TED Community » Lilian Chen

More About Me

I'm passionate about

progress.

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New outlooks.

People don't know that I'm good at

Typing. Video games. Crocheting.

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  A comment on Conversation: Which video game has challenged your perspective on the way you live your life and how?

  Jan 30 2012: Continued...
  
  GAMEPLAY /
  
  SSBM's gameplay still blows my mind. I've been playing for ten years and competitively for at least five. To even say that I know half the depth of the gameplay is probably inaccurate. The range of the level at which this game can be played is absolutely ridiculous. Even now, we still find new aspects to the game that can dramatically affect its competitive metagame.
  
  How does this relate to life? As a designer, it's pretty easy to understand when people dismiss your field. I feel that art is belittled constantly, as is/was video-gaming because people do not understand much about them. Growing up, gaming was always just a "distraction" from other life priorities. Seeing and knowing the depth of which this game can be interpreted (same with art), I've learned to never underestimate anything in life. Instead, I have an understanding that everything runs deep, and just because I'm ignorant of those details, doesn't mean I should dismiss it.
  
  :)
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  A comment on Conversation: Which video game has challenged your perspective on the way you live your life and how?

  Jan 30 2012: Super Smash Brothers Melee.
  
  Two aspects of this game have altered my life drastically: the community and the gameplay.
  
  COMMUNITY /
  
  SSBM has now been released for ten years, meaning that it has no internet capabilities. In order to play, one needs to physically leave their rooms and go out and find others to play. As a result, we've managed to build a community consisting of hundreds of players, some residing in the U.S. while others in Europe and Asia. The competitive scene began around 2002, when tournaments began being hosted, and to this day, our community still thrives off these tournaments.
  
  I cannot stress enough the amount of close friends and relationships I've found and formed through this community alone. It's unbelievable to imagine that a single video game could alter my life this much. Without Super Smash Brothers, I would be short some of the closest relationships I've made to this day. It's astounding what can come out of a relatively underground social clique held together by the mutual interest of a video game. While the community has both its ups and downs, I would still bet that the community alone is what keeps our players playing ten years later.