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Just as a post to look as updated as possible, everything has been completed and revised. Enjoy!

Gaming Narrative

As suggested by the class, I have decided to give a hard look at what may be the only game I've had a chance to play in the last few years: Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption. In my limited opinion, it's a triumph of gaming, and in my opinion, it's also an engaging piece of literature, if you will.

A quick summary of this game will tell you that through a first person narrative, John Marston (above) is being shadowed and used by a corrupt government holding his family hostage. He is tasked with finding and killing his former gang members who left him for dead before the game itself actually takes place. It's a simple anarchist sort of set-up, making an enemy out of the controlling forerunners of society; in this case, the FBI. On the opposing hand, the outlaws you're chasing down are also in the wrong, choosing to kill anyone who gets in their way with no expense. After some while, when travelling through Mexico, Marston gets caught up in both sides of an ongoing war. Throughout the game, you have the ability to sway Marston to commit good deeds and bad ones, earning him a reputation dependent on such. Both will have their consequences, and both their rewards. In this sense, both concerning the main plot and your own choices, Rockstar pressures the player to ultimately take a neutral standpoint, which seems to be what their other games preach (which would be the Grand Theft Auto series). There is no right, there is no wrong, but there is always senseless killing.

As an experience, you are more or less forced to look through Marston's lens. His dialogue suggests fairly contemporary thinking, though it's a game based in 1911. He views women as his complete equals, he seems to be realistic about his situation and about the world in which he inhabits, and he cares very much for his family's well-being, rather than himself, and he defends people of other ethnicities and religion. In this sense, he's written as a fairly 21st century man in an early 20th century setting. This anachronism allows us to relate to a character who agrees with a more standardized modern politic.

The game borrows heavily from biblical themes and titles, and makes as many references as it can without getting lost on the player. As a piece of literature, the language is heavily researched and applied to the time the game is placed in. Questions of ethics and morality are common themes, and on a less philosophical level, we watch the world go from the old west to brick buildings and early automobiles, and we can see changes in culture, dialect, and clothing with the transition. Details like the whooping cough and people getting off their wagons or horses to take a leak near a rock are not lost on the developers.

Through the lens of media theory, it IS a truly immersive game, retaining much of its popularity though it was released over a year ago. With multiplayer titles on the rise, this game is no exception, and invites people from around the globe to explore the west together, an aspect that sucks many people in for months at a time. One guy even wrote a song about how he wishes he were Marston in the real world. Very strange, but the artist's emotional experience is less than unique.

One can only wonder what is next in the world of gaming and immersion, but this is a very interesting piece as it is.

Service Learning

Combined (above) are the 6 most effective and useful images, courtesy of the students at the Broach School. They are scenario cards that, in my thesis/board game, a player may draw after rolling. Each card represents our poor decision making, as well as the effect of life getting in the way of our trivial quest for success. Now, on with the experience!

A trip to the Broach School in Bradenton. This was an exciting project. In relation to my thesis, I was able to discuss with some of the kids a portion of what I like to consider the travesties of the human condition. I initially asked a choice few students to seriously think about their preconceptions of two kinds of people: the homeless and the criminal. They drew portraits and mugshots (respectively) of both, and I've posted my favorite examples of both. After that, I asked them to talk about any of their experiences with either, and we all discussed what does and does not constitute both. The subject of guns came up, and one particular kid gave me his take on them, being that both he and his dad enjoy going off to ranges an firing them for sport. This came up after another student drew his criminal character with a gun, and we manage to resolve that those who own guns aren't necessarily bad people at all (though we all agreed that anyone carrying a gun in the open probably does not have the best intentions).

With the homeless portraits, they all seemed interested in drawing beards and beers in tow, and we had a further discussion about how anyone can be homeless, and not necessarily be a drunk or a beard wearer, though limited provisions do push a number of obvious suspects to have a problem with both. After a few laughs, I had them all collaborate on a piece that built on itself as it went from student to student: a house that tragically catches fire. Together, they enjoyed watching the piece develop, and encourage each other to add certain details here and there (you'll notice how the fire in sai picture sways one way outside, but is static inside; very cool). My aim was not to show them that the world is a cruel and senseless place, but to explain that though life can be cruel at times, that it's all just a small part of something bigger. After this point, paper ran low, and I had them draw each other as well as still lives, and we concluded with another student's 'drawing with light' project by the time actual drawing got to be a bit exhausting (I walked out with some fifteen pieces from a shifting four to five students).

These kids were great. Completely engaged, interested in what I had to say, and interested in teaching me a bit about their own lives, and their own perspectives. It was nice talking about some of the cartoons I grew up watching, seeing that they were still running and popular with modern youth (I do feel so old some times) and it was a wholly gratifying experience having a group of strangers help me with my own thesis. Should I ever get to do this again, I think I'll try to bring more paper. They all seemed to love to draw, and although none of them wanted to pursue their individual talents as a profession, they all spoke about enjoying it as a lasting hobby. Art is a great connection between any group of people, so long as they can find a happy medium, and ours was exploring what we think we know. As with any venture in life, I learned a lot from them, and I only hope I managed to leave something behind.