I've received a peculiar assignment from my college math course. Rather than agonize over befuddling calculations, I'm instead tasked with exploring the properties of zero with the assistance of Charles Seife's nonfiction book Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea, a surprisingly intriguing read.
Why zero, you ask? Well, just look at it: it's a symbol that represents…nothing. Naturally, my ever-distracted mind gravitated toward zero's relationship with video games.
Zero isn't exactly an acknowledged presence in the gaming sphere. In fact, our indifference towards zero closely mirrors a formerly accepted Western belief that zero had no proper place in a functioning society — if it were ever to poke its head out of obscurity, Bad Things would surely follow.
Yet, zero just can't be put down. Its tendency to pervade all aspects of life is an inescapable fact. Its dualistic nature touches upon a primalistic fear of the void, of nothingness. At the same time, its a frighteningly tell-tale sign of infinity. (Try dividing something by zero. Enjoy the resultant spiral into chaos.)
Here are a few examples where zero's infinitive and vacant capacities show up in games:
Ammo count
This won't end well.
Uh-oh. That staccato clicking noise emanating from your gun can only mean one thing: you're out of ammo. Zero has ruined your rampage of bloodshed.
Do you remember that feeling of despair as you watched your ammunition dwindling away into nothingness? Yeah. That laughing sound you're hearing is zero's inevitable victory. Luckily, the simple power of addition — in this case, an ammo box — silences that cold, cold laughter.
BioShock: Infinite
Somehow, I don't think the vagaries of zero will enter your mind as you plummet to your death.
The title of the next entry in the BioShock series is a bold-faced example of zero. Columbia, a floating, failed utopia, clearly assumes zero's elements of infinity via its stratospheric position in the sky. It's a city with no boundaries; a city that's omnidirectional; and it's a city that sits uncomfortably close to the infinity of space.
Or maybe developer Irrational Games chose the word "Infinite" because it sounded edgy. I know, it's too crazy to be true.
Speaking of space….
Halo's Halos
This definitely calls for an equally gigantic basketball for some cosmic slam-dunking.
Halo outdoes itself with a supreme representation of zero and its effects. In the first game, you're plunked down on a ring-shaped structure that serenely floats in space in order to battle the Covenant.
Wait a minute. A ring-shaped structure? In space? That's right. The titular Halo exudes zero like no other. Aside from the fact that its shaped like a giant zero (also, a circle possesses infinite lines of symmetry), it lives in the most emptiest house known in existence — the inky and endless blackness of space.
Super Mario 64's ceaseless stairs
Keep at it, Mario — I'm sure the next billion steps will bring you to the door.
It's theme music is instantly recognizable by die-hard Mario fans. It completely vexed you the first time you encountered it. And it's another representation of zero.
I can't think of a better example of how zero can bring gameplay to its knees. Mario doggedly runs up an infinite number of steps — leading to nothing. The developers should've just had a big, fat zero punch Mario in the face if he didn't have enough stars.
As usual, stick any additional examples that you can think of in the comments! And remember: Zeroes are like eating Sour Patch Kids — first they're sour, and then they cause the universe to explode. Or something like that.