The Digitization of Rock, Paper, Scissor

About a week ago, Miller and I watched the Rock, Paper, Scissor Championships on ESPN2. It was pretty pathetic. There was so much glitz and glamour thrown onto a game that is defined by its simplicity. The matches took place in tiny boxing rings, the players were brought out by busty babes, and announcers lauded the player's as if they had just eaten 66 hot dogs. (I have a feeling a Will Ferrell movie is looming.) Yet, at least the players were using their hands.

This week, I was introduced to Facebook's version of RPS, called "Roshambull." It has the potential to destroy RPS.

The essential element of Rock, Paper, Scissor is spontaneity. The games can arise at any moment--in the cafeteria when there's only one brownie left, in the math class when the teacher's looking for a volunteer, on the sports field when there's a disputed call.

Furthermore, each throw must happen in rapid secession--one after another after another. The great players some how manage to think in between every throw, the decent players think in the beginning and soon get rattled, the poor players simply throw rock every time.

"Roshambull" is taking the spontaneity out of RPS.

For one, the games begin when a player gets an e-mail. Terrible. All RPS games must begin with a simple clenching of the fist and a slight up-and-down movement.

Secondly, players can take as long as they want to move. I thought for at least two minutes in between every "throw" of my first game. While I won, it didn't feel right. You are not supposed to have time to think in between rounds of RPS.

Thirdly, the game provides statistics on your opponent's history. When playing, you can see the percentage of rock, paper, and scissor your player has used in his entire "Roshambull" career. This is not the RPS that I was brought up on and learned to love. In RPS, every game should be a new day.

I am worried for my children. I hope that they do not grow up in a World where the only hand movement involved in RPS is a mouse click.

(Note: I suck at drawing, and thus did not make that cartoon. It comes from www.dorkboycomics.com)