Tetris IS a Life Goal

For the first time ever, the NES version of Tetris has been beaten. It’s been done by a 13-year-old teen from Oklahoma. And that is a hell of an achievement.

Unless you ask Sky News’ Jayne Secker, who ended a segment on the lad, Willis Gibson, by saying “Tetris is not a life goal”.

“Go outside, get some fresh air,” she said.

Ignoring that in the current day, being really good at video games can open a lot of doors it wouldn’t have when I was 13, this attitude stinks. The idea that the pure enjoyment of something isn’t enough to give it space in our life is toxic. He is one of the best in the world at something. Verifiably. How many of us can say that?

If he’s gone outside, got some fresh air, played for some local sports teams, you know what would’ve happened? Well, he wouldn’t have been on Sky News for a start.

I’ve been a journalist for a long time, and one of the things that happens is the people you cover end up, by default, being more interesting than you. They wouldn’t get in the newspaper or in the telly otherwise. They might not be interesting for good reasons. More often than not, you wouldn’t want to trade places with them. But at the very least, they are doing something newsworthy. You are simply observing.

Willis Gibson might be something of a novelty. Hell, any teenager playing NES games is probably something of a novelty (as are most adults). But he takes it seriously enough to get really damn good at it. Imagine mocking that passion. It’ll be a mixed bag – a trial by fire as people from all over the world weigh in. Look at this, I’m guilty too.

The Tetris Effect

So for Jayne Secker, here are a few thoughts on why Tetris might beat out fresh air for this boy.

Tetris is an interesting game. Simple on the surface, it is difficult to get very, very good at it. In 40 years it is still pretty much the same game it always was, and its popularity stays strong.

But it has also become the focus of countless academic studies. It could be used in the treatment of trauma, one study suggested. It can help with cognitive skills. There are problem solving skills at play. Your reaction time must be perfect, especially at the speed at which Willis Gibson plays it.

On top of that, video games have been proven to help with mood, and can combat depression. Online or “cozy” games can also decrease loneliness and the sense of social connectedness.

None of these things are trivial. To get to the level he must be at to beat Tetris, this 13-year-old has developed skills that will help him walk into work in a few years time. You also have to presume he’s shown a level of dedication and practise that few of us possess. How many people will have already given up the gym, despite it only being January 7?

Conclusion

Video gaming isn’t taken seriously, and most of the time we have ourselves to blame for that. The community is usually not a good one, and, besides, old habits die hard. The Nintendo Entertainment System was a toy, and to some people the industry never moved beyond that.

But let’s give credit where it due. This is an achievement that should be celebrated. And not because it’s just beating a video game, but because of the journey it must have taken to get there. We should all have life goals that we enjoy, and that push us to better ourselves in the areas we deem fit.