Second Skin

I was contacted the other day and asked if I’d link to / embed / plug or whatever this documentary film about MMO gamers. Usually I’m actually rather wary about this kind of stuff — I don’t feel like an opinion-shaper, and I’m pretty sure I’m not one, but I do have a blog and maybe these days that’s qualification enough.

Anyway, RL being what it is I’ve not had the chance to watch this all the way through yet, but what I’ve seen so far (about half) has assured me that the first half at least is an engaging, respectful, interesting and sometimes amusing look at gamers. I’m not entirely sure what it will tell gamers but I’m not certain it’s actually aimed at us as a primary audience. I’m also not entirely sure how well it serves as an introduction to gamer (MMO specifically) culture… but I’m one of them, and it’s often hard to look outside your ghetto and get a real sense of what it’s like looking in.

Here’s a quick quote from the director when interviewed by Hulu:

Juan Carlos Pineiro Escoriaza, Director: Second Skin is a documentary on virtual worlds. Basically, it’s an intimate look at their lives and how they live both in the virtual space and in the real space. It takes on three storylines: one is a story in Fort Wayne, Ind., of four gamers who live together, work together, game together, pretty much do everything together. That’s sort of a coming of age tale where, essentially, one is about to get married, and another is having two babies. So it’s about their lives changing. The second story that is followed is of two lovers who met in Ever Quest, and they said “I love you” without actually seeing each other before in real life. It kind of shows them as they meet each other in real life and what ensues after that. Finally, a third story is of a recovering game addict who is having trouble, whom I met at a place called Safe Haven, an online gamers’ anonymous-type place. It’s a 12-step program trying to help them get better. And from there, it’s his progression as he decides to leave and do something else and figure out a way to cope.

There’s a widget in the right sidebar that will take you to the film. Alternately, you can clicky dis linky.

Disclaimer — if I have somehow transgressed vid-linking/showing netiquette here, my apologies. I have no idea what the netiquette on the subject is, other than accurately acknowledging and reflecting one’s sources (which is standard practice in the Lit world I come from).