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Roger Ebert: Games are an inferior medium


Azarkon

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The thing is though, what is art? Ebert has grown arrogant indeed if he thinks he can answer that question.

 

Indeed, and a large portion of his argument seems based on the idea that the other mediums have some great works thus they are capable of being art. Yet if movies theoretically were all a bunch of Michael Bay films or literature a bunch of trashy romance novels; and they didn't have any of those great names/titles to fall back on , would they be considered art? That is would they be considered mediums for art by most people concerned with the term or would they just be another medium capable of some things but not others (as Ebert as labeled gaming).

 

Like others have said how much has Ebert actually played games? He is after all close to his 70s, I don't think many from that generation are that into gaming. On my own biased opinion, I would agree there hasn't been any "great" artistic games for me as an individual, but I've seen enough of the medium to know it is capable of.

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He's a film critic WTF does he know about games!

 

Games can be art, that does not mean every game is art, much as every movie being art, or every book.

 

Harry Potter != Art.

Die Hard != Art.

Doom 3 != Art.

 

It's very simple concept. I'm shocked at Kaftan, but then again I'm getting used to his bleak attitude.

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"I'm a programmer at a games company... REET GOOD!" - Me

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I was just saying that games(currently) are entertainment and there is no game counterpart to for instance Roy Andersons "Song from the floor above", Dostojevskijs "The Idiot" and other works of high artistic integrity, quality and value.

 

 

But I think that it's only a question of time until we will see "fine art" games.

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"I suppose outright stupidity and complete lack of taste could also be considered points of view. "

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I was just saying that games(currently) are entertainment and there is no game counterpart to for instance Roy Andersons "Song from the floor above", Dostojevskijs "The Idiot" and other works of high artistic integrity, quality and value.

 

 

But I think that it's only a question of time until we will see "fine art" games.

 

I can agree with that. Although, I think it will be a very long time until we get the gaming equivalent of something like, say, Meshes Of The Afternoon.

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I was just saying that games(currently) are entertainment and there is no game counterpart to for instance Roy Andersons "Song from the floor above", Dostojevskijs "The Idiot" and other works of high artistic integrity, quality and value.

 

 

But I think that it's only a question of time until we will see "fine art" games.

 

Sometimes its pure entertainment, but I've certainly seen games that I consider art.

 

One of which would be Out of this World/Another World.

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"I'm a programmer at a games company... REET GOOD!" - Me

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The question is who and how many you are entertaining with your work. I find Persona (the film, not the game) enormously entertaing, but the vast majority of movie going peeps would find it an awful bore.

 

Scary Movie set out to entertain a great deal of people and was very successful. Does that make it art?

"My hovercraft is full of eels!" - Hungarian tourist
I am Dan Quayle of the Romans.
I want to tattoo a map of the Netherlands on my nether lands.
Heja Sverige!!
Everyone should cuffawkle more.
The wrench is your friend. :bat:

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The question is who and how many you are entertaining with your work. I find Persona (the film, not the game) enormously entertaing, but the vast majority of movie going peeps would find it an awful bore.

 

Scary Movie set out to entertain a great deal of people and was very successful. Does that make it art?

Scary Movie also parodies pop culture. Just because it's tastless and poorly produced does not mean it can't be art.

"Show me a man who "plays fair" and I'll show you a very talented cheater."
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Let me rephrase that:

 

Scary Movie set out to entertain a great deal of people and was very successful. Does that make it "good" art?

"My hovercraft is full of eels!" - Hungarian tourist
I am Dan Quayle of the Romans.
I want to tattoo a map of the Netherlands on my nether lands.
Heja Sverige!!
Everyone should cuffawkle more.
The wrench is your friend. :bat:

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Let me rephrase that:

 

Scary Movie set out to entertain a great deal of people and was very successful. Does that make it "good" art?

I'm sorry, you introduced a subjective. You'll need to elaborate.

"Show me a man who "plays fair" and I'll show you a very talented cheater."
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That's actually kind of my point. All of this is subjective, like any other considerations on value.

"My hovercraft is full of eels!" - Hungarian tourist
I am Dan Quayle of the Romans.
I want to tattoo a map of the Netherlands on my nether lands.
Heja Sverige!!
Everyone should cuffawkle more.
The wrench is your friend. :bat:

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But art isn't a consideration of value but of classification.

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"Show me a man who "plays fair" and I'll show you a very talented cheater."
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Perhaps when you use the word, but when Ebert uses the word "art", or "high art", or whatever, he's making a consideration of value. He is saying games are worse than movies because they are not art.

"My hovercraft is full of eels!" - Hungarian tourist
I am Dan Quayle of the Romans.
I want to tattoo a map of the Netherlands on my nether lands.
Heja Sverige!!
Everyone should cuffawkle more.
The wrench is your friend. :bat:

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I didn't get that impression. Especially not with his stated claim of why.

"Show me a man who "plays fair" and I'll show you a very talented cheater."
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Everyone else seems to think he was devaluing games, though. If not, then why did so many gamers get their panties all in a bunch over Ebert's comments?

"My hovercraft is full of eels!" - Hungarian tourist
I am Dan Quayle of the Romans.
I want to tattoo a map of the Netherlands on my nether lands.
Heja Sverige!!
Everyone should cuffawkle more.
The wrench is your friend. :bat:

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1) Misinterpretation that he's devaluing games.

2) Disagreement with the principle.

 

There's a possible 3rd, but it's not worth mentioning.

"Show me a man who "plays fair" and I'll show you a very talented cheater."
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Well...

 

I'd be practically willing to bet that he first decided he didn't like games (probably out of prejudice), and then proceeded to search for reasons for his distaste of games, mostly by over rationalizing. "Games are not art" is the argument he came up with.

 

 

I guess this is awfully judgemental on my part.

"My hovercraft is full of eels!" - Hungarian tourist
I am Dan Quayle of the Romans.
I want to tattoo a map of the Netherlands on my nether lands.
Heja Sverige!!
Everyone should cuffawkle more.
The wrench is your friend. :bat:

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99% of all great philosophers did what I think he did anyway, so I guess it isn't really a big deal.

"My hovercraft is full of eels!" - Hungarian tourist
I am Dan Quayle of the Romans.
I want to tattoo a map of the Netherlands on my nether lands.
Heja Sverige!!
Everyone should cuffawkle more.
The wrench is your friend. :bat:

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For something to qualify as art, it must have been done with the intent to produce something artsy. It also needs to have that special undefinable "thing" that you cant really quantify :o

DISCLAIMER: Do not take what I write seriously unless it is clearly and in no uncertain terms, declared by me to be meant in a serious and non-humoristic manner. If there is no clear indication, asume the post is written in jest. This notification is meant very seriously and its purpouse is to avoid misunderstandings and the consequences thereof. Furthermore; I can not be held accountable for anything I write on these forums since the idea of taking serious responsability for my unserious actions, is an oxymoron in itself.

 

Important: as the following sentence contains many naughty words I warn you not to read it under any circumstances; botty, knickers, wee, erogenous zone, psychiatrist, clitoris, stockings, bosom, poetry reading, dentist, fellatio and the department of agriculture.

 

"I suppose outright stupidity and complete lack of taste could also be considered points of view. "

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For something to qualify as art, it must have been done with the intent to produce something artsy. It also needs to have that special undefinable "thing" that you cant really quantify :o

 

Which is why Out of this world/Another world can be considered to be art.

RS_Silvestri_01.jpg

 

"I'm a programmer at a games company... REET GOOD!" - Me

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For something to qualify as art, it must have been done with the intent to produce something artsy. It also needs to have that special undefinable "thing" that you cant really quantify :o

 

Which is why Out of this world/Another world can be considered to be art.

 

And also why my last fart could also be considered art.

"My hovercraft is full of eels!" - Hungarian tourist
I am Dan Quayle of the Romans.
I want to tattoo a map of the Netherlands on my nether lands.
Heja Sverige!!
Everyone should cuffawkle more.
The wrench is your friend. :bat:

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For something to qualify as art, it must have been done with the intent to produce something artsy. It also needs to have that special undefinable "thing" that you cant really quantify :blink:

 

Which is why Out of this world/Another world can be considered to be art.

 

And also why my last fart could also be considered art.

 

Perhaps, was the smell utterly unique.

 

The whole definitation of what is art in general is BS, there are games that should certainly be thought of as art, so sarcasam aside I was actually trying to be serious.

RS_Silvestri_01.jpg

 

"I'm a programmer at a games company... REET GOOD!" - Me

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