The Inner Feelings of Bissell- Extra Life: Why Video Games Matter

To most Americans, there was nothing more important on November 4th than watching the presidential race and wondering whether there will finally be a non-caucasion president. For Bissell, November 4th was also an important date, but not for the same reason as to why other Americans find that day important. On November 4th, 2008, the day when history was created, Bissell spent his time in front of his television, not watching President Obama's acceptance speech but playing with his newly released game Fallout 3.

Bissell's started off his chapter with a self-mocking anecdote about him playing Fallout 3 during election day. By providing us with his little story, it really provides readers an insight of not only what he thinks about America, but also the world as a whole, and his attitude towards life. Through Bissell's depressing use of words, I feel a bit of helplessness and sadness in him. He also stated that he was once depressed at Oblivion, or video games in general served as "an extra live," and he was "grateful to have it."

Oblivion took place in Rome, and even though there were skeletons and monsters he had to battle off, that was not the main part of the game that he enjoyed. What he found most entertaining was the participation of the Roman's daily lives. "Oblivion is less a game than a world that best rewards full citizenship, and for a while I lived there and claimed it." There is a possibility that the satisfaction that Bissell achieves from playing Oblivion cannot be attained through his daily life. "It also gave me something with which to fill my days other than piranhic self-hatred." He probably does not have a lot of close friends or is not satisfied with his current lifestyle.

Through video games, he extracts himself from the normal life that he has to live and it was like an escape route for him. He was also disgusted by the political situation in the states, or the world as a whole, that's why he was apathetic about the election. "Oblivion is about as satirical as a colonoscopy, and the fighting in the game, while not unviolent, is often weirdly inert."The producer of Oblivion is also the producer of Fallout 3. Fallout 3 was based in the States. He was saying how the video game is like a satire, which is a way of mocking politicians or political issues. Colonoscopy is a medical instrument used to look into a person's intestine. What he is trying to say is the video game Fallout 3, is showing the real image of America, and being violent is normal. He had also said that the video game takes place in a "Large and disinterestedly functioning world," which shows how he dreadful he feels about the world, since Fallout 3 is a futuristic replication of America.

There are many more examples of how Bissell feels about politics, America, and life, but it will be too much to list them all. Bissell is a pretty pessimistic person.