In recent years, modern gaming has come under scrutiny like never before. Critics argue that video games, movies, and books should reflect reality, adhering strictly to its norms and values. However, this attack on modern gaming is fundamentally misguided, as it fails to recognize the crucial role of escapism in our lives. Escapism isn't just a frivolous diversion; it's a vital aspect of human nature, allowing us to explore alternate worlds, narratives, and identities beyond the constraints of reality.
At its core, escapism serves as a refuge from the pressures and stresses of everyday life. In a world where responsibilities, conflicts, and uncertainties abound, the ability to immerse oneself in a virtual realm offers a much-needed respite. Whether it's embarking on epic quests, solving intricate puzzles, or simply experiencing fantastical adventures, gaming provides a gateway to realms where the impossible becomes possible.
However, the notion that escapism should mirror reality is deeply flawed. Escapism thrives precisely because it offers an escape from reality, not a reflection of it. Just as literature transports readers to distant lands and movies whisk viewers away to imaginative worlds, video games have the power to transport players to realms of fantasy and wonder. Insisting that these mediums adhere strictly to the conventions of reality not only stifles creativity but also undermines their very purpose.
Moreover, the argument that escapism should reflect reality overlooks the diverse needs and preferences of individuals. While some may seek out games that mirror their own experiences, others crave the thrill of exploring unfamiliar worlds and narratives. Just as not all books must be grounded in reality or all movies must depict everyday life, video games should be celebrated for their ability to cater to a wide range of tastes and interests.
Furthermore, the demand for realism in escapism ignores the fact that reality itself is often flawed and fraught with challenges. For many, escapism serves as a means of transcending the limitations of reality, offering hope, inspiration, and empowerment in the face of adversity. Whether it's overcoming impossible odds, forging deep connections with virtual characters, or exploring the depths of human imagination, gaming provides avenues for personal growth and self-discovery that transcend the confines of reality.
In essence, the attack on modern gaming is not just an attack on escapism; it's an attack on the fundamental human desire to explore, imagine, and create. Rather than constraining gaming to fit narrow definitions of realism, we should celebrate its ability to transport us to worlds beyond our wildest dreams. By embracing escapism in all its forms, we affirm the importance of imagination, creativity, and self-expression in shaping our lives and enriching our experiences.
In conclusion, the assault on modern gaming is ultimately an assault on escapism itself. As we navigate an increasingly complex and challenging world, the need for avenues of escape becomes more pressing than ever. By recognizing the value of escapism and defending its role in modern gaming, we affirm our right to explore, imagine, and create without the constraints of reality. After all, in a world where anything is possible, why should we limit ourselves to what is real?
gay commies can't stand the fact that someone out there isn't constantly thinking about gay communism like they are
They want you miserable.
We seek escapism to a world where we can be someone vastly superior to our real-life selves and do things we never could here.
They seek shelter. They want to be in a world where they can wallow in their mental problems and degeneracies, and be applauded for them.
This actually begs the question of "Who is it all made for, really?" We like to think of ourselves as the paying customer fandom and them as the fan-fic-writing tourists, but are any of these multi-media content creators on our side, really? My brain is still too foggy, and I can't remember any examples other than George Lucas vs "Han shot first" or Alan Moore vs Rorschach or DesignerDave calling Arthas a psychopath for doing what (yes!) was absolutely necessary in Stratholme.
Also...
What is this? Your fucking highschool homework? ;)
I wrote it pretty quickly then gave it to AI to edit and tidy up - it added that.
I'd much rather play as someone taking up a sword to go save his kingdom from demons than anything set in a modern city.
Bring back the horni in video games
As many said.. women and their enablers. The entire "women want to make characters be like them". But the problem is.. most women (well most people) are lame lol. Instead of writing or designing characters they want to be or fantasize they want to.. wait never mind. They'd fantasize about overpowering men and becoming lame.
They think if people like their character, that means people like them. If their character is popular, they are popular.. but as we see, its mostly sexy/cute/pretty female chars or cool asian/white males that have any staying power.
We are seeing self grandeur and narcicism.
Escapism maybe undersells the thing they're trying to attack and the thing we're trying to exercise in all this. I would frame it as they're trying to destroy and warp the human imagination.
Imagination is the thing we 'escape' into when we indulge in escapism, so it seems like a frivolous attribute for kids playing cowboys and indians, but imagination is also what we engage when we tell eachother stories of any kind, or are moved by meaningful art, or when we plan cities, or when we remember the past, or when we talk about culture, or preserve any of the timeless values we conserve as a species. We use real concepts of human values, which we have to imagine in order to grasp them, since they are mostly not apprehensible to our physical senses. We then share them between eachother in the form of works and culture. I suppose I'm also talking about Jungian archetypes and myth, for those who are versed in those reference points (ie. not me).
Our political and cultural opponents are waging a wholesale war on our imaginations, in wanting to ensure we can only engage in the realm of the imagination on their terms. Their aim is to ensure we can only exercise our consciousness in a way that propagates their ideology. Some of them do this intuitively, because they simply sense that this is the route to ideological domination.
Others - utopianist, end-of-history types - have an over-rationalised, materialistic view of creation, which creates an imperative to prevent their adversaries (us) from engaging with self-indulgent, 'childish' stories and 'harmful' superstitions. This imperative is somehow an objective moral one, even though this mindset can never be reduced down to any absolute morals. They're waddling in a 'Baby's First Atheism'(tm) brand nihilist paddling pool which young people splash into when they find out that the trusted figures in their lives have been lying to them.
This view finds some sympathisers even on the right, who transplant their religion into the empty moral core of this philosophy and use it to say we should leave behind our 'childish escapism' and face reality, be it the obligation to vote harder or to worship God or whatever. However, entertainment culture is reality too. More often than not, culture dictates all the parameters of our most material realities. The life of the mind is part of life itself. Giving up on games like they want you to is like giving up on fiction novels, cinema or theatre at the inception of those media, which were all disparaged as frivolous diversions in their day too. Here in 2024, we can look back at the ground lost to cultural opponents in those other pursuits and think 'if only...' - but gaming is still relatively young and gamers gave culture warriors a bloody nose, firm and early.
'Escapism' often gets you closer to the truth of life, not further away. You'll find far more truth about what it is to be female in a classical painting of a non-existent woman, than you will in the gender ramblings of the modern medical establishment. It's hard to see those who deter us from imaginative escapism, by saying 'grow up' ,as anything other than slimy subversives, since it's the same shaming tactic at both poles - either 'grow up and go lift weights innawoods' (ok most milquetoast conservatives won't go as far as innawoods, innasuburbs is fine) or 'grow up and be on the right side of history'.
Basically I'm just not gonna stop it (the gaming!!).
I know... UGH I KNOW!! I'm sorry etc...