What Is Reality?Are we not gamers?by Ian Shoales The militant Hezbollah group has put "Special Force" on the shelves, a video game that pits a guerrilla — armed with a knife, a pistol, hand grenades, and a Kalashnikov assault rifle — against Israeli soldiers operating from fortified positions in southern Lebanon. It's not exactly the type of game that offers hope for world peace. The first 8,000 copies sold out in a week. The game isn't in the same league as "Quake," but it sells pretty well considering the extremist niche market. Some Jewish groups (naturally) have objected to the game, which allows "Palestinians to target Israeli soldiers and settlers," according to the Associated Press. Buyers, however, claim that "Special Force" and games like it are no different from Western games such as "Conflict: Desert Storm," which adopted the 1991 Gulf War as its milieu. Point taken, although I can understand the objections. Shoales, Ian ShoalesOn the other hand, myself having been James Bond (through the miracle of Nintendo), and having mowed down Russian soldiers and terrorists by the hundreds, I swear I've never felt the least desire to duplicate this activity in the real world. Likewise, those who play "Quake" or equivalent gore-fest games probably don't seek out real-life zombies, werewolves, or aliens, unless they're totally delusional. Even if we wish to act on our revenge fantasies, we'd have to stop playing video games long enough to do it. Thank goodness they're addictive! Time spent on harmless compulsive behavior is time not spent on destructive compulsive behavior. That's my theory anyway. Hasta la vista, PhoebeEarlier this year, a different game was unveiled, a marriage of "Quake" and the sitcom "Friends." Joseph DeLappe, artist and professor at the University of Nevada, gathered five other players for an online experience in which, according to The New York Times, Monica was "mowed down and Chandler chopped in half," virtually. However, "actors who die can, at the click of a button, return to the virtual stage and continue delivering their lines." This concept isn't just a random bit of cultural criticism, although the Internet is full of such bizarre whimsy, cheesy Flash-animated games where you can shoot celebrities you love to hate. No, this is art. DeLappe says he created the interactive combo because both "Friends" and "Quake" are totally fake. Our Times reporter chimed in: "Both 'Quake' and 'Friends' take place within tightly defined universes. The action on 'Friends' rarely occurs outside the characters' apartments or the cafe, while 'Quake' shoot-outs are confined to their computer-generated environments." So: Television shows use sets, and video games take place in video game worlds. What a shock. I'm glad we have a free press to provide these valuable insights. I don't like to think about television shows and video games intruding upon real life, because that's not only the premise of an amazing number of terrible movies, it happens all the time. War, relationships: They're just video games or stories without the cameras, coding, scripts, and happy endings. Worse, we can't reboot, change the channel, or power up. The most we can expect from real life is a soggy 10-dollar bill in the washer. It's a thrill, but not the same as double-clicking on a virtual machine gun in the bushes, is it? On second thought — thank goodness. Ian Shoales lives in San Francisco, where an obsession with "Command and Conquer" has often interfered with his ability to earn a living.
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