A Better Realm of Understanding

[SageRuffin]

The question is simple: have you played a game based on a something that triggered a new appreciation for it?

I'll start with an example: Jet Set Radio and Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure. The former showed the appeal of graffiti as an art (and fundamental element of hip-hop culture ), while the latter actually described the surprising complexity of drawing graffiti and making it not look like a huge mess. Long story short, JSR/F got me into graffiti as a whole, and Marc Ecko's Getting Up got me into actually trying it myself.

What are some of your experiences? ^.^

 

[onewheeled]

I know this is gonna sound really cheesy, but DJ Hero gave me a chance to appreciate a lot of different kinds of music I never really gave a chance.

I'd always seen hip-hop as boring, repetitive, inappropriate music that just sucked, but some of the mixes in the game just opened my eyes to the good stuff. Same with electronic/techno music, now it's one of my favorite genres.

The only thing it didn't do is make me like rap. I mean, that entire Jay-Z playlist was just horrible.

 

[NeedAUserName]

As much as I enjoyed Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure (and believe me I do, its one of my favorite PS2 games), you can't for a moment say it portrays graffiti as a complex skill, you just spray a wall with one can, if you did that in real life you would just be repainting the wall.

 

[x0ny]

Back in 1995, I went to the library to look for books on nukes. This was shortly after playing a C&C:Red Alert skirmish... with 56K modems.

 

[Zhukov]

Not really.

Although Bioshock got me to go and find out what Ayn Rand's Objectivism was all about. Does that count?

 

[SageRuffin]

As much as I enjoyed Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure (and believe me I do, its one of my favorite PS2 games), you can't for a moment say it portrays graffiti as a complex skill, you just spray a wall with one can, if you did that in real life you would just be repainting the wall.

I might've explained it wrong, but have you tried blending colors from spray paint? That's no easy feat, and can control isn't as simple as you may think.

 

[NeedAUserName]

As much as I enjoyed Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure (and believe me I do, its one of my favorite PS2 games), you can't for a moment say it portrays graffiti as a complex skill, you just spray a wall with one can, if you did that in real life you would just be repainting the wall.

I might've explained it wrong, but have you tried blending colors from spray paint? That's no easy feat, and can control isn't as simple as you may think.

What I'm saying is I know graffiti is a complex skill, but I don't think Getting Up portrayed it as such. You use one can per piece and basically just spray indiscriminately around the wall.

 

[StriderShinryu]

Hmmm.. well, back when the Tony Hawk series was actually good it did get me more interested in skateboarding. Not enough to get out there and do it but I definitely appreciated it more.

Also, drums in Rock Band. I always knew that drumming in the vein of Neil Peart would not be easy, but I had no idea even relatively simple beats and rhythms from your average song would require as much as they do. I would have never gained the appreciation I have for it, or the very limited skill I'm slowly trying to develop, had I not played Rock Band given that real drum kits are so large, loud and expensive.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

Well the SSX games have made interested in trying snowboarding although I doubt I will get to try do it any time soon though. Maybe one day I will try it and then defy gravity in slow motion and make myself go faster with an unlimited supply of adrenaline.

 

[SageRuffin]

As much as I enjoyed Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure (and believe me I do, its one of my favorite PS2 games), you can't for a moment say it portrays graffiti as a complex skill, you just spray a wall with one can, if you did that in real life you would just be repainting the wall.

I might've explained it wrong, but have you tried blending colors from spray paint? That's no easy feat, and can control isn't as simple as you may think.

What I'm saying is I know graffiti is a complex skill, but I don't think Getting Up portrayed it as such. You use one can per piece and basically just spray indiscriminately around the wall.

Oh, I feel ya, Eh, I guess you make a good case then.

My apologies.

 

[StriderShinryu]

Well the SSX games have made interested in trying snowboarding although I doubt I will get to try do it any time soon though. Maybe one day I will try it and then defy gravity in slow motion and make myself go faster with an unlimited supply of adrenaline.

Ooh, I forgot about that. The absolutely sublime SSX3 (damn it EA, make a new one already!) definitely made me want to try snowboarding. Unfortunately, I was living in the Canadian prairies at the time and as they are officially flatter than a pancake I never got around to trying it, but I still want to someday.

 

[ultrachicken]

Medieval RPGs have gotten me somewhat more interested in the weaponry from around that time.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

San Andreas got me interested in a shit ton of music.

From Boyz II Men, to Slick Rick, to Soundgarden. The only thing I didn't like in that game was the House music station.

I'd be lying to you if I didn't tell you that San Andreas was my first experience with "Freebird". And boy, was it horridly cut short.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

I got really into rock music after playing Guitar Hero 3.

Don't judge me, it was an awesome game.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well GTA really got me into car jack- ... I probably shouldn't talk about that.

 

[Gabanuka]

Age of Mythology sparked my now endless love of greek myths.

 

[The_Fezz]

Watching my friend play Nintendogs opened my eyes to just how brilliant Cats are.

 

[Anarchemitis]

Half Life 2 Episode 2 marked the beginning of my interest in Ludology.