I was and always a voracious gamer. For me, video games greatly helped me learning English and channeling my negative emotion. Many people would not believe when I said I acquire my English through Sony Play Station. Cannot really blame them, since people always thought that games are just trivial things such as soccer, racing, or shooting games.
They just haven't unearthed a precious jewel called RPG. Since my enlightenment moment of RPG, I have become a devoted disciple in the school of RPG. They became my inspiration of writing stories, developing my imagination, and further sharpening my creative writing. And no, this is not a boastful hyperbole. Final Fantasy, Legend of Dragoon, Chrono Trigger, Tales series, you name the titles and there are big possibilities that I had them at least for couple of hours.
Entering Children's Literature for the first time, I was super excited to hear that games are considered as texts for children. Therefore, games are eligible objects to research and study in my field. A blissful heaven, I thought. Being able to study something that I always enjoy? What more can I ask??? The researches will be really interesting and enjoyable, won't they?
Every journal article about game analysis has been downloaded to my HDD. Every book about gaming theory has beautifully decorated my shelves. Add those with the analysis of hero and fairy tales, the framework of narrative and text, plus post-structuralism. If only I was not limited by the gaming library I could reach in Cambridge, the topic for my thesis would be something related to gaming. Thankfully, the piracy-free Cambridge has purged away that (foolish?) idea. Instead, I turned to comic books (which might be equally foolish for some people).
Thesis was finally submitted, things were packed, and I got back to my home country. Out of all the thesis writing and library lurking, what could be more relaxing than grabbing the joystick and starting my very own adventure in gaming world. At least that was my innocent thought.
As I played Star Ocean, my mind was not relaxing. When Millie's father departed to Caulle and got petrified, suddenly my brain started to vibrate. This must be Campbell's 'Death of the Father'. At the same times, reading Roddick's mum's comment on Roddick's father led me to the same result. "Of course Roddick's father should be dead. Without it, there won't be an adventure!"
Wait, what? I was supposed to relax, yet I start analysing things. All the reading of books and article finally paid off. They have been internalized in my mind and came out during my gaming moment. Not a relaxation I got, but the game forced my mind to think HARDER and analyse. C to the R to the A to the P!
Now I blame education for ruining my pleasure!!!!!
