Lessons from an old video game.

I am happy to say that I have learned more about life from video games than I have ever learned in experience or school. I learned my morals from the Sims and Civilization multilayer, I learned war's horrors and man's folly in Crysis and Mass Effect 1 and 2. I learned that we as a civilization are only 200 years ahead of Rome, over 2000 years after its fall from a republic from Rome Total War. And I learned the wisdom of logic and common sense from Rise of Nations and Battle fields 2 Realism mod.

However, as any long term video gamer will tell you, there is nothing like rediscovering an ancient video game, and finding out you can still learn something from it.

For me, today that was Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. A video game from far long ago. Today, I was looking at some youtube clips, and I felt an eerie chill from it. For all you conspiracy buffs out there, check it our.

And while you watch, always remember:

These are made up quotes from made of leaders in a distant future

and

This is from the year 2000.



























































Food for thought. And before the last decade. Imagine that.

Thoughts?

There is the old saying that "life often imitates art", and there are some questionable works of art in the world these days.
Better yet though, is the idea that sometimes art imitates life, and that it does so with foreknowledge of what is to come.

It all adds to the interesting mix that keeps us here, and keeps it adventurous.

right? how cool would it be if video games were integrated into public education somehow?

our graduation rate would skyrocket


FWOOOOOOSSSHHHHHHH

I still enjoy PAC-MAN

reply to post by Zeta Reticulan


Pac-man taught us to never bite off more than we can chew...

reply to post by Sahrhyce


LOL.

Well I got to say. Any opinions on the videos themselves? I feel it's kind of odd how this one video game has much in connection to the world 10 years later than its own time.

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[edit on 4-7-2010 by Zeta Reticulan]

I agree that videogames can teach you quite a number of differnt things. However I'm really annoyed at the people who play Call Of Duty and then they think they know everything about guns.

reply to post by MyAwesomeFace


Or whats worse, when in games they shoot people with Middle Eastern appearances and then in their heads they have a reason to hate them outside of the game.

I'd never heard of this game looks really cool and creepy will definitely be getting a copy!

Anyone remember Jet Set Willy? It taught me that having a massive house makes it easier to lose all your stuff, and also that acid is bad news!

It was pretty much impossible!

Here's a guy completing it which I find highly suspicious;

www.youtube.com...

reply to post by Sahrhyce


Considering most video game players are the youth of the country, and most young people do not hate foreigners, I'd say your hypothesis is pretty null.

Excellent thread I have played all the games you mentioned and enjoyed them all thoroughly I have been playing games all my life. I have learned a lot from them just as you have. I can even remember taking what I've learned from historically accurate games and using that knowledge to help me in school. However I want to show you this video from e3 lemme know what you think, because this trailer is stirring as well. www.youtube.com...

reply to post by FearfulButInterested


Yea I could imagine that for the 2030s. I mean, it's pretty much true.

reply to post by Gorman91


Holy Crap this looks like a deep game! I've never heard of it before. I too am an old school gamer lol.

I'm going to have to get me a copy...you can tell the guys who wrote the game, were really deep thinkers trying to tell a message.

Blizzard comes up with some really deep plot lines that resemble global politics too. Well with StarCraft at least they do.

Eve Online also has a really cool original storyline and it's damn well close to actually being a complete corporate world of it's own complete with politics and everything. In Eve you can actually start your won corporal army and be it's CEO and stuff like that....it's truly and awesome game, by far one of the most coolest games on the net EVER! Too bad i'm poor and can't play it any more.

I only would fly minmatar ships by the way LOL, I just love the junk space pirate look. I wish they could use drones tho.



Now if watching this actual game play does not literally make you poop your pants...well nothing will.

reply to post by Izarith


A little off topic but, EVE online is amazing sad to hear you only like flying space junk though ;p. Gallente all the way my friend. I love that game it definitely treated me with years of fun, and recently got a free 5 day code in my email to see some new stuff its trying to bring me back in and its succeeding somewhat. hehe

reply to post by FearfulButInterested


Oh Yeah I was totally a Gallant, but I just only purchased Minmatar ships he he.

I got that free 5 day email too but did not even try it base I can barely afford my Internet and to feed my dogs at the moment. But boy is that a cool game.

Do you think there was any great esoteric truth in Pac Man?

Do you always master a game before attempting a new one?

Any you have given up on or gotton bored with before mastering?

Originally posted by Alethea
Do you think there was any great esoteric truth in Pac Man?

Pac-man was a tool of the pharmaceutical industry.

He and the misses could eat all they want and never gain a pound. They were on Diet drugs.. that's what the power pills were.

Video games can teach you a lot of things sometimes more then books I used to go through years were i did nothing but play games, then go work out so I don't lose my physical energy to all that playing, basically, job, play video games and then run and lift weights. Used to go through periods were all i did was online or a game basically for 3 days straight with barely any sleep. At one point even thought of getting in to the video game making industry but didn't because it takes to much time to make anything and it would take me away from playing games. I like games but I'm more of a physical guy I cant stand still for long, and now a days some games are really time consuming like eve or take a lot of practice like street fighter 4, especially when your fighting a dude in street fighter 4 who plays that game about 5 hours a day since the original street fighter came out on the snes in 1990, its ridiculous some of the techniques and time spent learning them thats involved in a game like that it's actually easier to fight in real life then the game, at least for me.

Originally posted by Alethea
Do you think there was any great esoteric truth in Pac Man?

Do you always master a game before attempting a new one?

Any you have given up on or gotton bored with before mastering?

I think everyone has given up. My main game i gave up on was ghost and goblins i think on c64 back when i was a kid.

On topic, yep i too keep meaning to play older games, i never play things like call of duty or any shooter, cannot stand them. Give me zelda any day over these games. I am sure there is plenty in zelda that is teaching us, like others.