Someone once said, in response to the criticism that games are inherently inferior to film and literature, that "Each time some new medium appears, I feel that it's important to respect it, even if it appears primitive or naive at first, simply because some people are finding important things in it. If you have one guy in the world who thinks that Silent Hill or Zelda is a beautiful, poetic work, then that game means something. Art only exists in the eye of the beholder."
He goes on "Most people who despise a new medium are simply afraid to die, so they express their arrogance and fear like this... Human beings are stupid, and we often become assholes when we get old".
And in a devastating
coup de grace, he concludes: "Fuck him, he will realise that he is wrong on his deathbed."
Strong words. Of course, it was Christophe Gans, in response to Roger Ebert, and it was news about half a year ago. But I think the theme is relevant now and probably in the future for some time to come, so I have to add my bit.
Games
contain art; they can represent artistic endeavour on the part of the creators; they can even be meant as works of art. But art, as Gans says, exists in the eye of the beholder. So can games make us feel the way that films or literature can? I don't need to present much of an argument here, I think.
I have two:
Boy meets mysterious, elfin, unintelligible girl in birdcage. Boy breaks his ass to help girl, and is eventually repaid with his freedom and possibly a sequel involving more hard work. Sounded uncomfortably familiar when I played it, naturally adding to the appeal.
But in the general case, a more romantic tale you could not imagine. Compares with...Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Maybe not Anna Karenina, but lets not get ahead of ourselves. It's a fair point to say that comparing any modern media with literature, painting or sculpture is a little off-target.
And secondly:
As always, the sight of Mario provokes a little chuckle, like Calvin and Hobbes or Mel Brooks. Why they got Bob Hoskins to play him and not Mel, I couldn't fathom.
There is stands. Plato would be proud of my argumentation, Da Vinci of my erudition...
Apologies to Danc for stealing. Good work...
