Comments on: 'Second Skin' documentary a bleak look at life of online gamers

The new film, which had its world premiere at South by Southwest, makes it seem as though no one playing multiplayer online games has a normal, stable life.

[amandachuck]

of course...

Documentarians often want to portray their subject in a way that
we pity them, feel superior to them, etc. It's a form of scintillation, almost pornographic, to see the "plight" of the
subjects under study. So they don't bother to find normal
people, only the extremes, but almost always fail to mention
their methodology in choosing their subjects or motivations
behind it. And further, just like so called reality TV, they edit
their material to tell a story that may not be true.

I know "functional" people who game. One example is a smart,
funny, married team who love games and comedy, so they run a
successful comedy theater. They have been married for years,
they stay up late, they wake up late, they work hard, and they
game. It's the life they want to live.

I personally don't play any online games, but I don't look down
on people who do. It sounds like the filmmakers do look down
on them though, and want their audience to pity them. But I pity
the filmmakers...

[MyITRcom]

No Doubt! That is what our media must continue to do to justify their non-value producing existence. They are always coming to the rescue, saving us from ourselves. Pathetic indeed, people have a right to their own life and existence who are they to say or know what is best for my life?

[csven]

bummer

I was looking forward to this, but I'm afraid I'd have the same reaction.

[ncgmcpherson]

Truth might hurt

Maybe the reason the dysfunctions seem so over pronounced is because the people are using their time playing games instead of addressing their problems. It isn't a put down on gamers, it's human nature.

It's the same thing that happens to the drug addict, work addict, workout addict. We find something we are good at, and that's our escape. I watched the trailer and read this article, and now want to see the movie. I think it's a good reminder of where we can all fall if we are not deligient and self controlled with our actions.

That's not to say gamers do not have self-control, many gamers do. I suppose they aren't in the movie because they would be boring, or possibly considered too nubish to count. In any case, sounds like it makes a good point that you should keep your life balance.

[DnBatta6]

online games-dysfunctional-?

What about the guys who go golfing, fishing, to the games and hobby themselves out of the family life. Hobby overload takes it toll on family life regardless of what it is.

[Ordinary Guy]

The planet is dysfunctional

Unfortunately, with success comes criticism. MMOs were getting
attention before WoW, but with WoW's market success, it
becomes the newest high-profile target for professional critics.
That's where the eyeballs are, so they make their mark taking a
shot at what's popular.

Golfing and fishing and RPGs and social drinking... all are
pastimes that can devolve into destructive habits. Unfortunately,
it doesn't help that WoW (and most MMOs) employ game-play
techniques that addictive personalities are particularly
susceptible to. Really. I play, and I can tell you there's a grind
pattern that rewards time-sunk into the game.

On the other hand, it's only a game and it's not the
responsibility of game makers to be the nanny of the world. It's
the game makers fiduciary responsibility to make the most
compelling game that they can.

Maybe, just maybe, "somebody" should make a film giving a
social critique of social critiques. We really do need one. This
film attacks the symptoms of a genuine dysfunction, rather than
the cause, and it uses a target of convenience to do so.

[XenophonJones]

Why would anyone watch that?

"But aside from that, it was galling to me that the filmmakers
didn't really seem to give us any other pictures of gamers who
are able to play their games while still quite successfully living
their lives, working their jobs and having their relationships."

Please explain to me how ordinary people living ordinary lives
and doing ordinary things make for interesting fodder for a
documentary? If these people weren't extreme cases, THEY
WOULDN'T BE WORTH PUTTING ON THE SCREEN.

I'll tell you what, I'll invite Ken Burns to come visit me while I'm
tabulating sales in Excel and looking for my favorite beer to go
on sale at my local grocery store. THRILLING STUFF.

[Daniel Terdiman]

Because the film purports to represent gamers

The problem, I felt, was that the film presented itself as portraying the wide spectrum of gamers. I think it would have been very interesting to see an example of someone who games some of their day and then, say, runs a successful Internet business. Or makes films. Or...

[thenet411]

To the extreme...

This documentary, like most drug documentaries, shows the extreme end of what can happen. Like drugs, there are people who go too far and end up losing everything. And, just like drugs, there are people who have a fully functional life but choose to smoke a bowl every now and then. But, no one seems interested in those who continue to lead productive and functional lives and have a hobby. Headlines (and documentaries) are made about the extremes of situations.

Anyone who comes away from this believing that this is how ALL gamers behave it just an idiot.

[shkahler]

Turn about

I wonder if such a ovation at the film festival had anything to do with a large number of people there being "filmies". I'm sure you could make an opposing documentary of people who spend far too much time watching movies and their weird antics that follow them and see what kind of review that gets in the end.

You can look to any hobby/leisure activity and find people that have taken it to an unhealthy extreme or find examples of people who have benefited from it greatly. It just depends on how you want to spin it.

[Chiatzu]

Playing your role

"Of course, that's an extreme view of the film, and I know for a
fact that many in the audience saw it very differently. I
overheard many saying afterwards that they thought the film
was uplifting and a positive, realistic look at these games and
the people who play them."

What I'd like to know is if these same people who thought the
film was a realistic look at these games, do they actually play
MMOs themselves? Do they have family members who play and
have become as dependent on MMOs for their satisfaction in life
as the subjects of Second Skin did? If they have, they'd realize
these games can be huge time-sinks, especially when one first
gets enthralled by the newness and grandness of the game. But
then they'd agree that people get tired of spending way too
many hours on one thing, when they have other interests and
obligations of life to attend to. Interests and obligations like
family, jobs, friends, school, hobbies, etc.

Some people do have addictive personalities and get sucked into
these things for years and 40 to 60 hours a week or more, which
IMO is excessive, but I think the majority of people new to a
game might play a little too much for a while, but soon reach a
point of disillusionment because of all the time lost doing little
that enriches ones real life. Not to say their aren't social benefits
to MMOs because there are, but real life should take priority
since that's the one that counts for the real rewards.

The players who don't understand their priorities and escape
them through MMOs are the minority, and unfortunately,
appeared to be the main focus of Second Skin and will unfairly
be used by the MMO uninitiated to pass judgment on the
majority of game players who like their real life better.

[Morgan416]

One sided review

I was at the premier as well, and I completely disagree with this review. I did not find the Indiana boys story to be bleak at all. They all held down jobs, had relationships, and friendships. They just happened to spend their free time gaming. I thought they were represented in the film quite well as the middle ground gamer.

You also do the film a disservice by not mentioning the many other smaller stories that were scattered throughout the film. There were many seemingly successful relationships, as well as a moving section on how gaming affects the lives of disabled people.

This review gave me the feeling that you went in there with the attitude (to quote someone in the movie) having outleveled this content. I am a non-gamer myself, and this review just came across as snobby.

[dannicus617]

reply from Dan Bustard

I wouldn't take it seriously, being a subject in the film they greatly distorted, exaggerated, reedited and flat out lied about the story I provided them with. I was also promised that my name would be confidential as well as my identity, i never lived in my nephews basement, MY nephew lived under my roof! I never said I played 20 hours a day and I said I started playing excessive after my relationship, mother died and then my business fall apart. Dan Bustard [e-mail] myspace.com/4danielb
They seen a guy that was down and took advantage of him that's the bottom line.

[Chadwick575]

This is an interesting concept though. A documentary about gamers who do in fact spent tons of time in an online universe of whatever making. I have played many games, and most recently World of warcraft, and in addition to playing set up a website for same to buy wow accounts: http://www.thegamesupply.net/