Spring Break
Til 'Game Over' do us part?
Fernando Dutra
Issue date: 2/17/09 Section: Focus
The concept of marriage in video games isn't anything new - it's happened in "Metal Gear Solid 4" - though it's always been a somewhat awkward affair. Though millions go to gob up the concept at the movie theaters, as seen by the recent "Bride Wars," this is somewhat lost when it makes the transition to the digital world. Maybe it requires a suspension of belief beyond what people are capable of. Maybe it just isn't pulled off correctly. One thing is certain: it doesn't match what industries are capable of pulling off. So what happens when the digital mixes with reality?
Since the advent of the massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG), internet proposals have become standard fare. Every other week, there appears to be someone else who is getting hitched online, or spouting about finding their life partner after an intimate and intense game of "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" or "Halo 3." This has been happening since "Phantasy Star Online," and continues with "Final Fantasy XI" and "World of Warcraft." Yet these announcements are always met with a bizarre attitude, given the hardcore gaming community that is usually associated with these games. Given the overwhelming male fan base for these games, people usually ask before congratulating, "Are you sure it's a girl you just proposed to?"
As video games become more mainstream, so too does this process. Now, instead of picturing sweaty, subterranean, red-eyed moles proposing to one another, proposals are coming from "LittleBigPlanet" (LBP), a faux two-dimensional platformer for the PlayStation 3. Using the in-game level creation tools, the fiancé made a level that proposed to his then-girlfriend. This is why Nintendo has friend codes - they don't need this sort of activity in their games. What makes LBP distinct from the others is that it was marketed for the mainstream audience. This arguably dispels the preconceived idea people may have of the couple. "Viva Piñata," another casual, more family-friendly game for the Xbox 360, also had an in-game marriage proposal. This all wouldn't have been possible without "Second Life," a virtual world simulator. The PS3's Home application will probably further this tradition - as soon as it stops being a dull place.
Since the advent of the massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG), internet proposals have become standard fare. Every other week, there appears to be someone else who is getting hitched online, or spouting about finding their life partner after an intimate and intense game of "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" or "Halo 3." This has been happening since "Phantasy Star Online," and continues with "Final Fantasy XI" and "World of Warcraft." Yet these announcements are always met with a bizarre attitude, given the hardcore gaming community that is usually associated with these games. Given the overwhelming male fan base for these games, people usually ask before congratulating, "Are you sure it's a girl you just proposed to?"
As video games become more mainstream, so too does this process. Now, instead of picturing sweaty, subterranean, red-eyed moles proposing to one another, proposals are coming from "LittleBigPlanet" (LBP), a faux two-dimensional platformer for the PlayStation 3. Using the in-game level creation tools, the fiancé made a level that proposed to his then-girlfriend. This is why Nintendo has friend codes - they don't need this sort of activity in their games. What makes LBP distinct from the others is that it was marketed for the mainstream audience. This arguably dispels the preconceived idea people may have of the couple. "Viva Piñata," another casual, more family-friendly game for the Xbox 360, also had an in-game marriage proposal. This all wouldn't have been possible without "Second Life," a virtual world simulator. The PS3's Home application will probably further this tradition - as soon as it stops being a dull place.
Be the first to comment on this story