The State of Video Games Perception Today and Why It's Changing

There seems to be an age gap for video game appreciation. I wish I could point people with such limited knowledge about video games to experiences like the Mass Effect series or Journey, but then I remember where they are coming from in terms of games. Their games had a low learning curve and story was insignificant if it existed at all. Most games today have more complicated controls with stories that explore emotional concepts (Walking Dead) to worlds that are bizarre and abstract (Octodad). For some adults it must be like watching Scooby Doo and then suddenly changing the channel to find Sherlock or Dr. Who. That's a huge jump in sophistication. Still, these new games should be examined more closely for their emotional and intellectual impact. When I watched Mordin sacrifice himself in Mass Effect 3 I searched so hard for way to bring him back or if there was a way I would not have to sacrifice Ashley or Kaidan in the original Mass Effect. Whenever I can care a lot about a fictional character, be it the Monster in Frankenstein or the creatures in Journey, I know that the medium is more than just some story.

Of course "video games" is an unfitting name for what the medium can mentally and emotionally accomplish for "players" anyway(even the description for participants isn't that great. It sounds like someone playing a sport for fun as oppose to someone experiencing a different world from their own). I read a lot about people in the industry saying "interactive medium" instead, but that sounds so dry and clinical to me. I think there needs to be a new name, but it may be too late for that. 

Fortunately, the name will not matter soon. I think we're moving to a point where more games designers are focusing on building creative worlds with their own immersive story. There's a game called Gone Home that does this really well. I won't spoil it because I'm not sure if you've played it, but you play a young white girl in the 90's returning to an empty home after a study aboard to find that you're whole family is missing. A storm is booming outside and you explore the house to learn why your family is absent for your arrival. I personally have zero similarity with being a white female in the 90's, but my the ending of the game I cried and felt tremendous sympathy for the silent protagonist's family. While I've read plenty of books and watched plenty of shows, I've never forgot that I wasn't the main character. I think this is something that can only be accomplished in a first person interactive medium, which just so happens to be video games. Thankfully games are maturing with new developers and fans who understand the potential of the medium.