The Unspoken truths

By: Tonya McLean

Video games have been a part of our culture for decades; the industry as a whole is over 70 years old. The first game was created in 1958. Most games have been claimed to take place in the world of fiction or fantasy others based on real things like Sports or Simulations. For years this claim has given parents no reason to believe that games wouldn’t have real life facts included in them. However, what the parents didn’t realize is that even though games are based in the world of fantasy and fiction that fact was mostly for the story, not the actions that took place in the game; sometimes the story has real life in it as well. For example, the Legend of Zelda series back story is that the world was created from 3 goddesses each represented by a triangle. There are parallels to religion and under those beliefs how the world was created. In the first of the Tomb Raider remake series the team gets stranded on an island in the Dragon’s Triangle in Japan and there really is a Dragon’s Triangle in Japan. The survival strategies in all three of those games are real life facts as well. There’s one fact that expands all video games. That fact is that the player needs determination and problem solving skills in order to beat the game. Such characteristics and skills are needed in order to make it in life.

It wasn’t until the creation of games like Mortal Kombat in 1992 or GTA (Grand Theft Auto) in 1997 that parents even thought about games having real life facts in them. Before these mind scattering games parents thought that they only had to worry about Shooters which had been around since the 1970s. However, Mortal Kombat made parents and even government officials take a closer look at games, and made them create a rating system for all games. The rating system allowed developers to have more free reign over the type of game they made if they wanted to make a game for children, teens, adults or everyone it was up to them. So With the creation of GTA and how it is a simulation of life on the streets came the realization that games do have real life facts in them also this made parents realize that they need to take a closer look at what type of games they are buying or allowing their children to play. Parents were split down the middle one whether they were allowing their children to play children games only or if they allowed their children to play adult games. buying their children family friendly games or games. For some parents they only allowed games like Donkey Kong Country, Mario, Crash Bandicoot, even Legend of Zelda were more acceptable with parents because these games are in the realm of fantasy. These parents don’t want their children to see such harsh things at such a young age. Other parents that don’t mind their children knowing the real life facts that these Mortal Kombat or GTA showed; these parents believe that the earlier their children know these facts the better prepared they will be for the harsh reality of life. Either way has its merits and disadvantages.

I can speak from experience that if a child is too shielded from the harshness of the world then they won’t be prepared to live in it when the time comes, and they can be too trusting because they don’t know that there are people out there that aren’t on their side. However, if the child experiences too much harshness during their youth, then they will grow up believing that the whole world is against them, and trust only the ones that raised them and stayed on good terms with them. Therefore, they deny themselves the help that can be beneficial to them. A good balance between the two will help the child become a trusting adult that knows to be weary of who they trust because not everyone is on their side.

Video games are a good way for children to experience the world of fantasy and imagine themselves as the hero giving them the basis of determination and creativity. The games that are more based on real life facts gives the players the basis that the world of possibilities is grand and that they shouldn’t take anything for granted.