It is clear from the video we watched in class that Jason Nelson is a little bit wacky. This wackiness surfaces in his works The Bomar Gene and game, game, game and again game. These works don’t seem to make much sense, and Nelson’s long, drawn-out explanation of The Bomar Gene complicates things even more. However, I think that’s the point he’s trying to make. There’s something intriguing about the oddity of his works. Nelson is not seeking to entertain or satisfy his audience. In fact, the creepy sound effects and disorienting graphics are meant to dissatisfy and even repulse readers, in a sense. The Bomar Gene and game, game, game and again game are considered countergames because they do not entertain players and leave them complacent, but they push people out of their comfort zones and force them to think about belief systems or genetic codes, for example, in a different way. In short, Jason Nelson’s works seek to change the way we approach particular subjects by creating dissatisfaction or displeasure among audiences. I’m not saying that his works are deeply touching, but I do think that Nelson’s approach raises interesting questions: How are our lives governed by genetic codes? What does it mean to be an individual? Why do people need belief systems? By raising these questions, Nelson forces us to reflect on ourselves and on the world in which we live.
Although it is considered an anti-game, I still do see some gaming aspects in game, game, game and again game. The idea of death is trivialized in the work, much like it is in conventional mainstream games. In games like Pac-Man and Super Mario Bros., for instance, the player meets his or her death multiple times throughout gameplay. However, the player reappears on the screen almost simultaneously and goes right on eating as many dots or collecting as many gold coins as he or she can. The same can be said for game, game, game and again game. There isn’t really a penalty for dying. In this way, the emphasis is placed on the illustrations, the different text and video.