How to make video games more respectable
COLUMN
Doug Dierkes COLUMNIST
Issue date: 10/28/08 Section: Opinion
I've been playing video games for about as long as I've been talking- maybe longer. I'm still amazed at how little more than thirty years has given us a new form of media that's more popular than movies and television combined, if my numbers are right. The rapid advancement of the technology is also worthy of awe, as the graphics and processing power are affording new areas for exploration I would never have dreamed of staring at the brightly colored blobs my old Nintendo spat out.
But despite this hectic growth, one thing hasn't changed. My hobby is still looked upon with scorn and downright hatred. I'm getting sick of people decreeing that my favorite pastime is decaying the moral fabric of society, so I came up with a list of changes that need to happen to make video games more respectable.
Lesson 1: Humility
Television news networks love to point out how we're "destroying the lives of children." It's sensationalist and inflammatory drivel spouted by ignorant fear mongers who have too much time on their hands.
But for far too long, any time someone made such outlandish claims about video games, the Internet has responded with even more outlandish, profane, and ignorant remarks. If we are to be accepted by society, we must first learn to play nice with our critics and stop going for the jugular any time someone speaks negatively about us.
Lesson 2:Wisdom
Writing a script isn't hard- just look at the filmography of Cheech and Chong. Writing an intelligent script that will keep both critics and commoners discussing the experience is hard. Making it interactive? That's downright challenging. We haven't really had any story expand beyond the simplistic "this is why I don't feel bad about killing stuff," and those that have are largely ignored by mainstream society.
Luckily, modern game companies are starting to see plot as an essential component of a great game instead of an accessory. My advice to aspiring game designers: look outside your software collection for inspiration. Watch movies, read novels, listen to poetry slams. Learn what it takes to get an emotional response from your audience, and your works will be more 'Citizen Kane' than 'Clash of the Titans.'
Lesson 3: Chastity
Please stop making underdressed female characters with breasts larger than their heads. It's getting old now, and if we really wanted to see that, we have the Internet.
Lesson 4: Compassion
Hollywood's biggest stars are also some of the world's biggest philanthropists, contributing both money and awareness to the problems of our world. The biggest charity in video games? Two webcomic artists give Game Boys to a children's hospital. When games sell for well over $50, don't you think the big companies should give a little back to the world?
Is it really that hard to donate, say $5, to food banks across the nation for every copy you sell? There aren't enough random acts of kindness in the multi-billion dollar video game industry. We have the power to change this. what we need is the motivation.
But despite this hectic growth, one thing hasn't changed. My hobby is still looked upon with scorn and downright hatred. I'm getting sick of people decreeing that my favorite pastime is decaying the moral fabric of society, so I came up with a list of changes that need to happen to make video games more respectable.
Lesson 1: Humility
Television news networks love to point out how we're "destroying the lives of children." It's sensationalist and inflammatory drivel spouted by ignorant fear mongers who have too much time on their hands.
But for far too long, any time someone made such outlandish claims about video games, the Internet has responded with even more outlandish, profane, and ignorant remarks. If we are to be accepted by society, we must first learn to play nice with our critics and stop going for the jugular any time someone speaks negatively about us.
Lesson 2:Wisdom
Writing a script isn't hard- just look at the filmography of Cheech and Chong. Writing an intelligent script that will keep both critics and commoners discussing the experience is hard. Making it interactive? That's downright challenging. We haven't really had any story expand beyond the simplistic "this is why I don't feel bad about killing stuff," and those that have are largely ignored by mainstream society.
Luckily, modern game companies are starting to see plot as an essential component of a great game instead of an accessory. My advice to aspiring game designers: look outside your software collection for inspiration. Watch movies, read novels, listen to poetry slams. Learn what it takes to get an emotional response from your audience, and your works will be more 'Citizen Kane' than 'Clash of the Titans.'
Lesson 3: Chastity
Please stop making underdressed female characters with breasts larger than their heads. It's getting old now, and if we really wanted to see that, we have the Internet.
Lesson 4: Compassion
Hollywood's biggest stars are also some of the world's biggest philanthropists, contributing both money and awareness to the problems of our world. The biggest charity in video games? Two webcomic artists give Game Boys to a children's hospital. When games sell for well over $50, don't you think the big companies should give a little back to the world?
Is it really that hard to donate, say $5, to food banks across the nation for every copy you sell? There aren't enough random acts of kindness in the multi-billion dollar video game industry. We have the power to change this. what we need is the motivation.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
zig
posted 11/08/08 @ 10:38 PM EST
I do think the story in games is improving and some times the good ones do get noticed but the story seldom gets it's do credit in the titles success. (Continued…)
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