The Cult of the Video Game

The floor shakes and deafening curses fill the air. Is this a scene straight out of war-torn Eastern Europe? No--the setting is Harvard's usually peaceful undergraduate common rooms. The cause is not bad grades or even upcoming midterms. It's much more important than that: procrastinating students are playing video games.

Although television is a popular form of mind-numbing entertainment for most of the real world, the notable lack of cable in Harvard's undergraduate dorms limits its use as a time-filling tool. But students have learned to make do with another form of entertainment. They have discovered that as wonderful as "Melrose Place," "The X-Files" and "Seinfeld" are, any good video game can provide much more variety.

Why do Harvard students play video games? Avid players cite procrastination as their chief reason for continual play. Chris R. Stackich '01 claims, "We play whenever we have work due." Playing consecutive games is easy--the press of a button resets the game--and getting off the couch can be difficult, especially when all that beckons is schoolwork.

Despite claims that video games are useful for venting stress of schoolwork, players were eager to talk about just how competitive the situation can become. They may stay non-physical, but, during gameplay, their emotions run high with tension and potential anger. One anonymous freshman, referring to his roommate, remembers that "the closest I've ever come to killing him was when he beat me at Red Alert." Similar sentiments are echoed by Wei Zhou '01, who emphasizes that "We want to beat the crap out of each other!"

The competition inherent in video games also contributes to the real-life hierarchy of players, battling to be alpha-male. Eli B. Richlin '01 boasts, "Being able to beat my roommate at a game of skill, such as `Red Alert' or `Madden' 98,' reinforces my superiority and my prominence in the pecking order." His roommate, Michael L. O'Byrne '01, can only defend himself by jibing, "[Winning at video games] is a means by which some can compensate for other inadequacies in their lives."

It is true that the entire lives of some students have become centered around these games. In one Yard dorm, video game players admit that the activity of their entryway revolves around their four brightly colored Nintendo 64 controllers. All of these students voice loud support for "Bond," their favorite game. (Note: The word "Bond" must be yelled.) In accordance with his obsession, Jamil K. Shamasdin hopes to redecorate his common room with "Bond chairs...to serve as thrones for our pasttime." "Bond chairs" are something like airport chairs with an attached table--but the unique furniture piece is impossible to describe perfectly to anyone who does not share Shamasdin's passion.

This group is not the only one whose subculture revolves around the entertainment center. The residents of one suite in Hurlbut note that video game playing is an occasional bonding experience. James R. Blake '01 recalls a day when "All six of us were here [playing]. We all had papers or problem sets due the next day, and we still stayed up until 3 a.m. playing." What was the magical glue that could hold a group of six together for an entire day? Stackich responds with the cry, "`Resident Evil II' is the hottest game out!"

Though the participants in these games seem to enjoy themselves, not all students are members of the video game cult.

Most complaints came from neighbors of the raucous players. Kelly P. Mauceri '01 comments, "It's like a disease. The guys are obsessed with the thing." Ciara A. Dockery '01 adds that the players are "loud and scream obnoxiously." Dockery also expresses discontent about being consistently snubbed. She claims "They only let me play when they don't have a fourth player."

Even the gamers sometimes turn a critical eye on themselves. One frequent player of "Mario Kart" received a bad report from his fellow video gaming roommate, Christopher R. Leighton '01. "His life has turned to hell; his sleep pattern is destroyed," says Leighton of his roommates. "He doesn't hang out with his friends anymore. They think he plays video games too much."

Whether video game enthusiasts play too much or just when they have an important term paper due, at any given time, someone is sure to be starting "just one more game, I swear!" So join the world of video gaming--if you can manage to wrestle away a controller.