A few decades ago the masses believed video games were a waste of time for lackadaisical youths to pacify themselves while ignoring their responsibilities as both kids and young adults. As more and more people started understanding the benefits of gaming so too did the perception of what a video game is and, most importantly, the benefits gaming can bestow on a person’s life changed.
Hi, my name is James Bullock and I am a gamer who has spent the better part of his existence testing the laws of physics, exploring the vastness of a world ruined, and been a champion inside various arenas courtesy of digitized worlds both driven by reality and created through pure unbelievable ingenuity unlike anything seen by human eyes. And as a gamer I’ve discovered something else video games provide: life lessons. Today I examine a game built on the idea of someone attaining the “American Dream”, “Grand Theft Auto 4”.
Chasing the American Dream (“Grand Theft Auto IV”)
The idea behind the lauded “American Dream’ has become a powerful force in changing the lives of both citizens and immigrants. Rockstar Games looked to show gamers around the world just what the “American Dream” means to people outside of the United States by making a war veteran from Eastern Europe named Niko Bellic the central character of “Grand Theft Auto IV”. Bellic, with the help of his cousin Roman, finally makes it to the States after spending his time after the war as a smuggler and trafficker run by a Russian crime lord. After an oceanic voyage goes terrible wrong and he’s forced to hide, Niko finally accepts the offer from his cousin to come to the United States; specifically Liberty City.
But running away from his problems aren’t the sole reason as to why Niko comes to L.C. Beyond searching for someone who did him wrong prior to leaving for America prior to Niko, Bellic is convinced to make a life change by moving across the Atlantic because his cousin was, according to Roman, “living the ‘American Dream’,” featuring lots of money, beautiful women, a sports car, and, of course, a mansion to house it all. When Niko arrives he finds out his cousin is lying; but it doesn’t stop the newest known resident of Liberty City from trying to achieve his version of the “American Dream” – simplistic life where Niko can make an honest living. Though Niko’s route to making his dreams come true are not the most honorable, the reason for his actions is the basis of American society: hope for a better life for you & yours (while constantly being insulted by your superiors).
Mini-Lesson: Be a Good Friend
We’ve all been there – as a kid or teenager you encounter that one person who just gets you; an individual that eventually becomes your best friend. But then age, distance, and life in general breaks the bonds of close friendship that once seemed so easy to retain until one day that person class you out of the blue to catch up. You make time out of your schedule, get a bite to eat, talk old times and agree that you two won’t let so much time slip by before you see each other again. A few days later you get a text with a simple request, “Hey, you wanna go bowling?” You haven’t tried to knock down some pins in a while, so why not? The day is fun and eventually becomes another story in the long list of ones you two will remember & retell for years to come.
Then something unexpected happens: your friend gets stuck in a loop of only wanting to bowl. No explainable reason, just the fact that the only activity your friend wants to participate in is bowling. After five trips across town, the game has lost its luster; your friend is becoming an annoyance and you don’t have the heart to say something. Eventually you stop responding to the texts anytime you see the word “bowling” and, sadly, your friend gets gunned down at their wedding. Okay, maybe that last part is an extreme example; but the truth is everything before the wedding murder is exactly what Niko has to go through during his time paling around with his cousin Roman. Unfortunately, players don’t have the chance to perform a bowling intervention with Roman and find themselves constantly annoyed by the barrage of text messages. Don’t be like Roman and annoy the ones you care about by being an unadventurous companion. And don’t be like Niko by screening & ignoring your friends just to avoid telling them you are sick of bowling or any other activity that has gone from fun to boring.
Have you learned any major life lessons from playing “Grand Theft Auto IV.” or any video game for that matter? Leave them in the comments below and, as always, thanks for reading.