Ours is a blog about playing the Legend of Zelda, true; but when it comes to play, we branch out to other games now and again. For example, a few months ago – well after the entire rest of the world, to be sure – we started playing Animal Crossings New Horizons (ACNH). We quite enjoy the game, both alone and together, although in truth it does not hold a candle to the Zelda franchise.
It now so happens that Demelza is taking part in a survey about video-gaming, in particular, the aforementioned ACNH, and its effect on mood and well-being. It’s a three-part survey, each section spaced roughly two weeks apart, in which she is asked how long she’s played over that time and how she feels about herself and the game. This survey is not, to her knowledge, targeted at her age cohort; she might well be an outlier given her, um, maturity. Then again, perhaps Demelza’s no more an outlier than any other age cohort. Teenager, Gen Xer, Baby Boomer – we have our reasons for playing, which may (or may not) be the same.
Here’s a survey sample:[1]
- I feel connected to others when I play.
- I am relaxed when I play.
- I feel competent when I play.
- I feel free when I play.
- I feel as if I must play.
Respondents are asked to catalog the extent to which they agree with each statement, from agreeing not at all to agreeing wholeheartedly.
It must be admitted that Demelza is very literal. Thus, she reads each question and ponders, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? For example, when asked about feelings of connection, is she being asked whether she feels connected to the animal villagers on her island? (Uh, oh, somebody found out that she detests that cranky bear, Chow!) Is the survey asking about connections to other people playing ACNH – of whom she knows only one, Itzal? (See: taking up the game a year after everyone else has finished it.) Or is the wording deceptive, and does the question in fact attempt to assess whether the playing of video games leads to alienation? (At this point Demelza’s spouse might make a snarky comment about the amount of Nintendo playing that goes on around the house and likely would dispute the veracity of the answer she provided to that survey question.)
Then, too, one worries that this question is a secret Depression Screener like the one used by many physicians. (Itzal notes that the Screener is now as ubiquitous as the scale in doctors’ offices, and wonders if there is a connection.)
So how does the playing of ACNH affect us? Although we’re not fond of the timed fishing trials or “bug off” competitions, we consider ourselves competent at play. How difficult is it to furnish a house, after all? We admit to feeling compelled to log in each day to dig up fossils and see if Nook’s Cranny could possibly be offering the surfboard and retro fan YET AGAIN. (It usually is; where is THAT question on the survey?) Certainly, the game is relaxing; no one is trying to kill us, although we carry medicine for wasp stings and a scorpion has attacked more than once. Still. The most violent the game ever got was when Demelza, in an attempt to get Chow to leave, hit him repeatedly over the head with a bug net until steam came out his ears. (The bug net ploy didn’t work to dislodge Chow, unfortunately.) (Itzal feels he must confess here, if not on Demelza’s survey, that he once tried to release a wasp in front of an islander who had slighted him in some way; that ploy failed as well.)
Demelza doesn’t know why she was tapped for the survey, unless it’s that the study organizers wanted only ACNH players and the folks at Nintendo knew that she was one (oh dear, she now reflects that they know exactly how many hours she’s played!). After all, if respondents are playing different games, surely the survey sample would be inconsistent. Imagine, for example, the responses to these questions if applied to our experiences with Legend of Zelda BOTW.[2] We’ve enjoyed ANCH, but boy howdy, is it different from BOTW. Consider:
- I feel connected to others when I play. Uh oh, did someone hear about all the shouting that takes place when Itzal and Demelza play??? But we’re connected! We, um, shout at each other.
- I am relaxed when I play. Good heavens. No. Is there a place on the scale of response for ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? What’s relaxing about facing a Lynel! Or trying to avoid Guardian Skywatchers! And what’s with that awful scary music that plays when one has stumbled into a dungeon!
- I feel competent when I play. That question, vis a vis BOTW, would be just plain cruel. Eventide Island? Mirro Shaz shrine? Yiga Clan hideout, anyone?
- I feel free when I play. Finally! This would be the quintessential BOTW survey question. Freedom from the worries and cares of real life generally is one interpretation – but more particularly, there’s no doubt that BOTW’s open gameplay allows players to roam wherever their fancy takes them. That in-game autonomy, juxtaposed against the real-life restrictions of the pandemic, cannot be overstated. Even if, yes, we understand that it’s just a game.
- I feel as if I must play. Well. When we were in the thick of Hyrule, activating towers and shrines, freeing Divine Beasts, and completing quests – let’s just say the answer to this question would have fallen somewhere in between “What do you mean, you have to work today?” and “I think my Nintendo partner has eaten enough and should bloody well keep trying to work his way through the Lost Woods with that torch!”
Coming ’round full circle…if we were self-assessing the effect of video-gaming in general on our mood and well-being, what would the answer be? According to various surveys and polls, gaming soared in popularity during the pandemic, not just among younger players, but notably in the 45-54, 55-64, and 65-plus groups (hello, statistical relevance for once in our lives). Shoot, we learned recently that the Skyrim Grandma (whom even we follow on Twitter) is slated to be a playable character in the next Elder Scrolls entry! Clearly, we’re not alone in our love of video-gaming, although we’re decidedly less famous than Skyrim Grandma.
We played as much (or more) as anyone during the pandemic. Probably drank as much (or more) as anyone, too. Throughout the dumpster fire that was 2020, there’s no question that gaming improved our moods. As for our well-being, such as it was, at least our weekly forays into Hyrule staved off additional decline.
We occasionally poke wry fun at ourselves for playing BOTW well after everyone else had long since defeated Calamity Ganon. But in at least one respect, we’re glad we were nearly four years behind the curve: having BOTW to discover for the first time made the pandemic monotony more bearable. Indeed, there’s a sense of letdown now that it’s over. Sure, Skyward Sword HD has its charms and its challenges, but it’s not BOTW. Champions of Hyrule Age of Calamity resulted in an inordinate amount of shouting, and that’s saying something for us. Maybe Animal Crossing soothes our nerves. But when we excitedly pre-ordered BOTW2 on Amazon – the delivery date defaulted to January 2, 2023! According to Nintendo, the game is coming “2022,” so we guess Amazon is covering its bases, but couldn’t they be a mite more optimistic?
Sigh. Help us out here: Are we connected when we play? Or at least by the fact that we all play? Send us a note so we know for sure – whether by ancient rune, Loftwing, or balloon, we don’t care. We’d love to hear from you. Cheers!
[1] These examples are not verbatim from the survey; neither are they comprehensive of everything asked. The survey is still underway, and we respect its intent, after all.
[2] We’re currently playing Skyward Sword, but Breath of the Wild better suits our hypothetical.