a little food for thought in the whole videogames as art and games in general...

[<RJMC>]

http://www.cracked.com/article_18571_5-reasons-its-still-not-cool-to-admit-youre-gamer_p1.html

Let's get this out of the way right now: The only reason I don't have more game consoles hooked to my TV is because I'm out of ports on the back for cables to plug into, and I don't want to have to get off the sofa to switch over. I've been playing video games since the Carter administration. So do not compare me to Roger "I never play video games yet dismiss them as worthless" Ebert here. Just... don't. I would have taken my SNES as my date to senior prom if they had let me.

But the thing is, I grew up. Gaming didn't.

Why? Why is it that of all my many hobbies--reading, motocross, Gun Kata--only gaming lowers my sense of self worth? Maybe it's because...

I think he does make some valid points

especially the storyline ones and the graphics one

it really made me think that after all this babble about as art is meaningless since videogames just got much more famous rather than much more better

so whats your opinion?

I will not post mine since I dont have a definitive one cuz you know that should be a long thought process like art is supoosed to be,isnt?

 

[Emporius]

That was a really good article. Lots of good points.

 

[kazsymonds]

Yeah, we're all twats. Deal with it.

I can understand legit gamers begrudging DRM on their PC.

Tough times man.

Maybe they should make some kind of game drive you have to have - like games can't be on DVD, but a special proprietry format that is difficult to copy. Like a 360 drive for your PC.

 

[VirusType2]

like games can't be on DVD, but a special proprietry format that is difficult to copy. Like a 360 drive for your PC.

360 uses a DVD drive

 

[Acepilotf14]

RJMC's post made way too much sense.

 

[Eejit]

Guy needs to play genres not so exclusively aimed at the retards.

 

[Viperidae]

I agree with everything except the storyline part. I find devs are trying to make better stories but end up just making them pretentious with each release. And his relating storyline with gameplay... so by his analysis, Monkey Island's story sucks because all you do is click and click and click and click and rub items together which clearly has NOTHING to do with pirates or Guybrush. Sounds like he just wants to watch films.

 

[63]

His points are based on dealings with a very small, very vocal group of gamers.

Games are much better than they were 20 years ago.

 

[Laivasse]

The article is a load of horseshit from start to finish.

 

[Tyguy]

this is the second article i've read dealing with this and both times I just figure, well, a picture is art so a picture that i can move and be controlled must be art as well.

i like roger ebert though, he's usually spot with his rants but he just lacks perspective in this case.

 

[Viperidae]

a picture is art

No it's not.

 

[VirusType2]

I agree with him on most of it. So there.

There are a few games that have a great storyline. But it's subjective anyway. Some people will still think it sucks.

 

[kazsymonds]

360 uses a DVD drive

No shit.

I mean it needs to have some kind of proprietry format or some kind of encryption or something. DRM is just too easy to get around it seems.

I dunno, it would be awful if PC turned into Xbox live, but bans = consequences. PC games are just to easy to steal.

 

[Remus]

In my opinion, if a game has atmosphere, and is pleasing to the eye/ears, then it is art.

We often talk about how this or that game has an original or perhaps an uninspired art direction, but hey the game itself isn't art. That way of thinking really doesn't make sense to me.

 

[15357]

In my opinion, there is no such thing as art. Therefore games are not art. It is the same market-driven commodity like everything else produced in this world, including paintings, etc.

 

[The Monkey]

In my opinion, there is no such thing as art. Therefore games are not art. It is the same market-driven commodity like everything else produced in this world, including paintings, etc.

You're truly a laugh, numbers.

 

[Bad^Hat]

In my opinion, there is no such thing as art. Therefore games are not art. It is the same market-driven commodity like everything else produced in this world, including paintings, etc.

Your ability to suck the joy out of any comment and turn it into a commentary of western commercialism is an art.

 

[Remus]

Your ability to suck the joy out of any comment and turn it into a commentary of western commercialism is an art.

No. It's a skill.

 

[StardogChampion]

Building a game is too much of a craft for them to be art.

 

[Darkside55]

Video game storytelling is still at the level of B movies

Now, within five minutes of this article's posting, somebody in the comments will mention Bioshock.

implying that anyone will bring up Bioshock in defense of video game stories

 

[Vegeta897]

Good article? Good points?
Are you ****ing serious?

This article is trash.

Mainly, the guy gives too much of a shit about his poor, poor image as a gamer. OH NOES PEOPLE WILL THINK I'M A LONELY VIRGIN WHO FAPS TO POLYGONS. Wow, get the **** over it. If this is seriously a problem for you, find new friends who aren't retards.

I had to stop reading at the part where he starts to complain about bad storytelling in games, then proceeds to list the top selling xbox 360 games to back up his point.

Like, are you god damn kidding me?

 

[Sheepo]

^That.

The reason video games get such a shitty reputation as art (not that it really matters what the general population thinks about anything when it comes to it being true or not) is that everything is viewed within the context of literature and film, which have a far different set of criteria determining their quality. Immersion, interaction, choice, gameplay as storytelling, none of it is considered. And, as this article says, because the majority of games that get attention are trash, which can be said about books, movies, and television as well, but they've been around long enough to not have to prove anything.

 

[15357]

Your ability to suck the joy out of any comment and turn it into a commentary of western commercialism is an art.

I didn't mean it as a commentary of western commercialism, just a commentary on the pretentious bulls*** that is art. "Oh look I'm better than you because my drawings are pleasing to the eye, and symbolizes many aspects of society which can simply be said directly, rather than in scribbles." It's not that I don't appreciate artwork, it's just that "art" is used to mean things that are deep and edgy and shit, while they should be simply a synonym for paintings, sculptures, etc.

And don't get me started on modern art. "Abstract art does not portray the world in its literal sense, nor is it a portrayal of dreams and hopes. Therefore it is unAmerican and contrary to the principles of freedom."