I have many goals in my life. Some goals I can achieve with very little effort, some I can achieve by putting work into them, while some seem too lofty that if I pour my heart and soul into them it almost seems like a waste to have done so if things don’t pan out. A quote has always stuck into my mind for quite some time and it’s one from Rainer Maria Rilke, a beloved German poet and it is stated as so:
"No one can advise or help you - no one. There is only one thing you should do. Go into yourself. Find out the reason that commands you to write; see whether it has spread its roots to the depths of your heart; confess to yourself whether you would have to die if you were forbidden to write."
This is something that I have taken to heart and I think about what I must do every day. Do I have the passion to do the tasks that I must complete that day? Do I have the passion to live on and achieve the goals that I have laid before me? This quote pertains to writing; however, it can be applied to almost everything you do on a day-to-day basis. People make choices every day and each choice leads them on a different path. While most tasks we take on daily are banausic and unwanted, we still do them because that is what we are expected to do. People who are uninspired live life day by day until they die. It’s like a friend of mine once eloquently put: “Some of us have never had to survive, we just keep waking up until we die.” Those who live life day to day miss out completely on what life is about. To me, we are alive so that one day we can achieve greatness. Maybe not on a national level, but on a level that puts people in a league of their own.
In today’s world, people are becoming more and more conscious of fame and notoriety. With the internet, film and television industries coming to a pinnacle of production, people begin to feel as if they must carve their niche somewhere on that grand chalk board. Everyone wants to be famous, but they seem to have a delusional sense of what fame is. People that strive for fame are different from people who strive for greatness. The ones who want to be considered more than just a passing fad permeate sweat and pour out frustration to reach their goals.
Those who want the fame, just want attention, or have an ulterior motive. Money, power and all things golden under the sun are the treasures they want out of life. They don’t do what they absolutely love doing. People are always out there looking for the “big break” and most of the time, that break never comes. In the end, their lives are full of disarray and desolation.
So how does one know if they are truly passionate about what they are doing? Well, that is why that quote from Rilke is so important to read over and take in. It is imperative that anyone embarking on some endeavor to really absorb the meaning of that quote. It’s one that imparts inspiration on anyone who takes the time to stop and understand it. Quotes like these are like taking a walk through a garden full of vibrant colors and smells. These places of serenity can be experienced if one just stops and tries to comprehend what they have been told. The answers lie hidden in life. Very seldom are things blatantly revealed so that one can complete his/her journey to complete life. The answers in life are like messages hidden in an old tome of a different language. One should not just let the answers come to them; one must take the time to figure things out, to delve into the unknown and find the answers themselves.
Now you, the reader, may be wondering, so when is Daniel going to get into the part where he talks about video games and such? Slow down, I’m getting there. If that is what you are thinking, then I suggest you re-read the first part of this article. For the rest, I’ll share with you my aspirations.
It’s been a while since I have written for Nisute and I have to say that it is a breath of fresh air. I started writing around this time last year sharing my musings on E3. Jim Power saw some talent in my writing ability and I felt that this would be a great outlet for me. Around August I took a bit of a hiatus, (actually I performed a bit of a disappearing act, my apologies to Maikel and the rest of Nisute.) but now I am back and as I write this, I feel like I’m taking in a breath of crisp mountain air. I would say I’m on the verge of feeling liberated, but even I would say that’s a bit much. I’m finding out again why I fell in love with writing. It is a creative outlet and almost therapeutical; sort of like rubbing a vapor rub under my nostrils and being able to breath again. (thank you Vicks 44)
I’ve been thinking of my love for the video game industry and I must admit painfully, that for a while I became lackadaisical about my efforts. Not that I have fallen completely off the grid, but enough that I’ve become aware of my situation.
This summer I had an idea for a video game, about a man who comes home from work to his loving family. The night takes its usual course and in the morning the man wakes up to find his family dead. For some reason he feels some type of urge, and like a professional hit man, he makes the house “clean.” He rips out the carpet, cleans the blood and burns the bodies of his family in a dumpster in some alley-way in some unnamed city. After he’s done this, he comes to his senses fully and realizes what he has done. He’s in complete shock of the entire situation. A dark silhouette appears from a doorway near him and the man makes an effort to run away fearing that a witness has just seen what he’s done. Before he can escape, he’s rendered unconscious (from a sort of stun gun) and from here he’s found in a type of surgical facility. He’s strapped to a chair and a man is sitting at the end of the room, his identity still hidden. He explains to you that you have a special purpose to fulfill; he tells you that you are an experiment to further advance the studies on creating the ultimate form of guerilla warfare. He hands something to a guard standing at his side. The guard walks to you and puts a small parchment of paper in your pocket. The man at the other side of the room tells you that the names on that piece of paper are important and that what is done next is up to you. He walks out of the room and once again the screen blacks out.
Basically what this game is about is that you, the player, is taking part in an experiment put on by terrorists to create an army of ordinary people to carry out assassinations and acts of terror. These people are captured; brain washed and then trained to become killers. Once this is done they are hypnotized (a la Manchurian Candidate) and sent into the world as normal people. They are provided jobs and a lively hood and often, they are not called upon until several years later. However, the mind control is still there and deep within their psyche they are kept in physical condition. When the terrorists see fit, they create a series of events that put the subject back into their killer state. The public views these people as normal and would never suspect them to be capable of such acts.
This story is not far at all in terms of development but I feel that it could be a compelling story once I work everything out and tie it all together. The player is at a moral stand-off between doing what he his meant to do, or doing what he believes is right. There are two paths and the player must walk a fine line between doing what he is told or else if he strays too far off, he can be killed at any moment. However, at some point the player can choose right or wrong in a definite way and complete the game in that manner.
The video game industry has been a focus all my life and I feel like it is something that I can feel comfortable working in. Names like Sakaguchi, Dyak, Molyneux, Miyamoto and Kojima have been imbedded into my brain as names that I would like to be mentioned amongst. I want to be seen as an innovator in this industry, not because I want the fame and the fortune, but just because I want to feel honored. This is what drives me to do this. I love this.
