Game Diary - January 21, 2009: Video Games' Inauguration Irrelevance

Not only did I not have time to play video games yesterday (that's how my Tuesdays always are), but America's Inauguration of its 44th president had no time for video games either. For all the talk of video games' financial and cultural impact on American culture, the medium appeared to have no relevance to a landmark day in American history. On TV yesterday, it was not hard to spot actors and singers and rappers at Inaugural balls.

The discussion on some of the news coverage explored how black TV and movie Presidents may have helped condition the country for Barack Obama.

A poet spoke at the Inauguration.

Authors -- particularly historians -- populated TV talk shows.

All the major mediums of American culture had something to do with the Inauguration, except one.

It was video games -- and only video games -- that appeared to have nothing to offer to America during the Inauguration of its President. They proved to be, like sports, an activity kept in the sidelines of the day, rather than, like books, movies, music and TV a medium that added texture to the day's events.

So just how relevant are games to the society we live in?

Next: Tonight I go back to battered D.C. for more "Fallout 3." No sidequests!