# philosophy and video garmes another firm kill screen reject submitted by ur-ludonaut theodore miles - this time on philosophy and video garmes the task of philosophy - at least on paper - seems a comparatively unassuming low key activity. contrary to popular opinion rather than ponder big or deep questions about life and existence philosophy more simply asks what people mean by what they say and offers a critique of the ideas contained in and implied by ir words there's a sense that video garmes don't exactly need philosophy. that they're perfectly content to carry on as they are - and think they are - bleeping merrily to themselves. at least that's what they seem to tell us. it's often difficult to understand what they say or exactly how they say it to outsiders peering in with bemused sometimes concerned looks video garmes and the culture they express appear as a closed circuit of cryptic meanings and obscure intent an endless internal circulation of puzzling symbols and bizarre ritual largely indecipherable by those unable to speak the language - and speak it correctly this flashy language of bright lights and fast moving code is in part defined by the figure of the player. and since both the player and ir visual language of play appear to be undergoing rapid evolution into uncharted territory both are often difficult to make sense of. what is more certain is that as an expression of 21st century interactive art video garmes are definitely big business big fun; a serious personal pursuit for and communication of meaning for billions. (that is billions of dollars - and players) the true cultural significance and impact of garmes however is uncertain as the whole merry wheel is still in spin - especially when viewed as a significant cultural impact in themselves. consider play as something strange which smacks the brain with a vibrant unexpected immediacy. incredible forms leap in kaleidoscopic brilliance. grand digital vistas appear as if by magic so intense that players are swept away in raptures of boundless imaginative reverie. garmes today are like some frenzied mutating cross between a self replicating spiritual street drug and a virtual psychedelic religion all rolled into one vast electronic bliss-out at least that's what players appear to be experiencing. the conceptual borders defining garmes and play are fuzzy and contested often redrawn each time they appear (respawn) in player's daily lives however this modern language of play isn't just some abstract symbolic representation of the worlds of the player's imagination but an expression and manifestation of an entire reality players already live in - and yet often seem largely unaware of. when garmes are everywhere they become invisible pervasive and habitual. life forms. embedded in an ocean of data are often oblivious to the deep waters they swim and play in what philosophy can do in this odd situation is act like intelligent squid skilfully injecting a little critical ink into the smooth surface labyrinth of play. one is suddenly able to see the background against and through which one exists as a player. philosophy makes it easier to cognitively realize something about and reflect on the artificial nature of this exotic garme state termed "reality". suddenly a quiet gap opens providing critical space for thoughtful contemplation on a global fun industry that increasingly sounds like bad near future science fiction how people relate to one another and to ir world is being revolutionized in realtime as they play together. then there's also indie garmes and ir outsider view to consider often full of psychological nuance and alternative aesthetics. this new world of garmes is highly thought provoking beautiful often intimidating- and difficult to grasp as a whole some confusion exists over what might be considered a philosophical garme. not many garmes said to be philosophical might be. consider philosophy a meditative approach - more an attentive state of mind than some thing easily shoe-horned into creative projects sprinkled on like cerebral flavouring to add instant cultural weight and importance to otherwise standard consumer objects in the same way it takes skill to make and play garmes one needs a keen philosophical eye to interpret ir meanings and hidden potential - if any. while every garme designer has endless ideas about garmes the cultural notion that all garmes are or contain meaningful and important expressions of our unique (and troubled) human condition needs careful philosophical consideration as a central icon of play pac-man often appears philosophy important. the traditional garme of go is widely seen as philosophical. more recently jonathan blow's puzzle and island exploration garme the witness seems vaguely philosophical. croteam's the talos principle and david o'reilly's mountain might arguably express a little less philosophy than developers and reviewers believe exists neo the hero from the matrix movies was trapped in illusion but eventually escaped. or did ey? like neo maybe players also never left this hot neon grid of human cultural communication meaning and symbolism called garmes. they certainly don't seem to want to leave any time soon and in fact actively enjoy every moment spent in this vast artifice of play. when it comes to 'just playing around' humans really push the envelope. just like modern science garmes enjoy uninterrupted research and almost daily cutting edge development and innovation. one only has to glance at emerging virtual reality tech to see this unprecedented driving force of garmes as culture at work the future of play and garmes does in many ways feel wonderfully limitless. but to what exact ends via what means - and from what legendary beginnings - appears difficult to summarize. what is more certain however: that garmes are a now 24-7 we-never-close public laboratory(1) for the direct manipulation of spacetime energy in the service of play. a playful universe - a 'playverse' fully alive and even sentient with light and colour. a cosmic dance with no real winners or losers. or maybe just unreal ones another odd sense emerging from all this busy cultural activity is that somehow "everything's a garme" - and therefore nobody should take them (and-or life) seriously. for to do so would ruin ir special magic - or simply break the spell they cast. yet while everything may indeed be a playful garme the very idea of 'everything being a garme' is ironically a serious cultural notion - more an indirect injunction or implied obligation as much a playful invitation play all you want garmes-as-culture tell us. but smile while doing it. such precisely instructional posters already exist: "keep calm and play video garmes." it's your duty citizen to view garmes as mere escapism or culturally prescribed fun however forgets to question what precisely players escape from. garmes are not just another mindless human retreat from the state called (or state of) reality but maybe also the active construction of better ones. happier realities. this too seems the futuristic semi-unconscious promise or implication of video garmes as much a mass collective ideal as anything else garmes and players are becoming increasingly diverse and advanced. it's easy to get lost in here among the sights and noise. luckily philosophical players exist to examine the claims of garmes to knowledge - about themselves and anything else; ir endlessly playful multiplayer dream utopias 1 yes that does kinda sound like "public lavatory" robert what playfully roleplays an amateur postmodern philosopher / writer and conceptual artist from 'republic of bob' // republic of bob