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Commentary: The Remarkable Side to Video Games

Rick Lozier
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courtesy photo

It’s that time of year when we see “Best of” lists being published everywhere. Best books. Best albums. Best movies. I’ve thought about making my own list to share, but my memory is so bad I can’t remember everything I read, listened to, or watched in 2024.

However, there is one film that I will never forget. It’s a documentary on Netflix called “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin.”

The film is about a young man in Norway who was born with a degenerative and deadly disorder called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. From the time he was a toddler until his death at age 25, his physical abilities declined to the point he couldn’t do anything but move his fingers – and even then he needed a special equipment to manage. And manage he did. He wrote a blog called “Musings of Life,” and he played video games, his game of choice being World of Warcraft.

I don’t know how or why I ended up watching this film given my taste in movies leans toward romantic comedies and I am not a fan of video games. In fact, I’m opposed to them. And though experts have not conclusively determined that video games are to blame for issues in today’s society, such as conditioning young people to violence and encouraging aggressive behavior, I have long argued these games certainly don’t help anyone.

But then I watched the documentary about Mats Steen and how the disabled Norwegian spent around 20,000 hours playing World of Warcraft during his short life. At his funeral his dad said that their greatest sorrow was that their son had not experienced love, made friends, or made any valuable contribution to society.

But they were wrong.

After the parents posted news of Mats’s passing on Mats’s blog, they were shocked when tributes began pouring in, long emails explaining how much people loved and respected Mats, what a kind and generous soul he was, and how he had been a big help to them and to so many others. All because of the video game.

In this make-believe animated universe of avatars, Mats Steen – aka Lord Ibelin Redmoore, nobleman and private investigator – had the muscular physique of Superman. "There my handicap doesn't matter,” Mats wrote. “My chains are broken and I can be whoever I want to be. In there I feel normal."

In there, he could run and fish and eat ice cream. He could hug and kiss and give a woman flowers. He could offer counsel to others and help them through their struggles, while never revealing a word about his own real-life battle. His level of compassion is an example that we would all be well-served to follow.

While the film depicts the ways World of Warcraft is a force for good and avoids exposing any negative sides, there are still many minefields to be aware of. Gaming can become an addiction. It can be detrimental to sleep, to good grades, and to time spent outdoors. Worse, cybercrime and bullying are on the rise in these games.

Still, I was so moved by the story that I sobbed through the entire film. No rom-com has ever touched me this deeply.

Transformation is the cornerstone of a good story, and not just of the characters in it. I was transformed by this documentary. My mind was opened to the invaluable, life-changing impact video games can have and thus I will never look at them the same way again. Which is why “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin” would be at the top of my “Best of 2024” list if I had one. I hope you’ll make a point to watch it.

Beth M. Howard is an author and filmmaker in Donnellson, Iowa. Her website is TheWorldNeedsMorePie.com.

The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Tri States Public Radio or its license holder, Western Illinois University.

Diverse viewpoints are welcomed and encouraged.