A few years ago I came across a book called “Everything Bad is Good for You.” The hypothesis behind it is how all of the forms of media that have developed reputations for being empty-headed time vacuums -- watching television, playing video games, etc. -- has evolved into entertainment so much more complex and challenging than it was decades ago it can now present legitimate intellectual stimulation.
Take television, for instance. Sure, there are shows out there that are still as mindless and lowest-common-denominator as ever, but there are other shows with many layers and nuances and concurrent story lines that viewers need to monitor closely to full appreciate what’s going on. Stories aren’t always wrapped up in single episodes, but commonly develop over multi-episode arcs, or sometimes even over the course of many seasons: The Wire. The West Wing. The Sopranos. Breaking Bad. House of Cards. True Detective. A lot of the best TV out there now is more like reading a novel, and is produced at a level that’s often superior to what we’re being given in theatrical films. (I’m still feeling a little burned by the new “Godzilla” movie today.)
I’m bringing this up because it’s my birthday in a few days. Birthdays aren’t that big of a deal for me anymore, but I’m looking forward to this one because I’m really hoping to get one gift in particular: The Skyrim Legendary Standard Edition Official Game Guide. I highlighted it on my wish list, and I can only hope someone in the family will come through.
Yes, I’m a proud video game nerd. (And before anyone starts mentally calling me out on gaming, I have a few words for you: Candy Crush. Bejeweled. Words with Friends. Texas Holdem. Angry Birds. Flappy Bird. Farmville, for crying out loud.) I’ll be one of the first to say there are a lot of games I’d never consider spending time on because I find the content just offensively ridiculous. But I’m also ready to argue with anyone who tries to tell me a game like Skyrim is just mindless swordfighting dragon-magic trash. It’s impossible to make my case with people unless they have a proper context, but I will say I’ve been playing video games for well over thirty years now, and I can’t think of another one that takes place inside of a world as immersive and completely realized as Skyrim.
The best evidence I can offer without going over the top in my argument is this: The reason I want this guide book so badly is because I plan on playing the Legendary Edition of the game this summer. The Legendary Edition has new content that wasn’t included in the original version, so you bet I went and paid another $60 just to see how that new content would be worked into the original game. And the guide book that I’m planning on using to get the best experience from the game as I can? It’s over 1,100 pages long, with print so tiny I have to take off my progressive lenses and hold the book inches from my face to even read it. Because the guide is that detailed, and the world is that fully realized. And the game is just that awesome.
So fingers crossed for the birthday this year. But you know, even if that doesn’t work out? I still have a couple of weeks before summer to fire up the Amazon app and buy it on my own. And you can bet if it comes to that, I will.
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