One of the many eternal struggles for video games has been the justification that it can be a popular form of art (/entertainment) such as books, movies and music. But I am sceptical about that, as there are hurdles to overcome for that to become a reality. Here are the the biggest reasons against it, in my opinion;
People don't "quit."
I've read about it and I've heard friends talking about it. People quit playing video games for a variety of reasons, though the biggest two seem to be financial and lack of time. But also a lack of interest in new games come into play. But I have yet to hear about someone saying they quit watching movies, reading books or listen to music to a similar set of reasons. They might quit a genre of movies, books or music. But not the entire form of entertainment. Sure, there are tons more books, movies and music acts in comparison to games, but only a handful of those are truly worth the time and money anyway. Strike one, nevertheless, against video games; people quit playing for one reason or another.
Price.
Contrary to other forms of entertainment, video games do come with a pretty hefty price tag. It's not the cheapest thing to entertain as a hobby, and that is certainly a big factor why (as said) some people quit. And others, simply don't get into it as they don't see the value. And it's hard to argue that one game is worth more than an artist's entire discography. Just imagine how many hours you've spent listening to your favorite album by your favorite artist and cross reference that with how many hours you've spent in your favorite game. Which one has the best value per hour?
Unity.. NOT.
If you could have one device that would play all your movies or several devices that handled particular studios' movies, which option would you pick? Naturally, the first one. Why would you go out and buy several different dvd players simply to be able to see all your movies, it would be stupid. But, to play all the games you want to play, you need a different set of consoles all at varying pricing, features and accessibility. This is also something I am curious about, because no other medium accepts this (and I am naturally not talking about the natural progression of technology). As the game industry is set up now, the consoles are the center stage and games come to visit. How many more companies will look at console gaming and go "Oh, maybe.." until we've been overly saturated with different console options and missed the whole point; the games themselves.
Don't take it seriously.
If I were to tell a random stranger that [game] moved me more than [movie] or [book], people would shake their head and wonder what was wrong with me. Because most people seem to be under the illusion that games are a high tech form of toys, not interactive entertainment. The illusion, though, seem to cover even those within the industry. They don't dare to tackle truly shocking subjects, push the envelope and stir around a bit in this circus of life. I will admit that it's getting better in this regard, but we still have a long way to go.
Independent Scene.
This is probably the biggest hurdle to overcome in gaming's current way of things. To get the same diversity as movies, music or books, there has to be an underground scene. Something from which things will grow and eventually turn big. But, games are not entirely underground friendly, especially not console gaming. With some new independent development tools coming here and there, there is the option, but it is still a pretty lackluster option. I suppose in general, it is easier to make a quality underground band,movie or novel than it is to make a game. At least from a business standpoint. People might pay and pick up the local band's CD at the store, but would they pay for a platformer made by some guy in town? Probably not. Perhaps the problem isn't in the support of the underground but rather the average's person's lack of appreciation for the craft itself. And, perhaps independent games simply don't have the same appeal as a local band's music, and never will.
Closing comment.
Video games are a form of entertainment that doesn't quite fit exactly into the box it's been given. It's a big many things to many different people. And while I may argue that video games will not be in the same halls as the other forms of entertainment, I am sure it will be at some point when it has overcome it's growing pains and matured into something more. It seem right now it is in it's teens trying to be everything to everyone. Once it has grown up to realize who it is, it'll settle down and be like all other forms of entertainment, in good and bad. And every form has their own problems and advantages, the video game industry just need to figure out it's strengths and build on them.
Life is all ups and downs, like your avarage theme park experience. And it seems gaming in general have that same pattern. I haven't touched my PSP in probably over a year's time and suddenly I'm playing it daily after having downloaded Def Jam Fight for NY: The Takeover from the playstation store. The game is simple, but lends itself perfect for a quick play here and there. No real investment, but you get some unlocks as you progress and which makes you come back on your next break. And having people at work look over your shoulder as you kick some dude's face in.. well, that has a value just of it's own. And post E3, the PSP's future is looking brighter than ever. Though I am not sure whether I'll spend money on a PSP Go, or simply buy the equivalent storage capacity on memory sticks and keep my old PSP, because I am really enjoying the downloading and having the games on the machine rather than using UMDs. But then, I've always liked new and shiny things, so it wouldn't surprise me if I eventually get the PSP Go.
Staying on Sony, I'm getting more and more curious about whether or not it's worth my money to get me a PS3. There are some games out, like Killzone 2 and inFamous that is looking good. And there are upcoming titles that I am eager to see if they're good. Such as MAG, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Heavy Rain: Origami Killer. And naturally, being a big Rockstar fan, Agent is something I am all over. But at the same time, I dont know if I have the time or if it is worth the funds to get into another system. My 55+ Xbox 360 collection isn't all finished, and I am barely finding time to finish back catalog games such as Suikoden V and more recently I've been curious about Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4. Ah, the headache of being a grunt with limited spare time.
As far as Xbox 360 goes, the biggest titles that I am eager to play are Assasin's Creed 2, Mass Effect 2 and Modern Warfare 2. They are games I had a ton of fun with. Mass Effect being one of the best games I've played in a long time. I would probably rank my investment in the game to be similar to playing one of the Metal Gear Solid titles, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare wasn't too bad either in the story department.. or rather, it's overall presentation of the story. While Assasin's Creed was a game that did a lot of things right, but lacked in variety. I am also curious to see if Batman: Arkham Asylum turns out well. A game I have paid no attention to until this E3 was probably APB, something of a surprise to me when I began reading about it. It does sound like a game down my alley, especially the customization options (something I am a real sucker for).
With lack of time, I am sure I am missing a ton of things right now. But I'll get back soon with something more.
Video games seem to be one of those areas where some people simply cant engage in a subjective yet objective discussion. Reading a lot of the game (or console) specific boards, any criticism is met with blind defensive replies. People simply are not accepting criticism. It doesn't seem to matter how constructive the criticism is, people will pretty much deal with it on deaf ears. Saying whoever is posting the criticism should just avoid the game/system instead and not bother those who like it. Why this need for blind following?
Maybe people need to justify their own purchases so they will be this defensive to prove to themselves that they're right, I don't know. I remember several years back, a friend of mine bought a really horrible game called 'The Note' from developer Sunsoft. When he showed the game to us, we cringed and made a lot of remarks about the quality of the game. I barely remember the game today, but I still remember my friend's reaction: he defended the game with everything he had. He has since then agreed with us in retrospect that the game was in fact rather horrible.
There will always be grayzones with games where there may not be a trouble with the game but just a difference of preference in said game, but that's when a level headed discussion usually pays off. People can explain in-depth as to why they like or dislike something, and if both parties hear each other out, maybe they'll come to an understanding. Of course, there's moments when a game issue (such as bad framerate) will bother some more than others. I remember playing the Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter demo on PC some while ago, I thought it looked pretty good and ran pretty decently too. I later found though using Fraps that I was running the game at 15 frames per second, tops. It hadn't bothered me at all, but it certainly would have bothered someone more seasoned with catching bad framrates.
Nevertheless, my advice to the people out there is simply this; next time someone is criticizing your game of choice, hear them out instead of flaming them, calling them idiots, etcetera without even considering their point of view first. Maybe they're saying some truths you're not ready to hear, and that's why you're so annoyed. In any case, why treat a form of entertainment with the same blind following as some crazy folks do with religion and politics? I thought games were supposed to be meant for amusement, not something worth fighting over.
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