The Checkpoint 10.27.08: The Return

Posted by John Curry on 10.27.2008

In the return of the notorious Checkpoint, John Curry explains why video games are recession and depression-proof -- they are a drug.



With the inevitable truth that not only is the United States economy in the midst of a recession, but the whole realm of industrialized countries are experiencing the largest global recession since the Great Depression of 1929, it has become more and more evident that technology has changed the make-up of what exactly qualifies as recession-proof. Up until about the last twenty-five years or so there were very few career fields that were deemed recession/depression proof, meaning that regardless of the economy these select few fields of endeavourer would thrive.





These careers were Medicine such as doctors and nurses, Education such as teachers, Law Enforcement such as the police and Fire Fighters. These jobs were and still are essentially protected from any economic downturn. However, I began to think the other day as I decided to do some late night shopping while I picked up my medicine at the local 24 hour neighborhood killing superstore that maybe the world of video game creation should be added to that list.


I stood there in awe as I watched a small crowd gather in this inner city superstore to purchase their copy of Fable II. So much of the world is suffering from the high costs of food, oil dependency, and everything else that enables our world to run, and yet these inner city lower class (of which I include myself) individuals are waiting to shell out sixty dollars on a little CD rather than saving it for something such as food or gas. Maybe it was the adult cynic in me to force me to ask myself should anyone be spending this kind of money on a game with the world the way it is but I realized at that moment that this is exactly the right time for people to buy a video game.





Video games are nothing more than an expensive, high-tech version of the "ancient" board games such as Monopoly or Scrabble. They are the retreat from the reality in which we live. They are the escape from the death, the politics, the violence, and everything else that we deal with in this world. They are the door to our one opportunity to come home from a bad day of work and put ourselves into a world where we can be everything that we want to be, everything we want to indulge in that is far beyond the world we live in can happen. It is our opportunity to be the hero in a world where we feel ignored. It is our chance to be the villain when we feel weak. It is the chance to be the athlete without the skills. In short it is our hallucinogenic drug that helps us escape reality. This is the reason video games are recession proof, they are our drugs.

In a world of addictions, the video game is the safest and most legal escape we have from the world we live in. There are no back alley meetings, no Cuban "Say hello to my leetle Friend" shoot outs over drops in weights. Aside from the World of Warcraft freaks who play for days on end (think South Park) there is really no serious health risk to playing video games.

There is nothing new about this world of addiction nor the world of leaving the reality for the more enjoyable one. During the Great Depression and Prohibition there was an increase in alcohol production and consumption, during the 60's it was hallucinogenic drugs and free love, in the 80's it was the music and new drugs such as crack. In the 90's my generation began to take over and become "addicted" to the more powerful drug of video games. Now in 2008 our addiction fuels the multibillion dollar gaming industry, and as we continue to allow technology to replace our sense of need for human interaction or the necessity to deal with reality.

In the end video games are the drug of our generation, followed by cell phones and text messaging. There is nothing that can be done about it and remember there is nothing that can happen that will put video games out of business. If you don't believe me look for the last major video game company to lay off workers due to the economy. If you find one let me know. So until next time, shame on you for being a video game addict. Oh and by the way, I have to go now so I can get in line for Fallout 3.