Game Brain: End of Line

By Brian Diefenbach
Western Herald

Well kids, it’s been real.

Last year’s farewell Game Brain was a bit sentimental, so I’ll do my best to tone things down.

That’s hard to do, since Game Brain’s run in the Western Herald is ended for good.

Pending an infuriating loophole in Western Michigan University’s academic requirements, I plan on graduating this summer.

It’s like T.S. Eliot said about things ending: not with a bang, but with a whimper.

Like my college career, my involvement with the Western Herald and the Game Brain column are quietly coming to an end.

I can’t claim to have had any lasting impact on the fabric of WMU student existence these past two years. At most, I hope I’ve provided a distraction for you while you waited for class.

All the fond memories will be mine, I’m sure. A lot of really cool video game-related things have happened and will continue to happen at WMU.

My video game design class, a short-lived venture by the School of Communication, didn’t make an expert designer out of me. Rather, I gained a new appreciation for the difficult, complex work that goes into making video games, all for the purpose of entertaining people.

And entertain they do.

My fondest memories are from the Video Games Live concert that came to Kalamazoo last spring. Having the chance to see a full orchestra and light show recreate music from your favorite games is an opportunity that no gamer should miss.

If you didn’t make it to the show last year, you can hope and pray it comes back to Kalamazoo. Otherwise, you’ll have to road trip it over to nearest venue (probably out of state).

Miller Auditorium was gracious enough to give me tickets to the show. I gladly would have paid full price anyway. It was well worth it.

For the majority of Game Brain’s run, things were pretty quiet. I did my best to stay fresh and original every week and to write critically, but not be a critic. I intentionally avoided writing reviews of every new game I played; you can easily find that on the Internet.

In a way, Game Brain was always handicapped by a couple of factors. First, I’m not a journalist. I didn’t set out to do research and interviews with every column, though I did on occasion (my interview with video game music composer Tommy Tallarico, for instance).

Engaging in college full-time while keeping a job on the side is a tough gig; I know I’m preaching to the choir on this. Not only was I limited on how much time I could spend on a column, I also had little chance to actually play games.

This past semester has been especially hard on my gaming habit. I harbor no illusions on this – college was my full-time job. Video games were only entertainment.

If I had to decide between a new game or textbooks, I went with the textbooks.

It all boils down to responsibility and “gaming with intelligence.” As much as I’d like to spend 40 hours a week playing games, I have a life to live. The games aren’t going anywhere; my life, on the other hand, never seems to stand still.

I’m at a point in my gaming life where I can really savor and enjoy games for more than just cheap thrills.

I can admire the level design, or the production values, or form relationships with other adults over online play.

On the other hand, my time spent playing games has been slowly leeching away, replaced by all the responsible adult things I have to do to function in society. My bills won’t wait until I finish the level.

I always chuckle when my Xbox Live friends have to leave a game to attend to their spouse or children. That could easily be me in a few years, which is both exciting and terrifying to contemplate.

I remember C.S. Lewis saying something about how the adult mind is in greater need of fantasy than a child’s. I wholeheartedly agree. Sometimes, the little slice of escapism we get from video games is all we need to keep ourselves going back to the daily grind.

I guess I’m an adult in mind and a child at heart. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I can’t pretend that Game Brain has been an engaging dialogue or anything so profound. I’m just grateful for the chance to write about video games. Sometimes, we all need to put our thoughts and feelings out there, and have someone listen.

You’ve all been great listeners. I hope you’ll keep the dream alive and be a voice for intelligent gaming wherever life takes you.

In the meantime… this is where I get off.

—Brian Diefenbach, a columnist and copy editor for the Western Herald, is a senior majoring in graphic and print science.

Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=16965

Posted by HeraldAdmin on Apr 21 2010. Filed under A & E, Weekend Scene. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Cody Kimball
Web Manager: I'm a Communication Student at WMU, a SCUBA Diver, Boater, Ordained Minister, Notary Public, Web Designer, Film Maker, DJ, and of course a Journalist. Born and raised in Port Huron, MI and a graduate of SC4. http://www.codykimball.com