A Penny's Worth of Thought: A concept of failure

A penny's worth of thoughts.  Just typing those words again brings back some memories.  I figure if I plan to continue with blogging again, what better way than what could arguably be the core part of why I started in the first place.  So, why with a subtitle involving failure?  Simply put, because it's a thought that my mind has had me thinking about most of this past week.

The origination of this particular thought process began last Friday, after viewing a video on youtube called "How Warframe Broke the Rules" on GameSpot's youtube channel, which I'll link at the bottom for reference.  In particular, it was near the end, when asking if they thought they would know when it would come time for Warframe to end.  My interpretation on the reaction was similar to how some people react when faced with a "What if" finale question, as you can almost watch her go from asking herself questions such as "Was it my/our fault?" and "Is there anything we could've done?" to spurting out an answer that almost sounds as much to convince herself as it was to answer the question.  It started my thoughts on why viewing things at an ending can almost have a negative connotation, and perhaps the idea of the failure in itself.

What's kept me from typing out my thoughts before now is, even as the words flowed, I couldn't help but get a sense that they were more than just familiar.  Possibly, that I would end up repeating something I had previously posted.  And then, as the catalyst question to myself, asking if they would be any less true simply because of the fact that I could be repeating myself, and then asking, truly, if it would feel like a failure if I did.

"Sometimes the idea of failure depends on the perspective you look at it from" the familiar sounding phrase would repeat to me multiple times, alongside various examples, ranging from gamers losing a game to a closing-in-on-30 person being asked why they don't have a boy/girlfriend and just shrugging because they aren't quite sure how to answer it in a meaningful way.  And then, to my surprise, I found a new stream of words that seemed to run parallel but not quite touch.  The concept of failure itself.  Because, even that can vary by perspective, and what seemed to be the added variable was time.

And so I begin with how gamers typically have a unique perspective on the concept: if they fail, they can just try again.  But, as watching a number of Mario Maker videos will tell you, the time invested into a level just to constantly catch that kaizo block, even if clearly marked, at the final jump can be disheartening, perhaps even lead some to give up and call it a failure.  Never mind the fact that I couldn't do possibly half of what they have done up to that point personally, showcasing that they clearly are better from the experience of doing similar stunts before, and yet calling it a failure still because that goal was never met.

This is where I believe the issue lies.  Yes, things can end, even with some considerable time put into them.  But to consider the ending a failure, to me, is devaluing the experience earned along the way.  Some goals are put just out of reach, forcing us to learn the proper timing of that final jump as a way of proving to ourselves that our experience was worth it.  But to say that if we miss, if we hit that stupid block one more time, that the experience is null?  I think that's just our minds defaulting to a state of negativity.  Similar to how a presider of a funeral will, at some point, ask if there are memories we would like to share.  Memories, not disappointments.  I feel they do so knowing our minds will trend to darkness, and that occasionally, we must force ourselves to see the light.

And here I go again, thinking I've dipped into the words I've said before.  Yet, with new context, and perhaps a new meaning.  And I ask myself again: does it mean less now than it did then?  I suppose you could say that it might just depend on who you ask.

Just a penny's worth of thoughts, for anyone willing to read them.

GameSpot: How Warframe Broke the Rules

September 17, 2011

So, my birthday today! I'll be honest, I completely forgot about the additional posts I was talking about last night, but on the flip side of that, I think I may have found a way to broadcast Gamer Thoughts.  Still working out some kinks, but I think I'm going to do it through Ustream.  I know that means advertisements could interrupt the broadcast, but the integration of not only facebook but also my youtube makes it a pretty good choice.  For those interested, I'll have a post up tomorrow for the first broadcast, just to see what people think, at probably around 6 or 7pm Central Standard (GMT -6) time.  If you guys like it, let me know, because if enough of you do, that could end up being the regular time for the broadcast.  See you then.

Gamer Thoughts episode 2

Finally got it uploaded.  Figured out I couldn't upload it directly, I have to go through Windows Movie Maker to post my videos on youtube, least the ones I record with Xfire.  Anyway, here's the episode.

August 13, 2011

It was good to see my uncle this morning and visit with family.  Helped a little on a front deck that my grandpa is building on my great grandpa's house.  I missed a few screws... but I swear they looked straight with the beam when I was putting them in.  My aunt and uncle from Oklahoma came up too, with one of my cousins.  Apparently he has glasses now.  I told him, "You know, you're suppose to move your eyes when your playing games right?"  Not that I can say much, myself, but I figured I'd give him a little bit of a hard time.  Also showed him a few tricks of mine in the Battle Factory on his Pokemon Platinum he brought.