The healing power of Monkey Island? (another thank you thread)
I know there have been a hundred of these "thank you telltale" threads, but I just wanted to put my own out there on the eve of the final chapter, just to show what the games have meant to me these past six months.
Over the past year, and up until about two months ago, I've been very sick. To the point where I couldn't go to school or work, or could barely move around my house. I won't get into the gory details, but needless to say I was in a great deal of pain. In June, as my condition was getting worse, a new Monkey Island game was announced (in case anyone on this thread didn't know that:p). Now... I'm not saying that Monkey Island cured my illness, but these games have made me laugh and smile and given me a well needed distraction during one of the hardest times of my life.
My illness turned out to be a heck of a lot simpler than any of the doctors thought it was, and right around the time "The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood" came out, I started on the road to recovery. And now, on the eve of the final episode, I'm back and work and attempting to get my life back on track after a lenghthy absence from anything of substance.
So like many other threads before me, I would like to thank Telltale games from the bottom of my heart for bringing back a francise that means more to a lot of us fanboys than it probably should, and for making me smile when no one else could.
Over the past year, and up until about two months ago, I've been very sick. To the point where I couldn't go to school or work, or could barely move around my house. I won't get into the gory details, but needless to say I was in a great deal of pain. In June, as my condition was getting worse, a new Monkey Island game was announced (in case anyone on this thread didn't know that:p). Now... I'm not saying that Monkey Island cured my illness, but these games have made me laugh and smile and given me a well needed distraction during one of the hardest times of my life.
My illness turned out to be a heck of a lot simpler than any of the doctors thought it was, and right around the time "The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood" came out, I started on the road to recovery. And now, on the eve of the final episode, I'm back and work and attempting to get my life back on track after a lenghthy absence from anything of substance.
So like many other threads before me, I would like to thank Telltale games from the bottom of my heart for bringing back a francise that means more to a lot of us fanboys than it probably should, and for making me smile when no one else could.
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Did you know that when a cat purrs, it is actually 'healing' itself (i.e. a happy cat is a healthy cat), so the Placebo effect makes purr-fect sense to me... (sorry)!
Good luck for the future, may Ep5 contribute even more to your recovery.
One of the little things / thoughts that kept me going was the thought: "Hey, I have to go on. Gotta live to see the next Monkey Island!" (not that I was thinking of suicide!) Of course it wasn't the ONLY thought that kept me going but sometimes it really helped.
You see, it got delayed so many times that I jokingly blurted out in my daily chat: "guys now I'm genuinely scared I'll die while awaiting the release of this game and never get to play it!!!" Apparently some guy in the chat took it seriously, and asked another friend of mine privately what was wrong with me and as a joke, he said I had cancer. So that stupid rumor spread around and everyone was all sad for me and never said anything because they were afraid to bring it up. This went on for a LONG time with me being oblivious to everything until the guy finally admitted he was joking and the joke went too far. The chatters didn't take very kindly to that and he was banned for a week.
Needless to say, they never let him forget it.
Such a shame, all that fuss and that game wasn't even that great!
Count myself as another person who knows exactly what you mean! I do this all the time with both games and films. Thank the heavens for the luxury's of modern life... sometimes, I think I'd be lost without them
Considering that The Secret of Monkey Island largely contributed to me not going ahead with a suicide - it made me laugh, the first step towards healing - well...it's not stupid.
I wrote about it here.
lol, I'm not sure why but that all reminds me of something Cartman would go through in order to get his hands of a copy of Twilight Princess early in an episode of South Park...
CARTMAN SITS AT HIS DESK AND BEGINS TO WRITE A LETTER TO NINTENDO...
Dear Miyamoto-San,
I am a poor, undernourished, starving child from South Park, Colorado and I write to you today because I have been awaiting the release of the Totally-Awesome looking new Zelda game for the Super-Cool Nintendo Wii with much excitement. Infact, it has been the only thing keeping me going for quite some time... you see Mr. Miyamoto, I am an eight ear old boy and I have cancer.
Because the Uber-Kickass new Zelda game for the Hella-Amazing Wii has been delayed I fear I may not have the will needed to survive much longer. I emplore your traditional Japanese sense of honor to release the Twilight Princess by next Thursday... otherwise I fear that I may expire soon... so very soon.
Yours Canerous,
Eric Cartman
CARTMAN FINISHES BY ADDING A FEW DROPS OF WATER (ACTING AS TEARS) OVER HIS NAME AND POSTS THE LETTER TO NINTENDO, JAPAN.
Was there actually an episode like this?! I really can't remember
Edit: but hey at least it wasn't Duke Nukem Forever, right?
I honestly had no idea that the joke had previously been done regarding Twilight Princess. I meant to ask if the concept of Catman writing a letter like the one I came up with had been explored in South Park before, in general? I hope that makes sense!
Don't mention such things. I must believe that the Duke's still a-coming. I must have faith that the groan inducing one-linerthon symbol of 90s cheese is still alive and kicking-butt. I must keep telling myself that there is hope, for you see... I am an 8 year old boy and I have cancer.
Lol. Please.
Get yourself a job.
The fact still remains that things that are minor for some people can be very important to others, and it really isn't right for anyone to make that judgment.
HAHA
Here's hoping the final chapter gives you an extra little boost!
I'm so happy I (finally) got to see another, really good, part of the saga, and I also feel I've gotten so much more out of the series than any full-priced game I ever bought.
ToMI has certainly been Telltale's best work yet.
And the OP almost made my cry.
Would anyone be ashamed of looking forward to a new film or album, I think not but of course, gaming is for sad gits, right?! *sigh* As long as it's not hurting anyone then you really should hold no shame for your passion, whatever it may be.
The jokes are because its a emotional thread and people protect their selves from emotional and sensitive moments where they are vulnerable.
I guess these games have helped me some too, where as too much of forums is not a good thing, I really enjoy some of you guys and I've been socially isolated for about 15 years of my life. It's really nice to have something in common and to go some place where I fit in. Fans of all sorts can come together and just be together. The MI community is huge and TTG is bringing it together and they don't know how significant that is.
While I wouldn't call myself socially isolated, I find myself to be ideologically isolated. I'm a gamer/hippie/Meditator of sorts. I love putting myself in environments that as a kid I always imagined or dreamed about and I use my game music as part of that. I fell in love with Monkey Island because of the atmosphere and music , not so much the game itself. I love games that put a lot of emphasis on this. Shenmue, M.I., Nights into Dreams, Oblivion, Ecco the dolphin etc... after playing these games I almost try to recreate the feeling in real life situations.
3 days ago we got snow here in DC and I went in the woods and listened to Christmas music on my IPOD. I went to St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands last month and sat on the beach listening to "brimstone beach club" and then swam underwater listening to Ecco the dolphin music with waterproof headphones on. I went to china town in Las Vegas last year and listened to Shenmue music while walking the streets.
Many of my friends find this to be strange and a little crazy. But I find it theraputic and while I somtimes think I should more focused on other things, video games are what help me escape from my stresses in life.
Whatever works for you, I've been trying to find antidotes for my social anxiety. I guess it's not all that different than reading books, watching movies, whatever. Video games have always helped me too.
Interesting approach.
Don't get me wrong. That's not all I do with my spare time. lol. That would be a little crazy.
So I agree entirely - MI is therapeutic (:
Hear, hear! I think you hit the proverbial nail on the head, Doodo!
What I find odd is this... MI is a different kind of game. It makes some rather witty jokes that require a somewhat in depth understanding and/or knowledge of the world to appreciate. Furthermore, its protagonist is a physically weak, slightly effeminate, porcelain-phobic, wife-whipped, socially awkward, absent-minded, skinny little man whose redeeming factors are his good heart, his puzzle-solving abilities, his quirky sense of humour and his bizarre and yet endearing antics.
That hardly sounds like the average game on the market, does it? I mean, there are references to guns, drugs, hookers, gambling, crime and testosterone... but all in a very ironic sense.
So it confuses me that there exist fans of MI who don't possess some degree of sensitivity and strangeness... or who aren't comfortable with admitting their vulnerability. I thought one of the best parts of the game was being able to identify with Guybrush's slightly soft and queer (as in curious, not gay) yet courageous and intrepid spirit?