Rights and Privileges

I do hate it when people confuse their Rights with things that they are merely fortunate to have. For instance, almost all of us have met people who treat driving as a Right, God-given to them at the age of 16. No matter what they do they feel that, as a Right, it should never be taken from them. Inevitably they are some of the worst drivers because they have little respect for the rules and less concern for others' rights. They are also the loudest to complain when they feel their "Rights" have been violated, even when they have erred. These people have confused Right with Privilege.

So, have you read the Gamer's Bill of Rights? (Edge Magazine, RSS'd via Boing Boing)

Here was my reactions, as they occured:

• Yeah.
• Okay.
• I get that.
• That sure would be nice.
• Wait...
• We need a "Bill of Rights" for this?
• Are these even "Rights"?
• Oh Dear.

The last one was the realization that this can only lead to masses of people, most with blogs or forum accounts, decrying many current business policies, often to employees who have no control over them. The sense of entitlement that having a list like this in existence creates far exceeds the sense of entitlement that most gamers already posses. I can already see the pointing of digits, and a wailing of voices; "Remove the DRM", they cry, "Free the games!"

It is not that I disagree. Far from it. DRM is hurting many industries, computer gaming included. Poor advertising practices, and truth-bending always lead to frustration and outrage. Things that are hidden and dubious (be it agendas or programs) will always be outed, and never in a positive light. But claiming any of these standards as a Right is dangerous.

As with any service you buy or good you acquire, you enter into an agreement with the other side. Terms are typically laid out beforehand, and the agreements are typically binding. There are rules for these sorts of things, and people pay good money to go to school for many years to learn them. We merely participate in the shallow end of this pool. Our terms are set by (often) unwritten agreements and common practice or precedent. You pay $$$ for a disc (or download) with the contents of several years worth of labour. Some support is provided, and you often are required to prove you purchased a legitimate copy via some means provided by the vendor. These are the terms; that doesn't mean you have to accept them. You can refuse to buy/play/accept any games that you feel treat you unjustly or unfairly.

Declaring Rights for ourselves in an attempt to protect our pocketbooks and sensibilities from ruthless and shady dealings provides no solution. There is no recourse for companies who violate these "Rights" (unless they stray into Legal ground), and the solutions have and will continue to be the same as with anyone who deals badly in commerce. Out them as poor parties to trade with. Boycott and protest. Show their dealings for what they are and encourage people to become educated about the ways they may be duped.

These so-called Rights are no bad guideline, and define a (perhaps) ideal measuring stick for which producers and developers can hold them selves against. They are a tool, and little more.

We need to be careful what we call a Right, lest we lose the privilege of declaring them.

Another Year Gone

Today I reached a milestone. At least if you count certain values as having greater significance than others, or hold to some belief that change initiates itself upon a schedule. I don't, too often. Big round numbers attract me like anyone else, but I love the small randomness of life far more. Regardless, today I reached one of those rare numerical accomplishments that gets you teased and joked at.

I'm Twenty-Five today. Apparently I'm old now.

I've also apparently hit my introspective cycle. I usually get one or two a year, and they come on at odd times. Usually near the end of winter and the cusp of fall. The first few months of the year were very hectic, however, and I did not have the chance to reflect on things as the world warmed. I'm doing it now, despite efforts to avoid it.

You can tell by the way I'm writing. I tend to get bombastic and florid when I go introspective. I can't seem to help it.

But enough, lolly-gagging about. I old enough to look back on my accomplishments to-date and start to see some good and some noteworthiness take shape from my life so far. And what have I done in 9100+ days upon this earth?

I have found love. I have known some loss. I have set down roots of my own. I have built the foundations of a family. I have thought many silly ideas. Some I've written down for later.

My brother reminded me today that life is about living. About experiencing the things of the world. About growing and learning by pushing at our limits and our comforts. In the past year I have done some of that, but perhaps less than I could have.

But I'm not one for resolutions: I break them far too easily. Even promises to you, dear reader, would fall aside too quickly to be of lasting value. I can only hope to do better in the future. Take the chances that I'm given. Say yes more than no. Perhaps I will. After all, at Twenty-Five I still have a lot more living I can do.

Toys

Did you know that there are still people complaining about Wii Sports? And half the mini-game based games for the Wii. These rants and screeds usually devolve into complaints about the game graphics, or lack of depth, or even the control scheme. Some even go so far as to claim the Wii has no real staying power because the games released so far have been targeted casual gamers. But Wii Sports (and Wii Play) aren't games: they're toys. And because they are toys, they are perfect for getting people interested.

This post started in my head as a series of complaints against Wii Sports and Wii Play. I am a gamer, and I do seek more depth to the games that I play. These two titles are the mental equivalent of those ball-bearing spatial puzzles. I can play with them for a little while, but they become boring and repetitive. They lack even the mental addiction of having achievements and awards to collect. They are McDonalds(tm) Happy(tm) Meal(tm) toys and Cereal Box Boardgames. There is the potential for a a lot of interesting gameplay, but these games are not intended to provide it.

I would love to see well visioned golf game using a similar control to Wii Sports. Or a fully developed tennis game, or bowling tournament game (build and manage your bowling alley, while developing your bowling skills for online tournament play!). You could do more sports - like hockey, skiing, curling - and add levels of training, competing, and online play to flesh out the games into serious amounts of play. I'd love to see a full billiards simulation with multiple games/rules, trick-shot challenges, online play, and serious tournament handling. All of these ideas could even still use the Miis for avatars, just make the games deeper.

But Nintendo didn't want to the first games that new players encountered to be games of depth. Or real games at all. The best way to hook the uninitiated isn't to swamp them with detail, it's to give them a toy. What is the first game you are going to give to your non-gamer aunt to play: Twilight Princess or Wii Sports? The game that takes hours to play, or the toy that she can play with for hours? How about your uncle who loves sports, but hasn't touched a game since Pong? Would you dump him into an advanced golf or tennis game where you need to play tournaments and learn advanced skills, or would Wii Sports be the very first thing he plays and then the other sports games later?

Nintendo knew that the way into people's homes was to create something that everyone could play, and that everyone would play. Hook them by removing the mental barriers that the video game community has built around itself. Nintendo knew that toys have a much lower mental threshold than games do. So the first things you encounter when you buy a Wii are toys. If you get hooked, you'll look for more depth on your own.

I originally thought that Wii Sports was just a glorified tech demo. Something packaged with the system to show off what would be possible, and how to use the new controls. I was wrong. Wii Sports comes with the system so that you can show it to everyone you know, gamer or not, and they can play. It comes with the system so that the grandmother who buys the system already has the first toy, no video game store confusion. It comes with the system because it is the gateway to gaming: toy play.

Now Nintendo just has to get the real games to the waiting public. What's the hold up Nintendo? That's another post.

Confused and Slightly Intrigued

I know that this blog is not widely read. Or at least I knew that last week.

I know that I'm not that important. I'm hard to Google. I also know that I don't check very often, I'm not that narcissistic. Seaching "Ghosts in the Game" does find this blog. Searching my common username "GameGhost" pulls up at least couple of hits that are me (the Experimental Gameplay Project, and a wildly out of date profile on the Great Games Experiment). Searching my name is an act of futility and more likely to turn up the town of Duncan, BC than anyone of my likeness.

I know that a few people read my blog (hi Dad!), because I get occasional comments. I've even been cross linked from a few blogs that I read regularly and comment on (I really should update my links section sometime this year). But I honestly don't promote this site. I don't really have the time or desire. Most of what I post here isn't for mass consumption, it's for me. I certainly don't blog with any expectation of readership or, heaven forfend, monetary gain. I don't pay for this site, I don't host adds, I put very little in but my time, and I get very little out again but the satisfaction of a post well written.

And yet, and not for the first time in the past few months, I've been sent solicitations about my gaming website. Often these e-mails are looking for free linkage and promotion for their site or game. I'm stingy, and selective (and lazy) so these are easily discarded. Once or twice it was a group blog looking for new members. I can't keep a schedule for this blog, so there would be little chance of helping out on another. But now I've gotten what appears to be an offer for a review copy of a game. Based on my website.

Now, firstly, I did some checking - yes, it seems legit. But what part of the e-mail is just a blanket missive and what part is actual appreciation of my writings here? Is there any way to tell?

I guess I'm just at a loss here of what to think. It's ego-stroking to hope that I've made enough of an impact with my occasional mental meanderings that I've attracted attention. It is far more likely that a general search of game bloggers has simply turned up my blog and e-mail alongside hundreds and thousands of others. It would be nice to be able to do reviews without the $60 hit to my wallet. It would be interesting to get the chance to analyze up and coming titles, and look behind the scenes of games in production. But I'm no game journalist, and this site (as far as I know) has no mainstream impact. Is there a point?

The idea of it is nice, but the reality is that I don't have the mindset to make this simple blog more than it is: a place for me to put forth my ideas to a small group of peers. At least, not yet.

But maybe I should look into setting up some site analysis anyway.