Stories.
They build the culture, teach the lessons and define your life.
When folks get mad about the latest terrible, deconstructionist, race-swapped, LA-bubble, naïve, clumsy and boring reboot, they’re not just being angry nerds. This stuff matters. The person who grew up with genuine heroes – and being fictitious doesn’t make you less genuine – has a real advantage over someone who didn’t.
Many of my products and processes work better when you’re well read – or, at least, well watched.
Art is essential.
And, yes, video games count.
That’s why I’ve dedicated tens of thousands of words – and counting – to exploring the story of the Starcraft games.
It’s a good, solid plot with good, solid characters.
But it’s no book you read, movie you watch or play you choose to ignore. It’s interactive. That means it has to be fun, since games are tests of your skill.
Tennis doesn’t have a plot, but many video games do. And, since they’ve been the dominant entertainment medium for decades, we’re learning new lessons.
Some are good – like how experience levels you up, and you can’t get by without healing and rest.
The others…?
There’s a lot to unpack with Starcraft. The story and the gameplay intertwine – sometimes well, sometimes poorly. Either way, you can learn a lot by studying it.
You can learn how to sharpen your stories – including the ones you tell yourself.
And it can sharpen how you think.
Then again, maybe you just want to learn how to have more fun. I hear games are good at that sort of thing.
You can check out my Starcraft series – plus a bit besides it – right here: