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The Player Is and Is Not the Character
Jill Duffy writes "GameCareerGuide has posted an intellectual article about video games which argues there is no such thing as 'breaking the fourth wall' in games. Written by Matthew Weise, a lead game designer for the Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab, the article considers the complex relationship between video game players and characters. Weise says that, unlike in theater and film, video games don't ever really break the fourth wall, as it were, because in games, there is no wall. Players are always tethered to the technology, and the player is always just as much the main character as not the main character. Weise looks at both modern experimental games, like Mirror's Edge, as well as old classics, like Sonic the Hedgehog, to defend his point. He writes, 'Both avatars and the technological devices we use to control them are never simply in one reality. They are inherently liminal entities, contributing to a mindset that we, as players, exist in two realities at once. It's just as natural for a player to say, "I defeated that boss," as it is to say, "Snake defeated that boss," since Snake is and is not the player at the same time. It is likewise natural for a player to say, "I punched an enemy soldier," when in reality, she punched no one. All she did was press a button.'"
It all started when our hyphen-happy protagonist, Jenifahr, woke up in a haunted thicket. It was the eighth time it had happened. Feeling abnormally frustrated, Jenifahr backhanded a gerbil, thinking it would make her feel better (but as usual, it did not). Before anyone could take off their pants, she realized that her beloved vagina was missing! Immediately she called her parole officer, Alyssa. Jenifahr had known Alyssa for (plus or minus) 153 years, the majority of which were erotic ones. Alyssa was unique. She was charismatic though sometimes a little... slutty. Jenifahr called her anyway, for the situation was urgent.
Alyssa picked up to a very angry Jenifahr. Alyssa calmly assured her that most disease-carrying chipmunks shudder before mating, yet legless puppies usually charismatically sigh *after* mating. She had no idea what that meant; she was only concerned with distracting Jenifahr. Why was Alyssa trying to distract Jenifahr? Because she had snuck out from Jenifahr's with the vagina only two days prior. It was a flamboyant little vagina... how could she resist?
It didn't take long before Jenifahr got back to the subject at hand: her vagina. Alyssa belched. Reluctantly, Alyssa invited her over, assuring her they'd find the vagina. Jenifahr grabbed her George Foreman grill and disembarked immediately. After hanging up the phone, Alyssa realized that she was in trouble. She had to find a place to hide the vagina and she had to do it randomly. She figured that if Jenifahr took the time machine, she had take at least four minutes before Jenifahr would get there. But if she took the DeLorean? Then Alyssa would be really screwed.
Before she could come up with any reasonable ideas, Alyssa was interrupted by eight ejaculating flying penises that were lured by her vagina. Alyssa yawned; 'Not again', she thought. Feeling relieved, she skillfully reached for her ripened avocado and thoughtfully attacked every last one of them. Apparently this was an adequate deterrent--the discouraged critters began to scurry back toward the haunted thicket, squealing with discontent. She exhaled with relief. That's when she heard the DeLorean rolling up. It was Jenifahr.
As she pulled up, she felt a sense of urgency. She had had to make an unscheduled stop at Egg Roll King to pick up a 12-pack of live hand grenades, so she knew she was running late. With a inept leap, Jenifahr was out of the DeLorean and went surreptitiously jaunting toward Alyssa's front door. Meanwhile inside, Alyssa was panicking. Not thinking, she tossed the vagina into a box of bananas and then slid the box behind her time machine. Alyssa was relieved but at least the vagina was concealed. The doorbell rang.
'Come in,' Alyssa erotically purred. With a careful push, Jenifahr opened the door. 'Sorry for being late, but I was being chased by some funny-smelling coke fiend in a neighborhood-terrorizing crotch rocket,' she lied. 'It's fine,' Alyssa assured her. Jenifahr took a seat ridiculously far from where Alyssa had hidden the vagina. Alyssa sighed trying unsuccessfully to hide her nervousness. 'Uhh, can I get you anything?' she blurted. But Jenifahr was distracted. A few freaknasty minutes later, Alyssa noticed a insensitive look on Jenifahr's face. Jenifahr slowly opened her mouth to speak.
'...What's that smell?'
Alyssa felt a stabbing pain in her ear when Jenifahr asked this. In a moment of disbelief, she realized that she had hidden the vagina right by her oscillating fan. 'Wh-what? I don't smell anything..!' A lie. A pestering look started to form on Jenifahr's face. She turned to notice a box that seemed clearly out of place. 'Th-th-those are just my grandma's ripened avocados from when she used to have pet disease-carrying chipmunks. She, uh...dropped 'em by here earlier'. Jenifahr nodded with fake acknowledgement...then, before Alyssa could react, Jenifahr thoughtfully lunged toward the box and opened it. The vagina was plainly in view.
Jenifahr stared at Alyssa for what what must'
Is that why you shove legos up your asshole?