Gamers Around the World Unite

I've stated many of my ideals as to why video games should be viewed as a fully legitimate form of art/media, and I can safely say that this is not merely the observation of one fanatic.  Many people share my view; video games have affected the lives of millions of people across the globe while spanning all ages.  As senior editor of the widely acclaimed Game Informer magazine Matt Helgeson states, "Games have become a mainstream entertainment, perhaps even the dominant form of entertainment". ^[1]  Games, simply put, have become a juggernaut of industry.

 Films and photography were once derided as less than fine art too, but you can now find critics and students alike studying and extolling the artistic virtues of those media.  The same will almost certainly happen with video games, and the classic games of the current and past generations will be in text-books written and read by the next generation of artists and gamers.^[2]

This excerpt was composed by Sarah Sinclair, writer to Game Informer.  She notes that games are following the same path traversed by media preceding video games.  Once appealing only to a relatively small audience, games are now spreading in diversity while increasing in quality; much like how films began. Through its diversity, many have found joy, creativity, and meaning.  Vincent Chang, another writer to Game Informer, expresses:

Mother 3.  The story, the characters, the whole world of the game was carefully created with much attention to detail, and it really shows.  The story is touching and tells a very strong message; that is what I think art is supposed to do.  It's the first video game to make me cry.^[3]

In a similar, yet different vein, Richard Renz wrote about his passion experienced through playing Halo Reach.  To quote a line,  "The storyline took me through the mind and selflessness of a Spartan and left me astounded at the end." ^[4]  Both of these games are almost entirely divergent from the other; yet each gamer found joy in his respective game's unique and well-crafted design.  There is a game for everyone out there.  As Helgeson puts it, "Increasingly, the games we play are as diverse and different as we are". ^[1]

We've explored the views of some of the players, but what about the authors of video games?  Like all other media, there exists a wide variety of companies/authors that produce video games.  Some, like other industry, care only about the financial prospects of the virtual business.  However, others express just as much care and technique for their craft as any other great composer/artist/director.

Take Jeremiah Slaczka, the creator of Scribblenauts.  Scribblenauts is a game where the player is tasked to solve varying puzzles.  He/she does so by spelling words, and if the vast dictionary within the game contains it, the player is allowed to have/use it.  It is a game limited only by the player's imagination/creativity.  One would think its author would have to be quite lively and interesting, but what surprised me was his dedication.  Due to the game's success, Slaczka's company has been made many offers for corporate ownership.  However, he, and many other members of the company, outright refused to do so.  Slaczka stated, "...we want to stay independent.  We want control; this is a passion for us.  We've done it for seven years.  So we should sell out and leave after a couple of years like everyone else does?  I don't want to do that". ^[5]  It takes real courage to stand up for one's beliefs in his/her craft, and I'm overjoyed to hear that some exist that would defend video games' integrity.

Interestingly enough, video games have even lured people of other professions to their side.  Director of Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy Guillermo del Toro recently teamed up with THQ (company that created the game, Saints Row) to create a new title named Insane. ^[6]

I've been a gamer all my life; I'm 46, I've been playing video games since they were essentially made available to the public.  I've seen the form evolve from total reflex coordination gaming into a true narrative powerhouse.  It's a truly strong narrative form.  I believe video games are going to be the cornerstone of narrative in the next decade.  As a storyteller it is my duty to get going on learning the language not as a gamer, but as a storyteller. ^[6]

 Like Guillermo stated, games are becoming increasingly more complex.  Game Informer magazine even dedicated a sizable portion of one issue to point out the multitude of complex characters that exist in the enormous pool of games today. ^[7]  Video games are no longer constrained by the limited potential of the 8-bit era.  They have grown, and have borrowed successful aspects from all other media.  Drew Karpyshyn, lead writer of the game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, eloquently conveyed, "An RPG is rarely just a video game anymore.  It is an entire cross-media mythos that bleeds into other forms of entertainment, including comic books, novels, and movies" (RPGs being a subsidiary of video games focused on story-telling). ^[8]

Video games have affected people from all walks of life.  In turn, games have left their mark on our civilization whether you are: the typical gamer exploring entirely new worlds; the designer eager to create his/her next thoughtful masterpiece; or even the passerby who can appreciate the craft from an outside perspective.  Videos games' influence is likely to continue expanding.  Fortunately, many view this to be a positive transition.


References
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Matt Helgeson, "The Big Tent: The Changing Culture of Gaming," Game Informer,
    February 2011, 214.

2. Sarah Sinclair, "We Love Art," Game Informer, September 2010, 209.

3. Vincent Chang, "We Love Art," Game Informer, September 2010, 209.

4. Richard Renz, "Great Expectations," Game Informer, January 2011, 213.

5. Matt Helgeson, "Pushing the Envelope," Game Informer, December 2010, 212.

6. Annette Gonzalez, "Guillermo del Toro Dives Into Game Development," Game Informer,
    February 2011, 214.

7. Staff of Game Informer, "The 30 Characters Who Defined A Decade," Game Informer,
    December 2010, 212.

8. Staff of Game Informer, "The Best Storytellers of the Decade," Game Informer,
    December 2010, 212.