The thing about documentaries is that typically they make some sort of argument one way or the other. Rarely are they as informative as they would seem without a slant in one direction. Second Skin stands as a film that makes no arguments and gives you various perspectives on one topic, that topic is online roleplaying games.
If you feel guilty for turning on your X-Box 360 for a few hours a night then don’t, because that is nothing compared to players who get down on World of Warcraft or ‘WoW’ for short for sometimes hours on end. The interesting part of the documentary where you meet several players from across the country is that they don’t try and sugar coat the game, or even try to entice you to give it a shot.
Instead what they do is introduce you to various gamers from across the nation. They also talk briefly about how this cultural phenomenon has affected jobs overseas as well as the family lives of its players. The most startling tale was of one man who lost everything playing WoW to the point where he was out of a job and was actually playing the game to make money to keep his lights and internet connection going.
At times the documentary can be hard to watch because you can’t believe what players will go through just to enjoy a videogame. To say the movie is eye opening is an understatement, the movie is at times jaw dropping. Players are so focused on getting to the next level that they forsake just about everything else to play.
There are many of us who fantasize about playing games all day instead of working a 9 to 5, but those people would think twice after watching Second Skin.
The film is also very uplifting because it talks about certain player’s ability to transcend their very existence by living through a persona on the game. Gamers make new friends and even find real love through playing online massive multiplayer games like WoW.
It’s worth noting that these games are becoming more sophisticated as the years go by, and that there is no telling what the next generation will do with this addictive technology. MMO’s are growing in popularity year after year, so what can be seen as a small counter culture now may just be the majority in the near future as more games are being made with multiplayer features.
Second Skin serves as both a cautionary tale and a funny insightful look at a group of people all rolled into one. Watch it with your kids. It’s a fair an honest portrayal of a growing part of our population.
