Extra Credits: Just Watch It!

Every once in a while, it is nice to look back and see where everything started, and to appreciate the things that inspired you along the way. Wow....did that sound as cheesy to you as it did to me? Probably. But regardless, it's not far off the mark of what I'm talking about today. There was a very clear time in my life when I shifted from simply playing video games to wanting more from the experience, and that was the moment when I started watching Extra Credits. Though is often difficult to track one's progress as a gamer, I can distinctly see the way I thought about games before watching Extra Credits. I can say with absolute certainty that the way I started thinking about them after I started watching is distinctly different.
So why did Extra Credits have this effect on my view of games? And why is it absolutely worth your time? Excellent questions! I'm glad you asked.
For a quick bit of background, Extra Credits is a weekly web series currently airing on Penny Arcade, created by game designer James Portnow, animator and narrator Daniel Floyd and arists Allison Theus and Elisa(LeeLee) Scaldaferri. Each week, they delve deep into an issue concerning everyone in the games industry. This could be one of the more theoretical elements of game design, some of the methodologies or techniques used by game designers, an issue concerning games in the public view, or generally any issue that has an impact on gamers and video games.
And, to state it plainly, it is excellent.

Most Excellent!

What gets me hooked on this series is how effortlessly they are able to break down complex topics into easy-to-understand morsels, without ever sacrificing the level of detail needed to cover such issues. It would be truly amazing for that alone. It's one of those goals I keep in my head: If I can ever cover such a depth of topics with the noted absence of unintelligible technobabble like these guys do, I will be mighty proud of myself.
So what did this series do for my perspective on games? To put it dramatically, it opened my eyes. To put it much less dramatically, it was the jump start to my interest, and the first thing I can remember that made me see games as something more than just games. I've always had somewhat of a critical mind, but Extra Credits allowed me to see how much depth existed in video games that I had been missing. And since that point, I've been constantly hungry to learn more.

Kinda like that...

Extra Credits is a catalyst. It gives you six minutes of surprising detail on a subject, but leaves you just at the point where you want to know more. I can't tell you the amount of time I've spent digging through articles after watching an episode.
So the big question, is it worth your time? Completely, undoubtedly yes. If you have ever thought about knowing just a bit more about the games industry, then you owe it to yourself to give this series a look. Now I'm not saying they are the absolute authority, or the last word on gaming issues, and I doubt they would ever claim to be. Whether you agree or disagree with the points they put forward, you will never leave an episode without thinking more critically about the issue at hand.
That is the beauty of it all. As soon as you start thinking critically about games, a whole world opens up just waiting to be explored. And it's a very good world, I might add.
So check them out, new episodes every Wednesday on Penny Arcade. Seriously, you won't regret it.