Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

October 24, 2008 -

A New York Times review of Ben X notes that the indie film's troubled protagonist escapes from real world difficulties by playing MMOs.

(GP: Don't we all, Ben, don't we all...)

From the review:

To Ben... school is a nightmare of peer cruelty and home... a vortex of parental frustration. To cope, he escapes into an online fantasy universe where his heroic avatar spends hours immersed in a popular video game alongside a generously endowed virtual honey known as Scarlite...

Integrating live action with Ben’s gaming exploits, “Ben X” crawls inside a troubled mind with more stylistic commitment than narrative competence...

Ben X opens today in Manhattan.

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Comments

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by Weatherlight on Sat, 10/25/2008 - 08:58.

Looks interesting, I may just decide to go and see this movie.

~Weatherlight~

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by sarcasticassinjapan on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 17:52.

Toubled...

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by infect999 on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 16:49.

Why is he playing ArchLord? ArchLord sucks.

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by SimonBob on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 12:25.

Huh, I had a chance to see this in Ottawa a few months back, but I somehow wound up at a keg party instead. How bizarre.

---
The Mammon Industry

---
Fangamer

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by Pinworm on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 09:36.

Looked decent until by the end I could tell it's just yet another form of media that's going to say kids can lose their perception of reality and fantasy and act out fantasy things in reality. Bullshit.

Hello, Mazes and Monsters 2008.

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by Pierre-Olivier on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 20:41.

You have no idea what you're talking about.

It's about a guy with Asperger Syndrome who tries to escape from his painful everyday life (he's being bullied at school by both teachers and students) by playing an MMORPG in which he's the complete opposite of his real self...until he meets a fellow player in real-life.

I've seen parts of it. And from what I saw, it's an excellent movie.

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by Doomsong on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 09:13.

Well, I guess it makes for a better story than a sub-urban houswife hiding from her real world troubles by playing Bejeweled....

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety" - Benjamin Franklin

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by Pierre-Olivier on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 07:37.

I haven't seen it yet, but it was aired in Québec and most critics were positives. I saw the trailer and I kinda saw myself in Ben in this movie.

When it's on DVD, I'll buy it immediately.

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by Austin_Lewis on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 07:35.

This looks, uh, what's that phrase, oh yeah, like shit. Oh man, someone made a movie about an autistic kid, that's deep, even though from that clip it looks like it has less depth than a petri dish.

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by King of Fiji on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 06:59.

This game is on my list of things that make me wish I didn't have the name Ben, along with Ben 10.

Also after watching the youtube clip I can tell you its already been done in the form of a movie called The Wizard.....

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by VideolandHero on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 13:11.

But the Wizard is cheesy and was spoofed to death. This looks more serious.

--- Official Protector of Videoland!

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by E. Zachary Knight on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 10:30.

What's wrong with Ben 10?

E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/okceca
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E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by King of Fiji on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 12:43.

Well to be honest I was warming up to it......until they started the Ben 10 Alien Force gustapo. Then it just made it cling to the fact that I was named after Ben Cartright from Bananza.

I know that dosen't really anwser the question but now that I think about it dosen't this Ben X movie seem like a ripoffish version of Rainman?

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by Kincyr on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 13:34.

I like Alien Force, seems more serious and it reminds me of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest.

岩「…Ace beats Jack」

岩「…I can see why Hasselbeck's worried about fake guns killing fake people. afterall, she's a fake journalist on a fake news channel」

Shout box

Technogeek: If the developer were male there wouldn't have been a "conversation" in the first place.10/19/2014 - 2:27am

Monte: trolls are just at their absolute worst when it comes to women and feminist. You could bet good money that if the developer were male the trolls would be silent and the conversation would actually focus on the journalism.10/18/2014 - 9:18pm

Monte: Papa: Not the first time we've had a journalism scandals before, but the harassment never got close to this level; the difference with this scandal is that feminists are involved. Without the feminist angle, their would be A LOT less harrassment10/18/2014 - 9:15pm

Papa Midnight: Monte: That's honestly rather short-sighted. As has been proven with other persons who have been targeted, if it wasn't Quinn, it would be someone else.10/18/2014 - 6:26pm

Avalongod: I think that's part of what gives an esoteric news story like this real life...it taps into a larger narrative about misogyny in society outside of games.10/18/2014 - 3:29pm

Avalongod: @Monte, well the trolls made death threats that came to police (and media attention). I think this is tapping into a larger issue outside of games about how women are treated in society (like all the "real rape" stuff during the last election)10/18/2014 - 3:28pm

Wonderkarp: Zippy : Havent tried the PS4 controller. might later.10/18/2014 - 2:37pm

Monte: Seirously, If Quinn was not involved and GG was instead about something like the Mordor Marketing contracts, the trolling would have never grown so vile and disgusting. There have been plenty of movements in the past that never sufferred from behavior..10/18/2014 - 1:57pm

Monte: We have seen scandel's before but the trolling has never been as vile as what we see with GG. Trolls usually have such a tiny voice you can barely notice them, but its like moths to a flame whenever femistist are involved.10/18/2014 - 1:53pm

ZippyDSMlee: Wonderkarp: You might be able to if you had a PS4 controller.10/18/2014 - 1:00pm

MaskedPixelante: http://store.steampowered.com/app/327940/ Night Dive starts charging for freeware.10/18/2014 - 12:21pm

Matthew Wilson: the sad thing is there are trolls on both sides of this. people need to stop acting like their side is so pure.10/18/2014 - 12:19pm

MechaTama31: So, only speak out on a scandal that hasn't attracted trolls? I wouldn't hold my breath...10/18/2014 - 10:49am

Monte: I feel like GG just needs to die. The movement is FAR to tainted by hatred and BS for it to be useful for any conversation. Let GG die, and then rally behind the NEXT gaming journalism scandal, and start the conversation fresh.10/18/2014 - 10:33am

quiknkold: and we dont have a Dovakin to call a cease fire10/17/2014 - 7:37pm

quiknkold: The whole thing is Futile. Both sides are so buried deep in their trenchs that there isnt a conversation. Its just Finger Pointing, Name Calling, Doxxing, Threats. there needs to be a serious conversation, and GG isnt it.10/17/2014 - 7:37pm

quiknkold: I thought it was a good article. Jeff is right. I feel like GamerGate did destroy its message. I am for Ethics in game journalism, but man. so much hate. and its on both sides. I've seen some awful stuff spewed on twitter. Its a big reason why I exited..10/17/2014 - 7:34pm

Matthew Wilson: while he focused on gg, he did call out both sides crap.10/17/2014 - 7:18pm

Papa Midnight: That was a damn good read offered by Jeff Gertsmann.10/17/2014 - 7:17pm

Matthew Wilson: http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/letter-from-the-editor-10-17-2014/1100-5049/ deferentially a nice write up.10/17/2014 - 6:44pm

All shouts

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