Video game stuff

[Ag0stoMesmer]

...The difference is that a lot more people will see it and the story/property will be elevated to the "real" artistic medium that is film.

Uhu

Ebert was pretty much exactly who CMonster was talking about...

I misunderstood. I knew about his 'never art' bit and his later comments, I thought you meant he had something against game-to-film adaptations in-particular.

I think I stole my definition of art from Alan Moore; A truth told through fiction. Fiction can be anything; goo on canvas, words on paper, single or sequential pictures etc. ; if it reveals some 'truth' it's art, works for me.

In an [any medium] to [any other medium] adaptation there's always a 'loss in translation' be it; ballet to comic-book, tapestry to radio-play, poem to musical, whatever. Adapting books and vgs to cinema loses 'inner monologue', interactivity and stuff but gains kuleshov effect and stuff. I don't see a heirarchy of media-types from 'deeper' to 'shallower' --only different, with subjective preference vitally important.

Were not in tetris and space invaders times, games have more than just interactivity to offer now. Saying a game loses 'more' in adaptation to film than any other medium -seems to me- what CMonster was talking about.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is both, although I would really urge anyone not to spoiler themselves, but play the game instead.

I've heard that allot, by not playing it I'm playing a dangerous game of not-getting-spoilered -living on the edge!

There is a large amount of video game movies coming out, with Assassin's Creed (and Michael Fassbender) probably being the biggest.

Ugh. Probably the big-name game with the most disappointing story, too. Outside of the multiplayer, I don't care for the series at all.

My bro said watching the AC3 playthrough was good, I'm dubious.

Of all the TBCs on that list only Deus Ex gets my hopes up and it's done by the day the earth stood still remake guy, i thought that was ok.

...Adam Sessler

Sessler is a really unfortunate example to bring up...

I read even less vg criticism than I do movie, I prefer real people (I don't just come here to argue with Shogun ) but it seems they can't win. They get dismissed as people who couldn't cut it in some other field of journalism -which may well be true in many cases. biscuits ok but waffles on about menus and never goes deep enough into narrative for me, Sterling though tackles the real issues in gaming.

Would better vg criticism make devs and writers 'raise their game', then attrecting better critics in some wonderful positive-feeddback loop? I dunno

It may have started with a 'P'. It also may'nt've.

Ive had Dear Esther in my (shamefully long) unplayed steam list for ages, always though of it as a wordy-looking proteus but i've avoided spoilers really well so could be very wrong. i'll have to make a little time for it.

[Ag0stoMesmer]

I'm still waiting for somebody to take advantage of the fact that tvs and dvd players could now properly adapt a -choose-your-own-adventure movie like those horrible books I loved as a kid.

I almost barely started a collection of interactive/laserdisc stuff. I always assumed there were loads but...

If it weren't for the annoyingness of some qte's those telltale games are basically strings of moral choices in a similar way. I think this sort of thing is coming though, that it'll be a big thing on on the web soon -check this out

[paulofilmo]

It may have started with a 'P'. It also may'nt've.

Ive had Dear Esther in my (shamefully long) unplayed steam list for ages, always though of it as a wordy-looking proteus but i've avoided spoilers really well so could be very wrong. i'll have to make a little time for it.

YES. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU! YOU FUCKING SCHOLAR.

Now I just have to forget about it so I can re-find it in another two years. I can't wait. Hopefully I'll be caving in Belize.

[ShogunRua]

Of all the TBCs on that list only Deus Ex gets my hopes up and it's done by the day the earth stood still remake guy, i thought that was ok.

The original Deux Ex is a masterpiece, but its appeal is the giant, detailed world-building and the variety of ways of interacting with it, which of course doesn't translate to a non-interactive medium like film.

I read even less vg criticism than I do movie, I prefer real people (I don't just come here to argue with Shogun ) but it seems they can't win. They get dismissed as people who couldn't cut it in some other field of journalism -which may well be true in many cases.

You're not depicting my problems with Sessler accurately. He literally doesn't care about what makes games games; he only cares about the parts that they have in common with movies or (if present) their sociopolitical views. His main concern is cutscenes and dialogue, the non-interactive parts of an interactive medium. (Not to mention the amount of purely fucking retarded bullshit he spews forth)

That's not a self-respecting video games reviewer. That's a third-rate movie/sociopolitical reviewer masquerading as a video games writer.

biscuits ok but waffles on about menus and never goes deep enough into narrative for me,

To me, that shows his integrity. If you're a serious games reviewer, field of view in an first person shooter or the number of frames per second are as important as narrative.

Talking about the art of games is all well and good, but if you can't program it properly or do basic bug-fixes, it's shit, regardless. There's an enormous mechanical side to it.

Among reviewers, I think you would probably loooooovveeee Campster. I have issues with his work (I unsubscribed to him, although there are individual videos I think are excellent to this day); he's a bleeding heart liberal much like yourself, but a fairly articulate, intelligent one, who goes very deeply into the narratives of games. Sometimes he comes up with very interesting takes, other times he makes too much of a stretch, and other times he says something stupid/obvious. It's a mixed bag, but overall, I think you would like him a lot.

https://www.youtube.com/user/Campster

Sterling though tackles the real issues in gaming.

I mostly read his specific reviews of individual games, which are serious, articulate, and well-researched. That being said, thanks for the video link! It was funny, and I wish Jim would do more of that as opposed to some of the "serious issue" videos he has been making lately.

[Ag0stoMesmer]

The original Deux Ex is a masterpiece, but its appeal is the giant, detailed world-building and the variety of ways of interacting with it, which of course doesn't translate to a non-interactive medium like film.

Agreed but, as movie material; globetrotting, bio-conspiracy sci-fi sounds fun to me, fingers crossed.

You're not depicting my problems with Sessler accurately...

More a 'do we get the critics we deserve?' brainfart than response to your Sessler thoughts, that post was a too-long mess. Still haven't looked him up yet.

I came off a bit harsh on biscuit, he really knows his shiz and does that options stuff real well -should be required viewing for devs- but I wish I could skip it easier and he had more political and social context when discussing narrative.

... I think you would probably loooooovveeee Campster...It's a mixed bag...

Had a quick look and yes, he's at least trying. This vid on politics in games sounds like a calmer and less-sweary version of my 'civ and simcity haven't improved for 15 years' rant. Thanks for the rec.

I quite like Sterlings non-shock-jock stuff too.

[Ag0stoMesmer]

Now I just have to forget about it so I can re-find it in another two years. I can't wait. Hopefully I'll be caving in Belize.

When Belize Spelunking Simulator 2014 turns up on greenlight I'll hold you personally responsible. The inevitable zombie dlc is a shame upon us all.

If Proteus was a short film?

[ShogunRua]

I came off a bit harsh on biscuit, he really knows his shiz and does that options stuff real well -should be required viewing for devs- but I wish I could skip it easier and he had more political and social context when discussing narrative.

That's simply not who he is as a gaming personality, though. Not his "bag", if you will. Still, the commentary is highly professional, competent, and helpful.

... I think you would probably loooooovveeee Campster...It's a mixed bag...

Had a quick look and yes, he's at least trying. This vid on politics in games sounds like a calmer and less-sweary version of my 'civ and simcity haven't improved for 15 years' rant. Thanks for the rec.

Heh, that's probably one of my least favorite of his videos. Here is a good review of Bioschock Infinite, or another of a game you mentioned, Spec Ops: The Line.

He gets very heavily into narrative and meaning in both videos, but never takes it too far, and has generally interesting observations to make.

[Ag0stoMesmer]

Shogun. Yes. think it was ocelot mentioned spec ops. Last couple of times i've seen my brother he's been playing infinite, might give those a look.

[paulofilmo]

Now I just have to forget about it so I can re-find it in another two years. I can't wait. Hopefully I'll be caving in Belize.

When Belize Spelunking Simulator 2014 turns up on greenlight I'll hold you personally responsible. The inevitable zombie dlc is a shame upon us all.

If Proteus was a short film?

Yes. And the music like the innards. I didn't know there was so much before Mileece.
I'd like better quality 'cause cloud fetishism (see every fractal).
Nevertheless, it's going straight in my henge collection.

Edit: oh, apparently the music is by a band called Coil. Nifty!

[Ag0stoMesmer]

Edit: oh, apparently the music is by a band called Coil. Nifty!

Never heard of Coil!
In the Mesmer household they're bigger than Je.. the Beatles.