first attempt at a novel.

 Since the Sonic reboot in the past few years, the blue spiky one has risen in popularity again. My 6 and 4 year old nephews are obsessed, and thanks to my days in front of a Master System it means that I can relate to them on a level playing field. There's a lot of satisfaction to be gained from being regarded as the God of Sonic Knowledge, let me assure you. It also means I get to run around with them pretending to be Sonic characters again (alas I still don't get to be Sonic himself - I've been demoted to chasing the two of them round impersonating Robotnik. Sigh.)

 The first game I took an interest in on the PS1 was the Final Fantasy series. I'll always remember playing through Final Fantasy 7 when I was just turning to my teens, and being embarrassed that a game could make me weep like a baby, and that the music could inspire me so much. This was before the advent of Youtube or MP3 players, and so the only way for me to listen to the music was either to leave the game playing, or to use a VHS to record my favourite music and keep rewinding it. Nobuo Uematsu became my music deity. Of course, my music teacher had never heard of him and when I said he was a game music composer, the teacher broke into that smug, derogatory smile. Apparently though, it wasn't so funny when I sang a slightly less Engrish version of 'Eyes On Me' at the Christmas concert. He asked me who wrote it, since it was such a lovely song. Ha, Mr Nicholls. Just ha.

 Besides the music, the Final Fantasy games also gave me the inspiration to become a fantasy writer. Spending hours in another world where everyone's hair is perfect and you can ride around on mutant chickens? There's something deliriously euphoric about that. I'd also like to think that my altruism and moral standards were inspired by the lessons that Final Fantasy gave me as I was growing up. It's just a shame that the rest of the world can't learn the same lessons.

 

 I developed my writing skills under the influence of Final Fantasy 7, writing fanfiction about my favourite hired hitmen - the Turks. What developed from that was a novel-sized story that took me over a year to write and remains my proudest achievement to date. I've always meant to return to those boys in blue, but never had the time. No doubt I'll go back to them eventually. Writing with the voice of a bad boy is addictive.

 At the age of 17 I developed depression and dropped out of college. When the world was too much for me, it was the escapism of playing my PS that stopped me from going over the edge. I suppose to a certain extent, that need for escapism is one of the reasons I still play them today. Adult life is stressful, you know.

 Resident Evil taught me to stay calm under pressure. (when I first started playing, I would turn the console off as soon as this bad boy turned up. Oh Nemmy...)

I'd also like to think I now know how to survive the Zombie Apocalypse, even when wearing a miniskirt.

 Playing the Elder Scrolls games again introduced me to a new escapist world, and gave me more inspiration for my writing. It also introduced me to Jeremy Soule, who wrote the soundtrack. If you've never heard his music I recommend it. You can find one of my favourite pieces above. It makes great background music for reading or writing.

 And finally we come to my most recent addiction - the Assassin's Creed franchise. As well as escapism and the incredibly satisfying dance of the poisoned guard, the care taken to present the surroundings fairly accurately, plus that amazing database facility gave me an understanding about the Renaissance - a period of history I'd never really payed much attention to. Through the ministrations of Ubisoft I know now the history of Venice, Florence, Rome, and Istanbul; The life of Leonardo Da Vinci, Niccolo Machiavelli, and the Borgias; The architecture of some of Italy's most Iconic landmarks; How Gondolas are made; Banking, government, law, religion, philosophy, geography, technology.... need I go on?

 In my next term at university I'll be studying Renaissance literature, including Machiavelli. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Ubisoft for giving me a fun and gripping way to study for university. Of course, I won't be writing essays about how Machiavelli was an Assassin...

 Another thing that I have to thank that beautiful game for is not shying away from death. It's tempting for any story to end on a 'happily ever after' note (I like to call them Disney Endings), but Ubisoft refuse to do so. Thanks to them, we get to see both Altair and Ezio grow old and die. Although I still tear up when watching Embers, they present death as a natural and inevitable thing. For me at least, this somehow makes facing up to this fact less scary. Ubisoft I salute you.

 

 But what about Call of Duty? Surely a shoot-em-up can't be educational in any way? Surely if anything it breeds violence, hate, and smart-mouthed little brats? Violence is, unfortunately, true, but I'd also like to point you to this article as a redeeming feature. I'd also like to say that CoD has acted as excellent anger management for me at times when I was close to committing GBH.

 It's easy for a parent of the non-gaming generation to see the violence and apparent empty-mindedness that gaming entails. It's true you might be sitting in a darkened room, drinking far too many caffeinated drinks and avoiding as much social interaction as possible, but in an era that thinks it socially acceptable to sit in front of a television watching Jeremy Kyle and 16 and Pregnant, but considers game addicts antisocial, I feel quite proud that I'm challenging myself, making new discoveries about music, history, morality, culture and storytelling. I'm learning tactics, teamwork, creative problem solving, and prioritization.

 Now tell me - what other medium could teach me all that?

Anneka Mason 
Twitter - @FFTurkaholic

Four Nations, Four Books.

[Drawing the Fire Nation symbol in the dirt] Fire is the element of power. The people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want.

[Drawing the Earth Kingdom symbol] Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring.

[Drawing the Air Nomad symbol] Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns, and they found peace and freedom. [pause] And they apparently had great senses of humor.

[Drawing the Water Tribe symbol] Water is the element of change. The people of the Water Tribes are capable of adapting to many things. They have a sense of community and love that holds them together through anything.

It is important to draw wisdom from different places. If you take it from only one place it become rigid and stale.

[he draws straight lines separating the four symbols]  Understanding others, the other elements, the other nations, will help you become whole.

[He draws a circle around the whole, uniting the four symbols into one] It is the combination of the four elements in one person that makes the Avatar so powerful.

Uncle Iroh's words of wisdom are often the most memorable part of Avatar for me, it's just a pity Zuko is too stubborn to listen to him until verrrrry late. (In fact, sometimes I have to resist the overwhelming urge to facepalm when Zuko acts like a spoiled brat).

 The great thing about Iroh is that his words of wisdom are often more pertinent than they seem. They foreshadow what is to come in following books, or in a character's personal storyline. As you might have noticed much of what he tells Zuko (even in jest) turns out to be true in later episodes, and I think Iroh has to go up there next to Dumbledore on the 'most inspirational quotes' list.

 What is really interesting though, is his take on the four elements. Each of the seasons (or books, if you want to get technical with me) is named after one of the elements. On the obvious side, it relates to the element Aang is trying to master at the time; but looking at Iroh's quote up there, I'd like to say that the meaning goes deeper than that.

 Let's just have a look at that section about water again:

Water is the element of change. The people of the Water Tribes are capable of adapting to many things. They have a sense of community and love that holds them together through anything.

Iroh's perception of the Water tribe is more than a passing comment. When we look at the first season - Water, it becomes clear that the themes Iroh is describing pertain to the characters' journey throughout the season. Iroh talks about change and love, adaptability and family. If that isn't the theme of Book one, then I don't know what is.

Change
  The awakening of Aang is the start of a chain reaction that changes the world completely within 9 months of his arrival. A war that has lasted 100 years ends almost as soon as he arrives. This season sees him start that journey towards world change, and sees him change others along the way. (The Great Divide, Imprisoned, The Northern Air Temple, The Siege of the North)

  The Southern Water Tribe also changes as a result of Aang's appearance. Katara mentions that none of them have had any real fun in a long time, and all of the villagers are afraid of him. By the end of his visit, there is an obvious air of hope.

  Change relates directly to the characters, too. Although all of the major players will continue to grow through Books 2 and 3, this is the season that sees the most emotional growth (that is, in everyone except for Zuko). Aang's is the most noticeable change. To begin with he is your average teenage boy, more interested in penguin sledding (which, by the way, looks incredibly fun!) than paying attention to his surroundings. Throughout the season Aang struggles to deal with his sudden leap into the future, and the terrible mess it's in thanks to him, but by the time we reach the season finale the Aang on our screens is much more mature - ready to take on the entire Fire Nation navy in order to defend people he cares about. However, as Aang himself says - "I'm just one kid."  He still has a lot of growing left to do.

  Sokka and Katara also grow a great deal more in this season than any of the others - Sexist, selfish, greedy Sokka get's his sexism kicked out of him (The Warriors of Kyoshi), and taught about selflessness in the season finale by Princess Yue.

   Katara changes a fair bit, starting out as (let's be honest) a terrible bender and an abysmal fighter. She takes leaps and bounds, however, and ends up being one of the most formidable in the group. She learns to believe in herself, and be self-reliant. In The Winter Solstice her role includes pretty much sitting around, waiting for Aang and Sokka to come back. By the season finale she's fighting Zuko alone, taking responsibility, and all round doing the girl-power ass-kicking routine. You go, girl.

Love and Family

This one is obvious. The strong familial and romantic bonds that Aang, Katara, Sokka, Momo and Appa develop in this season are the driving force behind what they do - saving the world is all well and good, but as Aang says at one point, he's saving the world for his friends. Although the bond they share will be extended later to include other characters, these 5 become like family, as Katara says in The Southern Air Temple, and also Bato of the Water Tribe.

The writers take great care in making sure we know how strong the bonds between the characters are, this season. Also, the bonds they make with other, outside characters in this season will become important in the third season, in the lead up to The Invasion. Family and bonds are definitely important.

 Romantic love is also represented a great deal more in this season than any other - Aang and Katara, Katara and Jet, Aang and Mang, Sokka and Suki, Sokka and Yue. Romance, again, will play a big part in the seasons to come.


 Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring.

The very first episode of Book Two opens with a test of Aang's emotional strength - will he give in to pressure, or stay strong and finish his training? (The Avatar State) Tests of emotional strength continue throughout this season, as well as physical endurance.

 Emotional Strength
 In Return to Omashu, The Chase, Bitter Work, The Serpent's Pass, The Earth King, The Guru, and Crossroads of Destiny, Aang has to make difficult decisions that force him into a leadership role - look at that list, that's nearly half the season, all full of tests of strength! He learns to lead firmly but fairly, to do not only what is best for him, but also for the world (For example after refusing to forget his love for Katara in The Guru, next episode sees him rethink his decision when he realises what's at stake).

Physical Endurance
This season also sees our main characters struggle for survival much more - it's a test of physical ability and endurance. In The Cave of Two Lovers, The Swamp, Zuko Alone, The Chase, The Desert, and to a lesser extent The Crossroads of Destiny see our characters split up and placed in dangerous situations where they have to rely on their own courage and abilities to get them through. (This season also has some of my fave Sokka lines: 'It's a giant Mushroom.... MAYBE IT'S FRIENDLY! Muuushy giant friend~')


 Fire is the element of power. The people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want.

(I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist.)

Book three is - in my personal opinion - the most 'powerful' and emotional of the three books. This is mostly because I'm a Zuko fan, and I love seeing him struggle with trying to be good. Anyway, with the basics of Family, Love, Adaptability, Emotional and Physical strength, all that's left for our characters to develop and explore is Power, and Drive. This is the final step Aang will take on his Avatar Journey, and all of the characters' final step towards maturity.

 Power

 There's a reason that this season allows us a closer view of Ozai, Azula and the Fire Nation in general. Why? To show us real power, and how it corrupts. It's an old lesson, but important. Power corrupts - Azula and Ozai are obvious, but Zuko sells his own freedom and his inner personality to attain power (and look how miserable it makes him), Katara is nearly seduced by her new found power as a bloodbender, and one of my personal favourite episodes The Avatar and the Firelord shows Sozin being slowly corrupted from the moment he's made Firelord.

On the other hand, this season also sees all the main characters actively seeking out more power. After the disaster at the end of Book Two, it's becoming clear that the only way our characters will actually beat the Fire Nation is to become more powerful. Sokka wants to learn to be a better warrior (Sokka's Master), Toph wants to have more power over her own actions (The Runaway), Katara wants to learn to be a better waterbender (The Puppeteer), and inadvertently learns bloodbending - a technique so powerful it scares both Zuko and Katara herself. Aang needs to gain more power in the form of Firebending, and Zuko is stuck in a dilemma between choosing political power, and personal power.

Of course, let's not forget the physical struggles for power that take the shape of the two biggest battles in the series - The Invasion, and the episodes leading up to Avatar Aang.

 Drive
 This season also goes into the drives behind all the major characters, and clarifies for them exactly what they're fighting for. Zuko's development in this season is entirely about drive, and it's extremely interesting (and fun!) to see him come to the conclusions that everyone's been urging him to make since the beginning of Book Two. His drive so far has been to regain his honour and be loved by his father, however once he has this he realises that it isn't what he wants. For three or four episodes, Zuko is completely driveless, and turns his anger inwards (The Beach is an excellent example). After The Invasion, Zuko changes sides, which takes away his bending (which was driven by anger). He and Aang have to search for a different source of Firebending - a different drive for it.

 Katara's drive behind her involvement in the fight is questioned in The Southern Raiders. Is she really here because she wants to save the world, or is it just for revenge? She overcomes her lust for revenge at the last moment, and pretty much clears up the shadow that's been hanging over her since the beginning of the series. Much better than group therapy.

 Sokka's drive becomes clearer from The Invasion onwards. He wants to be as brave as his father, to be a good leader, and to protect his family.

 Azula's is one of the most interesting developments, in my opinion. She's easy to hate, and difficult to like - apparently exactly what she thought her mother felt about her. The scene in front of the mirror is one of the best character insights I've seen in any TV series - for children or adults. Her drive this whole time is finally revealed - her insecurity about her mother's love, and her jealousy at Zuko for being her favourite (on a side note, I think this is interesting too as it mirrors Zuko's insecurity about his father, and Azula being the favourite.).

Mai's love for Zuko acts as her ultimate drive, and her and Ty-Lee turn out to be Azula's friends only out of fear.

 More than anything though, it is Aang's drive that is important in this season. He has to find a legitimate reason to fight, and to find his own way. In the end his motivation turns out to be love for Katara (Nightmares and Daydreams), and his way is what the monks taught him - Mercy. Despite every single character demanding he take a life, the things he has learned in the past few months dictate how he acts - Love, the ability to adapt, emotional strength... these are what drives him to find a way around, and in the end his newly found power and endurance are what allow him to act on it.

  But that's only 3 books. What about air?

Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns, and they found peace and freedom. [pause] And they apparently had great senses of humor.

This book obviously doesn't take place on-screen, as Aang mastering airbending took place before his little Fry-like leap into the future. This already ticks the box next to detachment, as it has nothing to do with the other characters or the people watching. Obviously there were far fewer worldly concerns, as the war had not started when Aang was there. Freedom, peace, and lack of worldly concerns are all the traits of childhood. Air concerns Aang's childhood. Oh, and we know he has a great sense of humor!


 Iroh may come across as a tea-obsessed, crazy old man, but next time you watch Avatar, listen to what he says and think again! You might be surprised just what his words really mean...