I would like to discuss the “skip fishing” mod and consider how it, like Stardew Valley, reflects consumerist culture. The “skip fishing” mod removes the fishing game from Stardew Valley, therefore allowing players to simply drop a line in and catch a fish without having to click a bunch of times until they get a “hit.” Firstly, this mod seems like an odd addition to the game – why would you remove one of the fundamental components of Stardew Valley? In my experience playing the game (albeit I have only played it for a matter of hours), the fishing game has been a significant p
art of my experience. For my first four hours playing Stardew Valley, all I did was fished – I became entranced and motivated by the little toggle I had to move to catch a fish, and felt rewarded when I caught one.
One thing I noticed while playing Stardew Valley is that there is not much incentive to do anything. It is not like some other video games, in which there is a clear goal – some prize to win, some person or object to fight for, or some race to compete in. Instead, Stardew Valley is more of a relaxed, “do what you want”-type game. Although I appreciate the relaxed nature of the game, I really enjoy the fishing game for what it adds to Stardew Valley – it gives the player some incentive to play. In the standard Stardew Valley mode, if you want fish, you have to work for it – you have to carefully move the toggle up and down, just enough to cover the fish icon for a certain period of time. This, I believe, gives the player a sense of accomplishment, instilling in them the belief that if you work hard, you get rewarded.
When I came across the “skip fishing” mod, it immediately reminded me of our consumerist culture (something I discussed in my first blog post), in the sense that it spoke to our need for immediate gratification. Given that someone even felt the need to create this mod is appalling – are we really so lazy that we can’t play a mini-game to catch a fish? Can we really not spend the (very short amount of) time to wait for the fish to bite before we catch it? In a YouTube video on the mod, the creator remarks, “this mod… gets rid of the annoying fishing game…” – apparently suggesting that the game is so burdensome that we should just get rid of it so we can
catch fish immediately and without having to work for it.
At the same time, this mod is antithetical to the American Dream (which suggests that hard work pays off). Instead of motivating players to work hard, this mod sends the message that we don’t need to work hard in order to be successful. It’s almost reminiscent of a spoiled child – whatever the player wants (in this case, fish), they can have immediately. Perhaps this says something about the more well-off and well-connected members of society – those who maybe don’t have to work as hard to get what they want. Either way, this mod sends the subversive message that success does not necessitate hard work.
In the discussion above, I have been quite critical of the “skip fishing” mod – and for good reason. Besides the fact that it doesn’t add much to the game or perhaps send the right message, it also takes away the feeling of accomplishment that the fishing game gives, and removes one of the key motivators (in my opinion) of the game. While some people may enjoy this mod and may be glad it removed the “annoying” fishing game, I believe that this mod takes away something essential to Stardew Valley – motivation and the message that hard work pays off.
Link to the YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAww6-TvQW4
