Project Outline: People, Meet Games

For my project of awe, I’d like to do a YouTube channel show (tentatively) titled People, Meet Games. The object of the show is to take a kind of person that normally doesn’t play or like videogames—ideally, they should think they’re useless or pointless or something—find someone that fits that type, talk to them, and then find a game for them that could give them a good experience with videogames and hopefully produce some kind of positive emotional reaction, even awe. Each episode would then be the story of one such encounter, with a different kind of person covered in each episode.

The goal of the show, then, is to provide some solid videogame criticism for a general audience, but in a different light. By nature of how the show is designed, it would always have to be accessible to non-gamer audiences, and thus it would serve the function of widening both videogames’ appeal and understanding in broader culture. Most non-gamers tend to have an antagonistic perspective on videogames, thinking they’re simply a waste of time or overly violent, messing with our brains and such. People, Meet Games would be my attempt to show the world that while many games fit their mold, a great many more do not. It has been my philosophy for a while now that yes, some people play videogames far too much, but most people don’t play them nearly enough. In a world increasingly dominated by algorithmic systems and advanced technology, videogames are the medium born of that world meant to help us understand and embrace that world. Neither the industry nor the world as a whole can afford the stereotypes and misunderstandings to continue any longer. People, Meet Games would be my contribution to that change.

           

Here’s a typical layout of how an episode would go:

1.      I’d introduce the kind of person we’re looking at this episode (e.g. Moms, Lawyers, Gamer Wives, Grandmas, Game Violence Skeptics, etc.) and discuss a little of the history of that group’s typical objections to games. Alternatively, we could look at a specific issue many people have with videogames each week, e.g. Violence, Waste of Time, Kills Attention Span, etc.

2.      I’d introduce the specific person we’re interviewing for the show, and we’d have a brief chat about their experience with videogames (ideally very minimal) and their opinions on videogames, and specifically why they hold such opinions.

3.      I’d introduce the game we’ve picked for the person and talk about why this game is successful and smart (some quick criticism, basically) and then explain why I chose this specific game for this specific person/issue.

4.      Show me and the person playing the game together. We wouldn’t have to play the game for very long, and what we’d actually show could be pretty short, but the point of this part is to see the person reacting to the game and capture their reactions/interactions to watch how they respond and if they’re opinion changes at all by playing the game.

5.      We’d end the show with a little post-game chat about what the person thought about the game and if their opinions have changed at all from when we began.

6.      Finally, if we convinced the person that games are useful and/or relevant and helped clear up their misconceptions/prejudices, I’d end the show by giving the project a point, and each episode we’d show our current “score” of how many people we’ve convinced out of how many attempts.

I would imagine and hope that these episodes are not long at all, perhaps 10 minutes at most.

Here’s a quick overview of how the first episode might go, “Mom, Meet Games”:

1.      A lot of moms in the world are scared of videogames and the effects they’re having on their kids. They’re scared their kids spend too much time with them; they’re scared they’re too violent; they’re scared they’re running their attention spans. In fact, Moms got so worried that parents in California tried to ban the sale of violent videogames altogether, leading to a landmark Supreme Court decision declaring videogames as a form of expression and therefore protected under the First Amendment of the US Constitution. (And some other stuff, but that’s a sample.)

2.      Growing up, my Mom didn’t let us have any videogame consoles and very limited computer games. Recently, she’s loosened up a bit on videogames and let a Wii into the house and helped me get my Playstation 3, but she still doesn’t play much herself. (I’d then interview what my mom thinks about videogames now, why she doesn’t play any, if she’s worried about kids playing games, etc.)

3.      The game I’d probably pick for my mom is Flower. She’s mostly worried about playing videogames herself because she doesn’t know how to use a controller. Flower has the lowest threshold for controller literacy imaginable. Also, it’s a very relaxing and organic experience, and uses technology to actually make us think about nature, which I think she’ll really enjoy. (And some more on the game.)

4.      Some shots of the controller in Mom’s hands, some footage from over the shoulder as we sit and play together, some footage of her actual playthrough with her voiceover reactions.

5.      After playing, I’d  chat with my mom about what the game made her think about, how she felt with the controller, and how she thinks kids might react to the game. I’d then ask her opinion on games in general and if it’s changed at all after Flower.

6.      Of course I’m going to be able to convince my mom; People, Meet Games now has a score of 1 out of 1.