I beat that game...
You have probably heard that phrase more than once during a conversation about video games. You might have even seen it when you were reading some comments on a video game site about a particular game. It probably went something like this.
BearsFan54: Anybody else having trouble using the Adept class in Mass Effect?
MangoTaco: Yeah, its tough at first only having a pistol to fall back on but you will get used to it.
Pwnedagain420: I beat that game in 2 days and took that sh*t back and got Saints Row, which is a better game anyway.
Wow. First of all, how do you even beat a game like Mass Effect? Would you have to finish the game with every class and each with good and evil morality? Do you have to do it on the hardest difficulty? Get all achievements (Xbox 360)?
There are all types of games out there and I can’t think of anyone that can be “beaten”. Most games today have a story aspect to them and when you finish the game the credits roll. Hmmmmm, much like a movie. I can’t think of any movies that can be beaten either. You can’t beat a book. You can’t beat a board game.
I beat that movie like when it came out.
Some will argue that the game was a challenge that you overcame, so thus you beat the game. The AI is in place to stop you, but you beat the AI, so therefore you beat the game as well. I disagree with this explanation. While true, you can beat a particular boss, but that is a singular event. Even then I would say that I “got past” the 3rd level boss.
I don’t know if it’s a geographical thing, cultural thing, or even innocent slang. Put “I beat that game” with other phrases that should never be used. Gems like “I slept like a baby” and “she eats like a bird”. Babies cry all night long and birds have to eat quite a bit for their size to keep up with their high metabolism. Beat means to defeat, and you can’t defeat a game.
Educate your fellow gamer the next time you come across this phrase or any of its variants. If you are the tool using it, stop immediately.
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