In this era of severe competition, life has been reduced to only two facets — winning and losing. Video games, in particular, reflect the tendency to eliminate others for one to move ahead
The Darwinian, catch phrase ‘survival of the fittest’ was all about ‘win-lose’ paradigm of life and created a competitive streak in human beings. We were told life was a zero-sum game and you could win only at the cost of others. Many social science approaches developed around this notion and saw the society from the perspective of winners and losers. Outdoor sports, indoor games and lately video games were all based on this winner versus loser design. Phrases like ‘killer instinct’ and ‘winning attitude’ would define the attitude to win as the key to success. Success in other words denoted defeat of others. The human society thus became a highly competitive arena in which winner takes all. These values of the society have shaped human psychology in such a fashion that winning at any cost is the whole purpose of life now. Virtual games have also been reflecting this reality. But this high degree of competitive streak seems to have damaged the basic fabric of modern society in which life has become a rat race where the only rule is to win and the mantra for this winning is that you only win at the cost of others. So we are all running to win, trying to pull back the person in front and push the person at back. Needless to say, we are all living dangerously because this tendency is increasing aggression and violence.
Of late, the Swedish Government launched an initiative which it claims will spread values of democracy and creativity across the world, through the new kind of video games that will not have winners and losers. May be the Swedish Government wants to get away from the country’s video gaming staples of male-dominated violence and competition. It may be worth knowing that Sweden’s most successful export so far in the gaming industry has been the Battlefield franchise. Under the banner of ‘Democreativity’, a coinage to express the intended blend of democratic and creative values, a task force was created that invited suggestions from around the world on the subject of the ‘most unlikely game ever made’. The purpose is to create a new experience in gaming where there are no winners and losers — one where alliances, collaboration and exploration are what count. Interestingly, the most widely promoted suggestion that came was to create games where, ‘you win by helping others win’, by turning haters in to lovers’.
When this game of future will take a concrete shape is not certain but it reminds me of a game of ludo which my sons would play with their grandmother on weekends. The rules of this games, however, were framed by their grandmother, and the high point was that, ‘Killing’, was not allowed. ‘Killing’ meant that if a player through the roll of dice reaches the square which is occupied by an opponent’s token, the opponent’s token is sent back to its owner’s yard. Usually, ludo players enjoy this killing as it gives them advantage and pleasure. By denying this pleasure the win-loss competitive paradigm was changed. Old ways, then, do also show new possibilities.
The writer is a professor, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad (Jharkhand). He can be reached at ppathak.ism@gmail.com