@mikehockbourns said:
none? really? I mean if you're a true gamer I find that hard to believe. Metal Gear Solid was pretty deep and meaningful with the whole nuclear weapons will be the death of us all theme.
I don't really care about those labels, 'true' or 'gamer'. I like playing videogames, I like reading about them in the media and I like discussing them (and their broader context). I do have to admit that videogames have only been a serious hobby for about three years (serious as in: not just playing them, but also reading and talking about them). Before that I simply played a lot, but often only a few games. I've never had a console or a handheld in my life. I can count the console and handheld games I've played on one hand. I do like to keep up with all features and coverage on all platforms, though. If a game is interesting, it's interesting, regardless of whether or not I'm going to play it.
Anyway, the reason I'm a bit hesitant is because I'm not entirely sure how I should interpret 'deep' and 'meaningful'. If the terms mean something like 'made you think about bigger issues, changed your view of the world, etc.', then no, no game has done that. Games are often (NOT always) too similar and superficial in their narratives to be that impacting on my world views and ideas. Sure, some games might raise interesting topics (Spec Ops: The Line comes to mind), but so far no game has made any deep and meaningful impression. At least, not in that sense. That doesn't mean I can't see how they could be deep and meaningful. For example, a lot of post-apocalypse videogames touch on human nature in crisis situations. GTA games have a very impactful way of confronting you with questionable (US/western) values, ideals and obsessions. But well, I do not think there was ever a game that made me think: 'huh, never thought about it like that' or 'wow, that's an interesting viewpoint.' Maybe movies, documentaries and books simply jumped the gun on that one during my youth and teens.
If the terms mean something like 'moving, emotional, etc.', then of course, that has happened from time to time (I mentioned some games in my previous post). Videogames can move you in similar ways a movie does, if the characters are likable and the story is engaging.
If the terms mean something like 'had an impact on your life as far as entertainment can do that', then yes, I can also name a few. I played Age of Empires 2 to death when I was in primary school. I liked how the game was related to real history, not some fantasy world, and I remember repeatedly reading the additional information about the different civilizations. It was an interesting way to learn about medieval history. MOHAA was the first shooter I played (I wasn't allowed to play videogames that were too violent during my youth). As a kid I was curious about WWII and being able to play in settings I had seen in Saving Private Ryan was amazing. And I thought the music was great (I still listen to it from time to time). But again, while awesome and memorable experiences, I wouldn't call them 'deep' or 'meaningful' in the sense that they contributed to how I view the world or made me think about things in a different light. At least, not in a significant way.
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