Really, people. This is an issue to you. Okay, let’s do
this. And no, I don’t really give a shit whether or not someone fucked someone
else for a good review. Maybe I would care if someone was doing that for book
reviews, but only in the case that it may benefit me. Let’s stick to the “SJW’s
are ruining games” argument.
I like games. I’m not a huge gamer and would probably be
called a poseur by those who consider themselves such. I don’t care. I enjoy
them. It’s another way to experience a narrative that allows me to see the
world in new and exciting ways. And kill stuff. I fully admit to enjoying
digitally killing digital stuff as much as I enjoy verbally killing imaginary
stuff on paper. But there are times that the killing stuff turns into honest to
goodness world-view changing experiences and that is goddamn awesome in every
fucking way imaginable. Holy shit is that sweet.
Here’s the problem I have with people having a problem with
videogames being used to advance or even discuss any sort of social idea or
agenda: That is what art does. It comments on the human condition. You may
agree with the commentary. You may disagree with the commentary. That doesn’t
matter as long as it gets you to engage in some level with the ideas at work.
The same damn people that have been screaming that their
beloved videogames are not simply junkfood entertainment churning the brains of
the masses, but honest to goodness art are now yelling that videogames should
just be junkfood entertainment and nothing more. Excuse me while I growl for a
moment. I had a great time with Katamari Damacy because rolling around a ball
to pick stuff up was more fun than I had any reason to believe. I respect the
hell out of Manhunt because, by the end, the gamer is forced to acknowledge
that the horrific bastard forcing people to brutally kill each other for their
entertainment is, in fact, themself (even if I suck too much at stealth games
to actually be able to play it). FTL got me invested in beings I couldn’t even
see minor representations of*. It is entirely possible for these things to occur
in the same universe without physics collapsing all around us while Azathoth
pipes Aqualung.
There’s a part of me that thinks referring to them as “manipulatable
media” instead of games would possibly end this argument over what constitutes
something these people should be reviewing as a “game”. However, if that would
honestly make a difference for you, you should probably hide in a cave before
you infuriate me more.
All the same, there is a good side to all of this. The fact
that people are arguing over it proves beyond doubt that we’ve made it. If you
can argue about the validity of intrinsic commentary folded within the confines
of an art form, then it is definitely, beyond a shadow of a doubt,
honest-to-goodness Art. Suck that, Roger Ebert.
*yes, with the possible exception of FTL, I cited horridly outdated games. I already admitted to not being a "real gamer" whatever the fuck that means. Feel free to mock me if you wish.
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