Video games are a medium in which anything is possible. While gamers have matured since playing video games in arcades and stuffing quarters into the likes of Space Invaders and Pac-Man, so too have developers matured in their presentation of topics. Developers continuously push games into the realm of art--moving beyond the concept of "game" and redefining my beloved pastime into "interactive digital media".

It's only natural that difficult subjects are explored through the medium. A game about a small boy suffering from, and eventually succumbing to, cancer is about to debut to the world. The owner of this endeavor is a man wrestling with his own remorse and celebrating the life of his son--tragically taken way before he should have been. Cancer has touched my life on more than one occasion, but I still cannot imagine what he and his family went through.

I fully support this man's drive to publish this game. I applaud his willingness to bear his soul to the world. I'm not sure if I want to experience it.

Games have a unique way of drawing you in. You do not sit and passively consume a game text. You participate in it. You become the character(s) of the story. You often control the camera, influence the story's pacing, and make decisions that affect the plot and character development. Your path through a story is sometimes different than the path I will take. Because of that, games become a personal experience--or at least they have the power to do so.

I want That Dragon, Cancer to be successful. I want it to be successful so that developers know people are interested in participating in difficult themes. Media is a way of exploring these themes, and often a way for their creators to explore and overcome difficulties they struggle with. I want it to be successful in helping Josh Green (the game's creator) in reconciling the emotions he must be going through. I just don't know if I can play it.

You can read the latest news about the game over at Polygon here.