This is not a post for everyone. Before you begin, I'd like to give you an idea of what this post contains. First, there is a video of the keynote address at PAX by Wil Wheaton in 2007 where he discusses the social aspects of video games to a convention full of self-proclaimed nerds. PAX is a giant gaming convention built on the foundation of a love of games and gaming. Wil Wheaton is an actor, blogger, and gamer. PAX is a phenomenon in itself, but I want to talk about something broader, which is whether video games are good and/or worthwhile. Following the video are three articles that talk about addictive aspects of games. These are not necessary to read, but interesting. And following that, I respond to the bunch. This entry is mainly about posting the keynote speech and a response.
Wil Wheaton Video (Not Suitable For Work: Very Strong Language, 1 Hour): http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4616592653905673144#
Three Critical Articles on gaming addiction:
http://www.cracked.com/article_18461_5-creepy-ways-video-games-are-trying-to-get-you-addicted.html
http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/ErinHoffman/20090916/3065/Life_Addictive_Game_Mechanics_And_The_Truth_Hiding_In_Bejeweled.php
http://museumtwo.blogspot.com/2007/07/game-friday-when-does-addictive-play.html
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A second prelude: I am a nerd and I am a geek. That is a fundamental aspect of my identity. Everyone has their own idea of exactly what that entails, but to establish a few implications: I like math, computers, reading, role-playing games, video games, arcade games, card games, distopian universes, speculative fiction, fantasy stories, and dragons. There are other fundamental aspects of my identity, but this is where I’m coming from when I write this. I do not play many different video games, but I have spent a lot of time of a select few.
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Are video games bad for us as a species? Is there anything worthwhile or good about video games? I ask this question because it is common to hear gaming referred to derogatorily. Above and beyond the somewhat rare (though still disproportionately common) accusations of literally killing our youth, the prevailing social thought is that people would be better off not playing video games.
I’d like to begin by comparing video games to art. There is an art to video games. Video games are multimedia (sight, sound, and sometimes touch or balance), interactive presentations. There are video games that are meant to be visual and aural masterpieces. Just as with movies, there are games that commission original scores, original artwork, original stories, but also original game design. Fundamentally, there is nothing in theater, two dimensional artwork, stories, poems, movies, or music that could not be part of a game. In addition, the interactive component can be utilized artistically. There are those that might criticize the commercialization of games, but we live in a world full of commercialized art. There are derivative video games meant to waste time and earn money, but there are plenty of similar books, television shows, and movies. There do exist video games that follow the mantra of art for art’s sake. There are also masterpiece video games that evoke emotions as strong as and convey messages as well as many revered works of art. Some games that are exceptionally crafted include Final Fantasy VII, Chrono Trigger, Ocarina of Time, Castlevania, and yes, even World of Warcraft. I will probably recall several particularly well executed and awe inspiring sections of World of Warcraft (WoW) for years to come. In other words, the possibility is there. As with art, we take away nothing physically, but rather a sort of social and cultural capital.
What is wrong with video games?
Frequently, video games are subjected to straw man arguments about social interaction and I think that the keynote address is an excellent starting response to that.
A more pressing concern comes from the three articles. On the more dangerous side of the spectrum, there are games where (quoting article one referring to article three), “the point is to keep you playing long after you've mastered the skills, long after you've wrung the last real novel experience from it.” As mentioned before, video games are not the only art form to fall prey to this vice. There are those people who pass the time watching episode upon episode of a soap opera or a reality show or a high paced series like Lost or 24 or Heroes. The first article discusses some "creepy" (and effective) mechanisms specific to video games to create such devotion.
The main problem is that there are games that don’t end. The problem with the famed addictive games such as World of Warcraft is that they are time sinks. Any amount of time that you put into the game just goes rushing down the drain. This is not as big of a problem with games like Solitaire because there is no incentive to play for ten minutes instead of five. However, games with advancement like Farmville or Diablo II, or the many multiplayer online games take advantage of the time invested to lower their own creative standards for late-game content. It is difficult to develop original content for the 5,000+ hours (2,500 two hour movies) that some (albeit few) people have spent on World of Warcraft.
Even within the games that end, there are aspects of game play that do nothing artistically but only exist to encourage game play. Inherently at the moment, games simplify our options and trivialize failure, which is understandably appealing. Even games that do end take advantage of the time we invest to lower standards. This is not the only way. For example, imagine a model UN video game where players make speeches and arguments that are judged and responded to by other players. Furthermore, “grinding” (or very repetitive actions needed to progress) can also be utilized as a tool to instill emotional connections or convey a message. Fine pieces of art can be achieved without the common level of shortcuts.
In many ways, PAX represents some of the best things about video games. PAX is a convention filled with gamers who inherently tend to be critics. There is legitimate interest in games as a creative creation and finding (and playing) truly exquisite games. In a technological age, video games are one of the greatest expanding possibility frontiers for art and culture. As an example, let us think of the strides that graphic design and game design have taken in the last twenty years. Let us be smart consumers of technological art whether it be mixed with games, movies, music, dance, or museum displays.
don't @ me
9 years ago
Ben,
ReplyDeleteThough I think you make a strong case, I still feel that you have to exclude 90% of video games to make it (the ones created to never end, the ones where violence is the principle message, the ones where the digital artistry is not present, the ones where you do not get to interact with real human beings). In the end, I still feel that video games are less open to multiple interpretations than most other art forms. Though there still may be a storyline, the programmer makes the rules, and you must follow them through to the programmed ending.
I also think that if I believed most video game players were as reflective and intellectually-motivated as you are, I would be more convinced of their benefits. But I think you are somewhat of an outlier in the gaming world, perhaps due to the fact that you've spent a great deal of your youth surrounded by books in the ancient and stimulating practice of reading. I think one of the problems with video games is that most children who participate in them do so rather than reading. Perhaps if time was infinite, and we could to read, play video games, and interact with real human beings in a non-digital space as much as we wanted, I would support video games. But I think with limited resources (time, energy, and brain space) I continue to believe more in reading and real-world shaping of reality and social interactions.
Love from another self-declared bookworm,
K
Here's the thing though - all games have some level of digital artistry. I think that you are still conceptualizing video games as working only within the sphere that other past art forms work. A good way to break out of that is to begin to read critical reviews of games in magazines or websites like gamespot.com. Some games that have been raved about critically might surprise you - Soul Caliber (a 3d fighting game), Super Mario Bros. Deluxe (a 2d platformer), Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2, Rock Band, and your favorite, Grand Theft Auto 4.
ReplyDeleteA few points:
-I understand the critique that people would be better off not playing even artistic games if it doesn't help them to grow, doesn't involve interaction with real people, and wastes time, but a similar argument could be advanced about watching movies, reading books, seeing plays, watching tv, or going further afield, reading essays that pander to the preconceptions of psudo-intellectual liberals (not meant to be a comment about us, we tend to be fairly critical). These are all activities that we engage in as a non-interacting observer. Where do these activities get their value? Ultimately, every cultural activity that we engage in has inherent value as an experience that we can reflect on and share with other people. (And furthermore, there is something to be said about getting enjoyment.)
-Video games are potentially just as open to multiple interpretations as other mediums. There is always a point of view that is carried through. Interpretations are taken from the work as a whole, not the path the character takes in the game. In a movie, the director makes the rules and in a book, the author makes the rules.
-In all cases, the scope of artistic choice is limited by the medium and video games have possibilities that other mediums do not.
-The main advantage of reading over video games (or any audiovisual medium) is that our brains are required to interpret the text without any audiovisual clues. Radio requires less work because we can hear intonations. Audiovisual mediums require less work still because we can pick up on all of the visual clues as well. However, in terms of crafting a vision, those clues can add to the complexity of the text.
-Finally, while many video game players are not as reflective, there is a strong correlation between "nerd" and "gamer" where people who are socially awkward read a lot and take special enjoyment from video games.
-You don't seem to argue with video games as an art form, but I think that you stop short of the implications of the comparison with other art forms. I see your critique as a list of problems that outweigh the social or cultural capital gained from games, which I'll admit is possible, though I disagree with some of the problems that you identify.
Cheers,
B
There are some revealing comparisons to be made between watching sports and playing video games.
ReplyDelete