Boys Nintendon't Cry

Snide Remarks #598

"Boys Nintendon't Cry"

by Eric D. Snider

Published on October 27, 2008

When the video-game-based film "Max Payne" was released last week, a critic named Roger Moore said on Rotten Tomatoes that it "suffers from the heartlessness that makes games emotionally inferior to movies. Nobody ever shed a tear over a video-game character's death." Naturally, this led to several dozen people posting angry comments talking about the times that they did, in fact, cry over the death of a video-game character. This reinforces the truism that no matter how ridiculous something is, there will always be someone who has not only done it, but is proud to admit it.

I shouldn't mock, though. I've certainly had my share of emotional experiences with video games. I was a wreck the first time Pac-Man got eaten by that ghost. I cried myself to sleep when a car ran over my Frogger. And I still get a little misty-eyed every time I see an Italian plumber harassed by a turtle.

No, sorry, I was kidding before when I said I shouldn't mock. Of course I should mock. I'm pretty sure the guys who flooded Rotten Tomatoes with angry repudiations of Moore's assertion were the same guys -- it's always guys -- who had Internet aneurysms back in July when some critics had the nerve not to like the Batman movie. And if you can't make fun of people like that, then whom can you make fun of? (Besides people who say "whom," I mean.)

When Moore said that "nobody ever shed a tear over a video-game character's death," someone called "powerslayer67" responded, "This man obviously has never played Metal Gear Solid 4." I suspect that is true. But is powerslayer67 saying that if Moore HAD played Metal Gear Solid 4, he definitely WOULD have cried? Is that the effect Metal Gear Solid 4 typically has on people? Is Metal Gear Solid 4 the "Steel Magnolias" of video games? I was going to read up on Metal Gear Solid 4 to see if I could find an answer, but I noticed that the game's entry at Wikipedia is longer than the entry on Shakespeare's "Macbeth," and I figured that if the game warranted more discussion and analysis than one of the greatest works of theater ever written, then it's probably every bit as emotionally potent as powerslayer67 says it is.

Other correspondents writing sweatily from their dorm rooms and parents' basements offered these examples:

"FF7: Crisis Core is another example of a game that really made you feel connected with the characters. Both games in the Chrono series. Someone already mentioned Shadows of the Colossus."

"I think one of the most emotional parts in any game that I played was towards the end of Final Fantasy X, when you play back Yuna's message to the group. Half-Life 2, Ep. 2, another great one."

"At the end of GTA IV when Niko says he feels empty inside....i teared up."

"FF10 had one of the most emotional endings ever for a game, Bioshock comes to mind, FFVII comes to mind, MGS4 comes to mind, Lost Odyssey, Mass Effect."

"Ever played Half-Life 2: Episode Two?"

"Play Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time or Ico and tell me there's no emotional heft there."

Or this one:

"It pains me to see individuals so ignorant as yourself, Mr. Moore."

The author during a recent game of Rock Band. Possibly of interest to those who know the author but have not seen him lately: The author currently wears a beard.

That's probably literally true. I mean, if you can be made to weep bitter tears over the death of a video-game character, you probably feel real pain when a stranger on the Internet disagrees with you, too. At this point I have to wonder, what DOESN'T cause you emotional pain?

And my personal favorite response:

"I have only cried twice over the course of my adult life. Once for real life emotional reasons, the other over the death of a videogame character at the conclusion of Final Fantasy X, never over a film. My personal experiences alone disprove your statement, and consequently your integrity as a film reviewer."

What is probably hard for the film critic Mr. Moore to understand is that video games have gotten a lot more complex than the ones he played in his youth. This is where I'm blocked, too. I don't play video games anymore. I'm not intimately familiar with Final Fantasy or Half-Life, and I'm certainly not sophisticated enough to appreciate Metal Gear Solid 4. I mean, I can barely understand "Macbeth"! Is it possible that these games, with their complicated plots and characters, really do offer an emotional connection? Or is it that you're bound to grow attached to ANYTHING that you spend a hundred hours working on, especially if you do it instead of developing mature relationships with other human beings?

The only way to find out would be to play one of these games myself. And that's exactly what I decided to do!

* * *

Before changing my mind and deciding it wasn't worth it, I mean.

The author, still bearded, continues to play Rock Band, this time while being photographed from an artistic angle.

My relationship with video games began with the Atari 2600 in the early 1980s and more or less ended with Nintendo in the early 1990s. I've recently had occasion to play Rock Band, however, and that can be pretty fun. If you're not familiar, Rock Band is a game which allows you to spend many hours practicing a fake instrument without the burden of developing any actual musical skills. There's a plastic guitar that has five different colored buttons on it, and whichever color appears on the screen, you press that button on your guitar, and it causes the game to play music. It is an excellent game for teaching people how to recognize different colors and press buttons that correspond to those colors. Don't think it's super-easy and that even a mouse in a laboratory can be taught to press a sequence of buttons in order to procure food, though! Sometimes in Rock Band you have to press the buttons really fast.

Musicians are often frustrated playing Rock Band because, as it turns out, being able to play a real instrument is of no use in the game. The only thing that helps is having a sense of rhythm and timing, which I do, not to brag or anything. I favor the drums in Rock Band for that reason, and also because the drums are an instrument that you can play sitting down, and also because I don't get much opportunity in my regular life to hit things with sticks.

Still, Rock Band isn't a normal video game because no one dies in it, and there's not a plot or story, which means there's no reason to cry when it's over. It's no Donkey Kong, in other words. The death of Bambi's mother does nothing for me, but that little man getting smashed with a barrel thrown by a monkey? Forget it.

Notes:

Yes, Roger Moore is also the name of one of the actors who used to play James Bond. I'm sure the movie critic Roger Moore is very tired of hearing jokes about it, which is why I didn't make any. That, and I couldn't find a place in the column to do it.

For more on the fanboy uprising against Batman-dissing critics, see this and this.

Alternate titles for this column: "Tears of Joystick," "While My Avatar Gently Weeps," "The Crying Games."

Photos were taken by my friend Cody Gunn, whose birthday was being celebrated via Rock Band.

SnideCast intro: "Pac-Man Fever," by Buckner & Garcia; outro: "Mario Twins," by Group X.

This item has 61 comments

The Real Brandon says:
October 27, 2008 at 10:10 am
Yes, I'm a nerd...and yes, I've been emotionally touched by a video game. But not the inappropriate kind of touching, mind you.
OMAllen says:
October 27, 2008 at 10:50 am
Maybe Moore meant to say that no one ever cried at the movie death of a video game character. It sounds like more effort is put into making the video game then their cheap movie spin-offs.
Marc says:
October 27, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Eric, that was awesome, I have had friends that have admitted that they cried at certain parts of Final Fantasy VII.

But beware the wrath of the video game nerd, what you should do(if you haven't already done this), is post this column and the link to your site on the forums at Gamefaqs, Ign, gamespot,etc,. Then just kick back and wait for the hatemail and angry comments to arrive. I promise that you'll have enough material to do angry letter columns for the next 12 years.
David says:
October 27, 2008 at 1:01 pm
I really wish you'd gone with the "Avatar Gently Weeps" title. Ah, well. Still a great column. I have a roommate and his average bedtime is around 4 AM because of his gaming addiction. I think he's quit going to school all together because of it. Work? Games are more fun. Church? If he needs to give his eyes a rest from the games. It's something I have a really hard time relating to.
Lowdogg says:
October 27, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Way to go with the beard.
Speeding Slowly says:
October 27, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Haha, ah yes.

I've never actually been brought to tears by a video game, but I do recall getting rather emotionally attached to some of the characters in the Final Fantasy (VII-X) when I first played them. I'm not sure why, actually... but I did. To be honest I still enjoy playing through them from time to time.

And the ending to Half-life 2 was a pretty big downer, but, um...life goes on- unless you're Eli Vance.

Dang, I have a pretty demented sense of humor early in the morning.
Speeding Slowly says:
October 27, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Oh yea, um, spoiler alert. Hehe.
Heli says:
October 27, 2008 at 2:25 pm
The potential title gem you missed is "While my plastic guitar that has five different colored buttons on it gently weeps." But that's a little cumbersome, I'll admit.
Marc says:
October 27, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Darn you, Speeding Slowly! That spoiler alert was too little, too late. I'm actually in Anticitizen One zone on my first play-through of Half-Life 2, so you really did spoil part of the ending. I'll try not to hate you forever.
Zombiekim says:
October 27, 2008 at 2:44 pm
"Boys Nintendon't Cry"

Brilliant title.
Lane says:
October 27, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Delightful. I'd be curious to see what your video-game-playing brother has to say about this. I know he enjoys the Metal Gear games.
Dave the Slave says:
October 27, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Nice Artsy-fartsy upgrade to the site, Eric!

Great column, I believe it just might be my new favorite. I'm totally going to send around a link to all the guys here at my studio, I'm pretty sure none will leave angry comments, but we DO work on the Guitar Hero games, which, as every gamer knows, are the bitter rivals of the Rock Band games. :-P
Jessie says:
October 27, 2008 at 3:17 pm
I once heard about a couple that went to the bishop because they had both quit their jobs to play video games full-time. No, they didn’t want help giving up their addiction – they wanted Church assistance to help them buy groceries and pay rent. I read that on the internet, and EVERYTHING on the internet is true, so you should believe it.
Randy Tayler says:
October 27, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Having been an avid PC gamer all my life, I must say I find it strange that anyone could be moved emotionally by a game. Now, I've been moved emotionally when I LOST a game -- "That scum! We said no zerg rush!" -- but the death of a character in a story-based game? Nada.

Now, turn on a movie of sufficient emotionality, and the waterworks open right up. I'm like Pavlov's dog with some movies -- I can pretty much cry start to finish through "It's a Wonderful Life" now, even though the catharsis isn't until the very end.

And don't get me started on one-legged dogs named "Li'l Brudder". (http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail109.html)
Dave The Beardless says:
October 27, 2008 at 3:32 pm
I've never teared up over a video game, but I was brought to tears by the beard.
Eric Herman says:
October 27, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Can there be a Final Fantasy 10?? Apparently, the first 9 weren't very "final"...
Dave the Slave says:
October 27, 2008 at 4:02 pm
15- so THATS what Final Fantasy means! Its a fantasy that the game is in any way final. Final fantasy.

I'd been wondering about that ever since the very first Final Fantasy on the NES.
Dan says:
October 27, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Playing a good story driven game is like reading a good book. It takes about the same ammount of time to get through, and you can get just as emotionally invested in the characters as you can with any other story. I always had a problem with some video-game deaths, however. Most games have some way to bring the characters back to life when they die, yet in games like FF7 they just happened to run out of Fenix Down when ol' spoiler alert dies. As for Metal Gear, that game has the most inane plot ever contrived. People mistake complexity for quality on that one.
peptidefarmer says:
October 27, 2008 at 4:37 pm
@ Marc: Sorry dude, Half-Life 2: Episode Two has been out for over a year - the statute of limitations on spoilers has run.

Also, the ending of Bioshock almost made me cry. Almost.
Hyrum says:
October 27, 2008 at 4:57 pm
I've never gotten emotionally about a video game. Ever. I think the reason probably is that whenever a story element tries to creep its way onto my screen, I hit whatever button (or mash all the buttons if I can't figure out which one it is) that advances the plot a little bit faster than I can follow it until the game gets back to the part where I get to shoot stuff (or dodge barrels, whatever makes sense for the game in question).

But the real problem with the world is well highlighted by this question. Too many people assume that they way they react to something is the only way that makes sense. A movie critic who claims that video games don't make people emotional is as dumb as the video gamer who questions that movie critics movie analyzing skillz because the video gamer cried once in his life.

Nice beard, Eric.
MattP says:
October 27, 2008 at 5:50 pm
I've never been moved to tears by a game, but I don't see any reason to suspect that there is anything intrinsic to the medium that precludes it. A lot of games tell stories these days and I do think it's the story that matters, not the medium by which its conveyed. The primary obstacle to profundity in video games is, I think, that few people involved in the process of producing a game put a sufficiently high priority on the story.

When you watch a movie or read a book, the story is very important. If the story sucks, no one wants to go to your movie or read your book.(generally) At the very least a craptacular story will drop the critical reviews of a movie even if the special effects draw a large audience who doesn't care.

With a video game the story can completely blow, but with sufficiently sophisticated graphics and a compelling game mechanic it won't really hurt your bottom line OR the reviews.
mommy says:
October 27, 2008 at 5:56 pm
i love the way to judge by measuring the length of the wikipedia entry. Fabulous debate tactic.
Angus McFarland says:
October 27, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Great article. Love the beard.
Russ says:
October 27, 2008 at 8:45 pm
I've never cried over a video game. There have been a few RPGs that I was emotionally attached too. A little.

Video games come up far short of movies and TV shows in the emotional department though. The video game always has to have gameplay, you see. And gameplay has to have difficulty, depth, and logical rules to follow. It becomes a major focus of the game, and overshadows emotional attachment to characters.

Basically "Screw the dialog, I need to beat this level/boss!!!!"

I get far more attached emotionally to very good movies/anime/manga/TV shows.
Mari says:
October 27, 2008 at 8:59 pm
The beard totally works for you.

I have cried over video games, but I was kid, and I was crying mostly over my inability to play them proficiently than the lame story elements.
Chrissy says:
October 27, 2008 at 9:04 pm
That. is. so. sad.

People actually cry over video games?

I would not know. I don't play video games, nor do I intend to start after reading this column. Poor, poor emotionally stunted individuals.
Tashina says:
October 27, 2008 at 9:30 pm
I'm loving the beard.
Momma Snider says:
October 27, 2008 at 11:30 pm
You have a beard????
Sanjay says:
October 27, 2008 at 11:49 pm
I agree that in order for videogames to be recognized as an art, one of the major hurdles is creating an emotional response that brings forth tears. What I don't agree with is discarding another person's valid feelings just because one doesn't personally like or understand the medium.

Narration is narration, whether it's in a film, novel, graphic novel, or game. If the quality of the narration is capable of evoking certain emotional responses from the readers (yes, you can actually read film and games) then those responses are valid and that's what makes these kinds of things "Art". Narrative quality is definitely something that needs to be improved upon in the gaming world, but the potential for great stories is there.

I usually don't have deep emotional responses to the games that I play, but I can say the same thing about a lot of the movies that I watch. What we need in the games industry are more of the games that are truly capable of moving people emotionally. There will continue to be people that won't cry over "Half-Life 4", but there will also be those that don't cry over "Romantic Comedy of the Year 2017" or "Explosive Movie of the Year 2009". Hopefully things can evolve to a point where games can offer more than simple amusement, and people from all parties can share mutual respect for the emotional involvement that they take from their Art and Entertainment forms of choice.
David Manning says:
October 28, 2008 at 12:27 am
Yes, videogames have made me cry before. No, I am not going to froth at the mouth and start writing angry letters just because someone jokingly calls me a basement-dwelling nerd for having done so. Simply put, I have come to accept that many people belonging to generations older than my own never had a chance to see, after they outgrew gaming, how emotionally and artistically complex videogames have become (well, the good ones.)

Fifteen years ago, videogaming was a "kid's" thing. Nowadays, it's considered a hobby of kids and immature adults. (And believe me, a lot of the adults who play videogames really ARE immature. But not all of them.)

There's nothing wrong with people from older generations thinking that videogaming is an unproductive, albeit harmless, phase that a boy will eventually grow out of. A lot of REALLY old people get away with being racially insensitive, simply because they're from a different time period, and they don't understand the way things are now.

As for the kind of people who read something like this and then immediately post vitriolic, poorly-spelled rants on message boards--well, there's always going to be a fraction of people who make a specific group look bad, no matter what. (See the woman advocating McCain a few blog posts back.)

In conclusion, I didn't find this column funny because it was written with an attitude that I find outdated and cannot get behind. A negative stereotype exists that gamers are shallow people who are easily provoked into a tirade. Unfortunately, I have to believe that this stereotype exists because there really ARE a lot of people who fit that description, as is the case with most stereotypes. I didn't fail to laugh at this article because it struck close to home; rather, I failed to laugh at this article, and subsequently wondered why I didn't find it funny. As I pieced everything together, I ended up writing this.

By the way, I did get a kick out of the part about "Rock Band." I never understood how the people I go to school with can play it all day and not get bored; it always looked to me like a new-and-improved version of "Simon."
Kaydria says:
October 28, 2008 at 1:03 am
I cried in elementary school when my dad died on the Oregon Trail.
Carrie says:
October 28, 2008 at 2:04 am
The only reason I've cried over a video game was when my mom took it away from me for being TOO INVESTED IN A VIDEO GAME when I was 11. It's the only reason to cry over a video game in my book.
Michael says:
October 28, 2008 at 2:11 am
Am I the only one here who thinks Half-Life 2: Episode Two is a funny name?
Savvy Veteran says:
October 28, 2008 at 3:53 am
Various mediums, and the items within them that have made me cry (horrendously worded sentence)--

Movies: About Schmidt
Books: Where the Red Fern Grows
TV: The Larry Sanders Show (I know, I know. But in the last episode, when he says "You may now flip" I tear up every time)
Video Games: ...[crickets chirp]
Eric's Brother Chris says:
October 28, 2008 at 4:19 am
I cried at the end of Final Fantasy X-2. But not because somebody died, no, it was pretty much the opposite. You see, after investing around 70 hours on Final Fantasy X, then nearly as long on Final Fantasy X-2, Tidus and Yuna finally get to be together at the end! Sorry for any spoilers!

Eric, you're not the only nerd in our family......
matt says:
October 28, 2008 at 5:02 am
Okay, I play a lot of video games, but I can't stand for all of this defense.

Most video games really are still for kids and immature adults. The "mature" titles are regularly crass, sexually exploitative, gratuitously violent, and filled with junior-high-level humor. There are exceptions, but very few.

I'd post some extremely silly videos from Metal Gear Solid 4 here if I wanted to waste more time, but those who are defending it probably saw them. And either forgot they existed or have rationalized them into oblivion.

Here's one, though: http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=metal+gear+solid+4%2C+poop&emb=0&aq=f#

For those who don't want to bother (and I understand) the scene depicts a character, in a barrel, pooping. He gets discovered, poops in his pants, and then runs away with his pants down.

Yeah. Real mature.
Ampersand says:
October 28, 2008 at 5:05 am
I, too, am quite fond of the title "While My Avatar Gently Weeps."

My limited experience with video games, which consists of having a ghetto SuperNintendo when I was a kid and hanging out with a bunch of XBox-obsessed guys in college, leads me to believe that video games are enjoyable more because of the technical skill it takes to master them rather than the story behind them. And Dan, it takes as long to play a game as it does to read a book? Really? Maybe I'm just a fast reader (actually, I am) and have terrible hand-eye coordination (actually, I do), but it takes me much less time to read a book than master a video game. In three hours, I can either read a 200-page book or maybe figure out how to change weapons in Halo.
Clumpy says:
October 28, 2008 at 6:26 am
Mainstream games are rarely truly emotional. But a game's interactivity often helps you to bond with a character or identify with a situation in ways that you can't with any other medium. Anyone who's played Ico, Cave Story or Beyond Good and Evil should recognize a game's ability to pull the ol' heartstrings. A good game can be contemplative, subtle and emotive, and take the time to develop a story that a film can't possibly manage in two hours.

The problem comes with balancing gameplay and interactivity. Many game designers are stuck in the school of thought that story can only be told through awkward cutscenes, which do a lot to bury games in with other "crass" media in people's minds. I don't blame you for thinking the way you do - most games, like most movies or television shows, follow the same rules as their counterparts and don't do much to advance the (mostly potential) art. Additionally, most critics and writers like Eric are children of previous generations of games, which are basically from the "get from point A to point B while everything tries to kill you" school of game design. A few (but not a lot) of modern games break this mold, and a few do it with heart to spare.
osrevad says:
October 28, 2008 at 6:49 am
I just wanted to compliment you on your "nerdy voice" impersonations.
Fig says:
October 28, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Beards are hot.
Susquatch says:
October 28, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Okay, as a big fan of both movies and video games I feel I must briefly speak on this matter, and it's best I do so here, since I'm above posting on RottenTomatoes and I'm a regular reader of Eric's anyway.

I've personally never cried over a video game, but then again I've never cried over a movie either, so it's a moot point. I agree, though, that games have evolved to the point that they can be just as emotionally engaging as movies. It doesn't happen often, of course, as most video game stories are utterly negligible, but every once in a while you get a game with a story that is not only cinematic and moving, but represents the level of storytelling to which films could never reach. That probably sounds silly to anyone who doesn't know much about modern games, but I suggest that the next time a film critic makes such a comment about a medium he doesn't understand, one of these angry fanboys hold him at gunpoint and force him to play Mass Effect.

(That of course is directed at people like Ebert and Moore, and not Eric, who's obviously attacking games for the purpose of humor.)
joe says:
October 28, 2008 at 6:38 pm
since when did it become acceptable to bash a story or narrative simply because of it's medium?

oh wait, I remember now, isn't this what happened to comic books way back in the day? y'know how they were only for immature men who had no friends and played D&D by himself in his parents basement because he didn't have any friends and couldn't make it in the real world. Hey, even the first comic book movies were really bad and most people thought that anyone who cried over a comic book was a "Poor, poor emotionally stunted individuals."

You could go this way over any medium, how can someone cry over a bunch of moving pictures on a screen? or over a book? does it really matter how the story and characters are conveyed to a person? seems pretty ignorant to me

of course, most games still are somewhat immature but it is by no means the totality, there are many that some could consider "art", I guess that's why the Library of Congress is starting to catalog video games for future use and study, go ahead and google it, I implore you

If the last video game experience you had was back in the nintendo days I would recommend you take another look at how far the industry has come in the last decade, after all video game companies make more money than Hollywood now, and the average gamer is in their mid-30s, after all we can't have an industry bigger than Hollywood be supported by a bunch of teenagers' allowances since alot of games now have production costs going into the hundreds of millions

Movies generally top out at 2-3 hours, a book can be finished depending on the speed of the reader, a "decent" game nowadays generally runs a minimum of 20 hours and those are the non-online ones mind you. Character and plot development can become far deeper than you could have imagined, the chrono series, xenogears, and the star ocean series have stories that rival ulysses in scope and complexity, star ocean 2 in particular has over 80 possible endings depending on the decisions you make and it came out in 1998.

so forgive us, we're sorry that we get involved in our make believe characters and plots, we're sorry that we have to actually interact with our characters and become involved in their world and become attached to them instead of just sitting and watching everything happening without us having to do anything

oh wait, we're not sorry at all, if you can't bother to at least educate yourself about something then don't bother criticizing it or you'll just look like an idiot
Thomas R. says:
October 28, 2008 at 11:04 pm
"have stories that rival ulysses in scope and complexity,"

But I can almost guarantee that none of them get anywhere near the scope and complexity of "Finnegan's Wake".
Pumpkin says:
October 29, 2008 at 12:17 am
Some people have truly unhealthy addictions to videogames, and they're probably the ones who cry when characters die. I actually had a co-worker whose husband was so obsessed with World of Warcraft that when she told him to decide between her and the game, he chose the game. I laughed really hard when I heard that story.
Clumpy says:
October 29, 2008 at 4:21 am
Ugh. . . I avoid games like World of Warcraft - games with just enough of a risk/reward mechanism to keep your playing up at the level of an unhealthy obsession.
Stinger503 says:
October 29, 2008 at 5:36 am
Okay I confess! It only happened once and it was during Metal Gear Solid 2 when Emma dies. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7jOuDbFE9o

Are you happy now?
Steve S. says:
October 29, 2008 at 7:14 am
Eric grew a beard...and plays the drums in Rock Band!? Eric is now my hero! (Of course, he's been my hero since I started reading Snide Remarks my freshman year at BYU.)
Rob D. says:
October 29, 2008 at 10:03 am
I'm not sure if this counts, but I remember crying when I played "Strip Poker" for the Commodore 64. After many hours, I finally won and got her naked. I figured we would have some fun but the game ended and she put her clothes back on. I thought we had a connection.
Nelson says:
October 29, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Have none of you played Iko? (I think that's how it's spelt)

I cried like a baby at the end of that game, but the whole thing was beautiful. I think it was the sweetness of the ending, and the song...

Yeah, I'm a big baby...LOL
Clumpy says:
October 29, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Shadow of the Colossus did some similar stuff to Ico, though it covered different emotional ground. It's kind of interesting that they added some ambiguity to the rightness of killing those giant rampaging creatures.
John Doe says:
October 30, 2008 at 3:46 am
Can't say I've ever cried over a video game. Can't say I've ever cried over a movie either. I've been sad because of both. It's funny to me that both are fake/fictitious stories portrayed by being lying/faking (called acting). One is considered art, so it's ok, even expected, that you will feel moved by it. This, despite all the crappy movies that come out all the time, I'm still supposed to take the medium seriously. Part of me says that Eric sounds like those cranky 80 year-old folks who complain about how dumb movies are and how dumb people are who care about them. Another part of me thinks that part of me is dumb. So I'm split on that issue.

Mostly, I'm just sad because these last few Snide Remarks haven't been that funny. The fact that I care so much about a WEBSITE, now that's really sad :D
pizzatheface says:
October 31, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Your mother didn't know you had a beard?

...looks to me like your hair is falling from your head and firmly reattaching to your face (and maybe back).
pizzatheface says:
October 31, 2008 at 4:18 pm
I think it shows an emotional maturity for someone to connect with a digitally produced video game character, with whom they have developed a relationship; having not only witnessed their heroic actions, but indeed, performed them vicariously, thereby putting them in a position to not only empathize, but sympathize with their character. If this leads to tears for the death of said character, so much the better for the player's emotional development. That being said, I proudly admit having the depth of human feeling insomuch that I, too, have shed tears over the loss of one such friend, and am proud to claim such maturity.

...Unlike that nerd, Russ, on #24 who cries over anime and manga! Grow up, would you? You're not like me!
Savvy Veteran says:
November 1, 2008 at 5:55 am
I would just like to say that I feel the exact opposite of John Doe (#51). These last few Snide Remarks, particularly the five most current, have been terrific.

Also: I don't know any 80-year old individuals, cranky or otherwise, that complain about people being emotionally tied to movies (now, rock and roll music, that's a different story). The genre has grown and flourished during their lifetime, and most people of that age are fans of cinema, or at the very least have come to accept it as a legitimate art form.

joe (#42) said: "oh wait, I remember now, isn't this what happened to comic books way back in the day? y'know how they were only for immature men who had no friends and played D&D by himself in his parents basement because he didn't have any friends and couldn't make it in the real world."

Sorry to break it to you Joe, but I'm not really sure if this perception has changed all that much...
Emily says:
November 6, 2008 at 2:08 am
Holy Cow! Some people have way to much time on their hands or haven't taken their medication! Ha!
AuntieKaren says:
November 6, 2008 at 4:49 am
Beard: excellent.

I admit to video games having made me cry, many times. But that's because I have a son who is so obsessed (addicted?) to WoW that he rarely leaves his room at Grandma's house (formerly my basement)-- he is almost always either playing or asleep. He does not have a job. He does not get out and interact with others very much. He is old enough to have graduated from college by now, but has not done anything since HS (except for 20 months when he worked, and played WoW the rest of the time).

He is missing out on real life, and I don't know how to pull him back. He says he's happy and doesn't have a problem.

But the Snide Remarks made me laugh anyhow. And the beard rocks.
Lance Harris says:
November 7, 2008 at 1:01 am
powerslayer67 should actually be taken very seriously. He seems to speak for at least 66 other people.
Nick says:
November 7, 2008 at 7:45 am
Ive been sad at the death of a video game character but never went as far as crying....but yeah, FF7 had a moment where i felt kind bad for a certain chars death. But these days alot of games have some complex stories that can get you attached to the characters. On the other hand there is still alot of really **** games out there with nothing like that :P
Blank Frank says:
November 12, 2008 at 10:43 pm
I don't cry over the death of video game characters, but I do feel bad about picking the "rude" conversation choices in RPGs.
Anon says:
January 31, 2009 at 8:33 pm
I personally cried at Max Payne, the game. The presentation of the murder of Payne's family, and the subsequent dream sequence and drug-induced hallucinatory scene in which this event was re-enacted were, to me, touching and evocative.
Jonathan says:
December 3, 2009 at 2:00 am
Guy who self-admittedly knows nothing about video games deigns to comment upon people's reactions to video games! Makes perfect sense!

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Eric D. Snider