In the beginning of times, games were just plain fun.

Think of Pac-Man, Tetris and all those cute colorful pixels messing around. Those old-timers were really abstract and random... they were created only for us to play and have a good time.

Well, the clock doesn't stop ticking. Games have become more and more complex and doing random surreal stuff is not what most people expect from a good gaming experience. However, the whole philosophy of the gaming industry is still stuck on time. The games look really realistic in both their graphics and stories, but they are still very immature in a way... they are mostly still made just for fun.

Yeah, sure... what else would they do, right? Games are not made to make us bored or anything. But the point is: they don't have to have the same "essence" of ancient games! I mean, think of a super-modern Metal Gear Solid or any other "stealh-action" game, for instance. You study the behavior of the guards and then you go through them and all that clever stuff but... uhm, doesn't it remind you of anything? That's just like jumping flying platforms back on a SNES game!

That's what I'm talking about. Games should aknowledge how complex they are getting and how this could be used. Back in the 80's, games were nice but they all looked kind of silly. Nowadays, a game can easily be considered a beautiful work of art. Actually, if you think about it, games are the most complete form of art and expression. Being Cinema the "7th Art", I'd say games would be the 8th. Cinema already includes images, sounds and a narrative capable of expressing a full story. It's like a CD, a paiting and a book all brough together at the same time. Videogames are even more: they add INTERACTION to the formula.

This is really damn complex if you think about it. Art is all about expressing feelings and ideas... being that way, interaction could make that job a lot easier and satisfying.

However, I'm not saying that games should all be that serious. Still today, you can watch a lot of pointless movies, read silly books, listen to simple music and even appreciate a crazy drawing that doesn't really mean anything at all. That's perfectly fine for me and I won't judge anyone by that. The thing is: each one of those forms of art have it's own not-just-fun version! You can experience different sensations and learn from a lot of movies, songs, books and comics... but what can you take out of a videogame today!?

It's kinda sad that the whole industry is focusing only on the fun-factor, ignoring that a videogame could be a fantastic way of transmitting art. Actually, there are a few games that are really different and not that "fun-oriented". You can take some games really seriously, learn from the story and experience really cool sensations... but that's one or two in years of games and more games. And as time goes by and games get more complex, games like that get even more rare!

It works like this Uncanny Valley graphic. It grows better and better and then suddenly, it all goes down. That's were we are: going right back down.

My theory about this is the same I use to explain how bad horror movies have become: it's all technology's fault. The old scary movies were made with creativity... technology was just a tool. Nowadays, it's simply the opposite: the special effects are the focus and creativity is just a tool for you to get into all those impressive effects.

The same sad thing is happening with videogames... we got some great clever games for some time but now they are becoming so exaggerated that it all goes to the uncanny valley of games. It's sad... this is crearly expressed on the Max Payne game, by the way.

Max Payne was all about it's different Noir Feeling... now, for all we know about the third game of the series, it has gone just like any other 3rd person shooter. The producers seemed really enthusiastic about the "bullet-time" mode, but they seem to have simply forgot about the good old noir NewYorkCop feeling. Also, they said that the game is more brutal, which is the latest fashing for Xbox games: blood-spitting and limbs-jumping mechanics. To make matters worse, the screenshots realeased showed shootings in broad daylight in the slums of São Paulo. Well, this looks like a whole lot of fun (even more considering the fact that I'm brazilian)... but what was really a Max Payne game about, remember!?

And that's just an exemple! The true question is: what's actually playing videogame about? Are gamers that shallow and stupid? All we need is realistic graphics and pointless gore!?

The power is in our hands. Gamers should stand up for their rights (-wut) and make a whole revolution in the industry! Otherewise - as is happening already - we'll completely go back on time... when games were pointless, random and abstract fun.Yes... fun. But vacant.

And c'mon, gamers of the world... are we really that vacant!?