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A Brief History of Entertainment
When the people of the world's first civilizations tired of their daily quest for survival, they gathered with their kinsmen around a campfire and began to tell stories. Some of these tales were founded in truth, while others were fleeting fantasy, the product of dreams and desires. As civilization advanced, these stories were recorded in written words, and told upon the stage of the Greek and Roman theatres. The printed word preserved these stories, and allowed them to spread beyond the horizons. Cultures mixed, and new stories were made.
The discovery of electronic principles allowed for the creation of recordings, first in records of audio and then in photography. Theatrical performances were photographed rapidly, faster than the eye could blink, and the motion picture was born. Audio and video mixed, and the modern movie came into being. Cinematography advanced, and new animation techniques created breathtaking special effects. The advent of computers allowed for the digitization of audio and video, and the quest for perfect fidelity continues today, but the next major advance in entertainment will not come from a simple evolution of audiovisuals.
The next revolution in the world of entertainment is interactivity; the ability for the audience and the experience to communicate with one another. This advance is not something on the horizon, or some laboratory project. Interactive audiovisual works already exist. They are called videogames.
The Stubborn Mainstream
The cultural "mainstream" has always resisted changes in the way it is entertained. The first motion pictures were horrible flops, for no one wanted to enter a dark theatre to stare at a black-and-white series of projected pictures that created some sort of stage play that was obviously not real, or not even approaching the pseudo-realism offered by the live theatrical. Motion pictures and their audiences were seen as some strange offshoot of the culture, some strange underground subculture that was attempting to elevate this strange thing called a "movie" to the stature of high art.
So it is with videogames. For years, when one spoke of a motion picture, the first image that flashed into the listeners' minds was one of the many ridiculous scenes from The Great Train Robbery. The mainstream "image" of a videogame, likewise, is stuck upon Space Invaders and the original Super Mario Bros., or upon the more violent games such as the Mortal Kombat series. The mainstream believes that there is no artistic merit to games at all; never mind that scores of skilled human beings are required to produce these games. There must be programmers to write the script that the game machine or computer will follow, artists to create the graphics, composers and musicians to create a score, and a producer and director to orchestrate the process. "Who cares?", the mainstream replies. "It isn't real."
Well, neither was The Great Train Robbery. Despite this fact, there remains a small but closely-knit subculture that pledges allegiance to the first few generations of motion pictures; not only despite the fact that they were not realistic at all, but because of that fact.
Again, so it is with videogames. Among gamers, there is clearly a new school and an old school. The new school, being primarily converts from the mainstream, embraces the gaming industry's quest for realism and immersion, as graphics and sound have become far more important than plot and character development. The old school points out the decreasing importance of a good story and memorable characters in games, as well as the gradual loss of advancement in innovation and gameplay. Simply put, the old school believes that the new generations of games simply are not as fun as those of the generations past.
To a seasoned movie fan, this cultural division should sound very familiar.
Plot? Character Development?
Yes, elements of literature such as plot and dynamic characterization do exist in certain genres of videogames. There is a genre of games known as role-playing games, or RPGs. This designation is something of a misnomer. While this genre did originally grow out of the dice-and-paper role-playing games of the 70's, the "role-playing" element of the games slowly transformed into a cinematic touch. Where there was once "Choose Your Own Adventure"-style decision making, there is now a variety of diverse characters, formulated by the artists and scenarists of the game, whom the player controls, whether directly or indirectly. These characters exist in worlds that are based upon reality, science fiction, high fantasy, or anything inbetween; these games have stories that fit into real literary genres. I humbly submit the Final Fantasy series as evidence to this argument. (future link here)
Gameplay, the Defining Element
In all video and computer games, there exists a factor called gameplay. Gameplay is, simply, the element of interactivity in a game that makes it engaging. Gameplay can be simple -- "shoot scores of aliens and Save The Princess™" -- or it can be complicated, casting the player as a character in a story who must not only aid the character in combat, but also make personal decisions for the character that affects the character's relations with its peers. It is the style of gameplay that determines what genre the game fits into, and the quality of gameplay that makes a game "good" or "bad", or "fun" or "not fun".
I claim that gameplay is the single most important factor in any videogame. Gameplay is king; it is far more important than audiovisuals. It will be the graphics that sell a game (as with movies), but it is the gameplay that makes the game a "keeper" to recommend to friends, just as the plot is what compels a person to see the same movie again.
Motion Pictures Again
It cannot be argued that the quality of storytelling in movies has degraded immensely over the past two decades. The mainstream now cares more about star power and cutting-edge, over-the-top special effects than about the plot and message of the movie. Very few people go to a movie these days simply for its plot. Some will see a movie simply for its premise (Jurassic Park, for example), but that premise is often backed either by acting "talent" or by jaw-dropping special effects (both of which apply to Jurassic Park).
This is what the mainstream does to art. The mainstream demands that its entertainment be pureed and watered down into baby food before it can be consumed. The scores of book-to-movie conversions which have had their plots diluted in such a way (again, Jurassic Park) yet have been incredibly successful and profitable is downright saddening to one who truly values art. Just as Picasso had to pass on before the mainstream could ever appreciate him, the "old school" videogames will pass on before their artistic worth is ever examined. In fact, it has already happened. The old school is dead; its pall is born only by the most devoted of fans, who are small in number but possess a grand passion far greater than that of the new school, or the game-bashing mainstream.
Gaming Today
Today, video and computer games are finally becoming accepted by the mainstream, but a heavy price was paid for this. Today's games, like today's movies, are feasts for the eyes but poison to the heart. I long for Gone With The Wind and Final Fantasy IV, and I hope that you now understand why.
To anyone who actually read all that,
Go rest your eyes, have a little think, maybe have a nice cold beverage,
come back, and reply.
:)
When the people of the world's first civilizations tired of their daily quest for survival, they gathered with their kinsmen around a campfire and began to tell stories. Some of these tales were founded in truth, while others were fleeting fantasy, the product of dreams and desires. As civilization advanced, these stories were recorded in written words, and told upon the stage of the Greek and Roman theatres. The printed word preserved these stories, and allowed them to spread beyond the horizons. Cultures mixed, and new stories were made.
The discovery of electronic principles allowed for the creation of recordings, first in records of audio and then in photography. Theatrical performances were photographed rapidly, faster than the eye could blink, and the motion picture was born. Audio and video mixed, and the modern movie came into being. Cinematography advanced, and new animation techniques created breathtaking special effects. The advent of computers allowed for the digitization of audio and video, and the quest for perfect fidelity continues today, but the next major advance in entertainment will not come from a simple evolution of audiovisuals.
The next revolution in the world of entertainment is interactivity; the ability for the audience and the experience to communicate with one another. This advance is not something on the horizon, or some laboratory project. Interactive audiovisual works already exist. They are called videogames.
The Stubborn Mainstream
The cultural "mainstream" has always resisted changes in the way it is entertained. The first motion pictures were horrible flops, for no one wanted to enter a dark theatre to stare at a black-and-white series of projected pictures that created some sort of stage play that was obviously not real, or not even approaching the pseudo-realism offered by the live theatrical. Motion pictures and their audiences were seen as some strange offshoot of the culture, some strange underground subculture that was attempting to elevate this strange thing called a "movie" to the stature of high art.
So it is with videogames. For years, when one spoke of a motion picture, the first image that flashed into the listeners' minds was one of the many ridiculous scenes from The Great Train Robbery. The mainstream "image" of a videogame, likewise, is stuck upon Space Invaders and the original Super Mario Bros., or upon the more violent games such as the Mortal Kombat series. The mainstream believes that there is no artistic merit to games at all; never mind that scores of skilled human beings are required to produce these games. There must be programmers to write the script that the game machine or computer will follow, artists to create the graphics, composers and musicians to create a score, and a producer and director to orchestrate the process. "Who cares?", the mainstream replies. "It isn't real."
Well, neither was The Great Train Robbery. Despite this fact, there remains a small but closely-knit subculture that pledges allegiance to the first few generations of motion pictures; not only despite the fact that they were not realistic at all, but because of that fact.
Again, so it is with videogames. Among gamers, there is clearly a new school and an old school. The new school, being primarily converts from the mainstream, embraces the gaming industry's quest for realism and immersion, as graphics and sound have become far more important than plot and character development. The old school points out the decreasing importance of a good story and memorable characters in games, as well as the gradual loss of advancement in innovation and gameplay. Simply put, the old school believes that the new generations of games simply are not as fun as those of the generations past.
To a seasoned movie fan, this cultural division should sound very familiar.
Plot? Character Development?
Yes, elements of literature such as plot and dynamic characterization do exist in certain genres of videogames. There is a genre of games known as role-playing games, or RPGs. This designation is something of a misnomer. While this genre did originally grow out of the dice-and-paper role-playing games of the 70's, the "role-playing" element of the games slowly transformed into a cinematic touch. Where there was once "Choose Your Own Adventure"-style decision making, there is now a variety of diverse characters, formulated by the artists and scenarists of the game, whom the player controls, whether directly or indirectly. These characters exist in worlds that are based upon reality, science fiction, high fantasy, or anything inbetween; these games have stories that fit into real literary genres. I humbly submit the Final Fantasy series as evidence to this argument. (future link here)
Gameplay, the Defining Element
In all video and computer games, there exists a factor called gameplay. Gameplay is, simply, the element of interactivity in a game that makes it engaging. Gameplay can be simple -- "shoot scores of aliens and Save The Princess™" -- or it can be complicated, casting the player as a character in a story who must not only aid the character in combat, but also make personal decisions for the character that affects the character's relations with its peers. It is the style of gameplay that determines what genre the game fits into, and the quality of gameplay that makes a game "good" or "bad", or "fun" or "not fun".
I claim that gameplay is the single most important factor in any videogame. Gameplay is king; it is far more important than audiovisuals. It will be the graphics that sell a game (as with movies), but it is the gameplay that makes the game a "keeper" to recommend to friends, just as the plot is what compels a person to see the same movie again.
Motion Pictures Again
It cannot be argued that the quality of storytelling in movies has degraded immensely over the past two decades. The mainstream now cares more about star power and cutting-edge, over-the-top special effects than about the plot and message of the movie. Very few people go to a movie these days simply for its plot. Some will see a movie simply for its premise (Jurassic Park, for example), but that premise is often backed either by acting "talent" or by jaw-dropping special effects (both of which apply to Jurassic Park).
This is what the mainstream does to art. The mainstream demands that its entertainment be pureed and watered down into baby food before it can be consumed. The scores of book-to-movie conversions which have had their plots diluted in such a way (again, Jurassic Park) yet have been incredibly successful and profitable is downright saddening to one who truly values art. Just as Picasso had to pass on before the mainstream could ever appreciate him, the "old school" videogames will pass on before their artistic worth is ever examined. In fact, it has already happened. The old school is dead; its pall is born only by the most devoted of fans, who are small in number but possess a grand passion far greater than that of the new school, or the game-bashing mainstream.
Gaming Today
Today, video and computer games are finally becoming accepted by the mainstream, but a heavy price was paid for this. Today's games, like today's movies, are feasts for the eyes but poison to the heart. I long for Gone With The Wind and Final Fantasy IV, and I hope that you now understand why.
To anyone who actually read all that,
Go rest your eyes, have a little think, maybe have a nice cold beverage,
come back, and reply.
:)
Page:
sorry i forgot
no no no,
i didnt write that at all,
i just thought it was interesting and wanted to share it with you.
i found it on another board and was looking for the site myself
thanks for the link
again,
i didnt write all that lot
no no no,
i didnt write that at all,
i just thought it was interesting and wanted to share it with you.
i found it on another board and was looking for the site myself
thanks for the link
again,
i didnt write all that lot
Don't forget to reference your sources:
http://24.170.80.224:7777/greatdave/gt.html
tut tut. People might think you had written that all by yourself.
http://24.170.80.224:7777/greatdave/gt.html
tut tut. People might think you had written that all by yourself.
A Brief History of Entertainment
When the people of the world's first civilizations tired of their daily quest for survival, they gathered with their kinsmen around a campfire and began to tell stories. Some of these tales were founded in truth, while others were fleeting fantasy, the product of dreams and desires. As civilization advanced, these stories were recorded in written words, and told upon the stage of the Greek and Roman theatres. The printed word preserved these stories, and allowed them to spread beyond the horizons. Cultures mixed, and new stories were made.
The discovery of electronic principles allowed for the creation of recordings, first in records of audio and then in photography. Theatrical performances were photographed rapidly, faster than the eye could blink, and the motion picture was born. Audio and video mixed, and the modern movie came into being. Cinematography advanced, and new animation techniques created breathtaking special effects. The advent of computers allowed for the digitization of audio and video, and the quest for perfect fidelity continues today, but the next major advance in entertainment will not come from a simple evolution of audiovisuals.
The next revolution in the world of entertainment is interactivity; the ability for the audience and the experience to communicate with one another. This advance is not something on the horizon, or some laboratory project. Interactive audiovisual works already exist. They are called videogames.
The Stubborn Mainstream
The cultural "mainstream" has always resisted changes in the way it is entertained. The first motion pictures were horrible flops, for no one wanted to enter a dark theatre to stare at a black-and-white series of projected pictures that created some sort of stage play that was obviously not real, or not even approaching the pseudo-realism offered by the live theatrical. Motion pictures and their audiences were seen as some strange offshoot of the culture, some strange underground subculture that was attempting to elevate this strange thing called a "movie" to the stature of high art.
So it is with videogames. For years, when one spoke of a motion picture, the first image that flashed into the listeners' minds was one of the many ridiculous scenes from The Great Train Robbery. The mainstream "image" of a videogame, likewise, is stuck upon Space Invaders and the original Super Mario Bros., or upon the more violent games such as the Mortal Kombat series. The mainstream believes that there is no artistic merit to games at all; never mind that scores of skilled human beings are required to produce these games. There must be programmers to write the script that the game machine or computer will follow, artists to create the graphics, composers and musicians to create a score, and a producer and director to orchestrate the process. "Who cares?", the mainstream replies. "It isn't real."
Well, neither was The Great Train Robbery. Despite this fact, there remains a small but closely-knit subculture that pledges allegiance to the first few generations of motion pictures; not only despite the fact that they were not realistic at all, but because of that fact.
Again, so it is with videogames. Among gamers, there is clearly a new school and an old school. The new school, being primarily converts from the mainstream, embraces the gaming industry's quest for realism and immersion, as graphics and sound have become far more important than plot and character development. The old school points out the decreasing importance of a good story and memorable characters in games, as well as the gradual loss of advancement in innovation and gameplay. Simply put, the old school believes that the new generations of games simply are not as fun as those of the generations past.
To a seasoned movie fan, this cultural division should sound very familiar.
Plot? Character Development?
Yes, elements of literature such as plot and dynamic characterization do exist in certain genres of videogames. There is a genre of games known as role-playing games, or RPGs. This designation is something of a misnomer. While this genre did originally grow out of the dice-and-paper role-playing games of the 70's, the "role-playing" element of the games slowly transformed into a cinematic touch. Where there was once "Choose Your Own Adventure"-style decision making, there is now a variety of diverse characters, formulated by the artists and scenarists of the game, whom the player controls, whether directly or indirectly. These characters exist in worlds that are based upon reality, science fiction, high fantasy, or anything inbetween; these games have stories that fit into real literary genres. I humbly submit the Final Fantasy series as evidence to this argument. (future link here)
Gameplay, the Defining Element
In all video and computer games, there exists a factor called gameplay. Gameplay is, simply, the element of interactivity in a game that makes it engaging. Gameplay can be simple -- "shoot scores of aliens and Save The Princess™" -- or it can be complicated, casting the player as a character in a story who must not only aid the character in combat, but also make personal decisions for the character that affects the character's relations with its peers. It is the style of gameplay that determines what genre the game fits into, and the quality of gameplay that makes a game "good" or "bad", or "fun" or "not fun".
I claim that gameplay is the single most important factor in any videogame. Gameplay is king; it is far more important than audiovisuals. It will be the graphics that sell a game (as with movies), but it is the gameplay that makes the game a "keeper" to recommend to friends, just as the plot is what compels a person to see the same movie again.
Motion Pictures Again
It cannot be argued that the quality of storytelling in movies has degraded immensely over the past two decades. The mainstream now cares more about star power and cutting-edge, over-the-top special effects than about the plot and message of the movie. Very few people go to a movie these days simply for its plot. Some will see a movie simply for its premise (Jurassic Park, for example), but that premise is often backed either by acting "talent" or by jaw-dropping special effects (both of which apply to Jurassic Park).
This is what the mainstream does to art. The mainstream demands that its entertainment be pureed and watered down into baby food before it can be consumed. The scores of book-to-movie conversions which have had their plots diluted in such a way (again, Jurassic Park) yet have been incredibly successful and profitable is downright saddening to one who truly values art. Just as Picasso had to pass on before the mainstream could ever appreciate him, the "old school" videogames will pass on before their artistic worth is ever examined. In fact, it has already happened. The old school is dead; its pall is born only by the most devoted of fans, who are small in number but possess a grand passion far greater than that of the new school, or the game-bashing mainstream.
Gaming Today
Today, video and computer games are finally becoming accepted by the mainstream, but a heavy price was paid for this. Today's games, like today's movies, are feasts for the eyes but poison to the heart. I long for Gone With The Wind and Final Fantasy IV, and I hope that you now understand why.
To anyone who actually read all that,
Go rest your eyes, have a little think, maybe have a nice cold beverage,
come back, and reply.
:)
When the people of the world's first civilizations tired of their daily quest for survival, they gathered with their kinsmen around a campfire and began to tell stories. Some of these tales were founded in truth, while others were fleeting fantasy, the product of dreams and desires. As civilization advanced, these stories were recorded in written words, and told upon the stage of the Greek and Roman theatres. The printed word preserved these stories, and allowed them to spread beyond the horizons. Cultures mixed, and new stories were made.
The discovery of electronic principles allowed for the creation of recordings, first in records of audio and then in photography. Theatrical performances were photographed rapidly, faster than the eye could blink, and the motion picture was born. Audio and video mixed, and the modern movie came into being. Cinematography advanced, and new animation techniques created breathtaking special effects. The advent of computers allowed for the digitization of audio and video, and the quest for perfect fidelity continues today, but the next major advance in entertainment will not come from a simple evolution of audiovisuals.
The next revolution in the world of entertainment is interactivity; the ability for the audience and the experience to communicate with one another. This advance is not something on the horizon, or some laboratory project. Interactive audiovisual works already exist. They are called videogames.
The Stubborn Mainstream
The cultural "mainstream" has always resisted changes in the way it is entertained. The first motion pictures were horrible flops, for no one wanted to enter a dark theatre to stare at a black-and-white series of projected pictures that created some sort of stage play that was obviously not real, or not even approaching the pseudo-realism offered by the live theatrical. Motion pictures and their audiences were seen as some strange offshoot of the culture, some strange underground subculture that was attempting to elevate this strange thing called a "movie" to the stature of high art.
So it is with videogames. For years, when one spoke of a motion picture, the first image that flashed into the listeners' minds was one of the many ridiculous scenes from The Great Train Robbery. The mainstream "image" of a videogame, likewise, is stuck upon Space Invaders and the original Super Mario Bros., or upon the more violent games such as the Mortal Kombat series. The mainstream believes that there is no artistic merit to games at all; never mind that scores of skilled human beings are required to produce these games. There must be programmers to write the script that the game machine or computer will follow, artists to create the graphics, composers and musicians to create a score, and a producer and director to orchestrate the process. "Who cares?", the mainstream replies. "It isn't real."
Well, neither was The Great Train Robbery. Despite this fact, there remains a small but closely-knit subculture that pledges allegiance to the first few generations of motion pictures; not only despite the fact that they were not realistic at all, but because of that fact.
Again, so it is with videogames. Among gamers, there is clearly a new school and an old school. The new school, being primarily converts from the mainstream, embraces the gaming industry's quest for realism and immersion, as graphics and sound have become far more important than plot and character development. The old school points out the decreasing importance of a good story and memorable characters in games, as well as the gradual loss of advancement in innovation and gameplay. Simply put, the old school believes that the new generations of games simply are not as fun as those of the generations past.
To a seasoned movie fan, this cultural division should sound very familiar.
Plot? Character Development?
Yes, elements of literature such as plot and dynamic characterization do exist in certain genres of videogames. There is a genre of games known as role-playing games, or RPGs. This designation is something of a misnomer. While this genre did originally grow out of the dice-and-paper role-playing games of the 70's, the "role-playing" element of the games slowly transformed into a cinematic touch. Where there was once "Choose Your Own Adventure"-style decision making, there is now a variety of diverse characters, formulated by the artists and scenarists of the game, whom the player controls, whether directly or indirectly. These characters exist in worlds that are based upon reality, science fiction, high fantasy, or anything inbetween; these games have stories that fit into real literary genres. I humbly submit the Final Fantasy series as evidence to this argument. (future link here)
Gameplay, the Defining Element
In all video and computer games, there exists a factor called gameplay. Gameplay is, simply, the element of interactivity in a game that makes it engaging. Gameplay can be simple -- "shoot scores of aliens and Save The Princess™" -- or it can be complicated, casting the player as a character in a story who must not only aid the character in combat, but also make personal decisions for the character that affects the character's relations with its peers. It is the style of gameplay that determines what genre the game fits into, and the quality of gameplay that makes a game "good" or "bad", or "fun" or "not fun".
I claim that gameplay is the single most important factor in any videogame. Gameplay is king; it is far more important than audiovisuals. It will be the graphics that sell a game (as with movies), but it is the gameplay that makes the game a "keeper" to recommend to friends, just as the plot is what compels a person to see the same movie again.
Motion Pictures Again
It cannot be argued that the quality of storytelling in movies has degraded immensely over the past two decades. The mainstream now cares more about star power and cutting-edge, over-the-top special effects than about the plot and message of the movie. Very few people go to a movie these days simply for its plot. Some will see a movie simply for its premise (Jurassic Park, for example), but that premise is often backed either by acting "talent" or by jaw-dropping special effects (both of which apply to Jurassic Park).
This is what the mainstream does to art. The mainstream demands that its entertainment be pureed and watered down into baby food before it can be consumed. The scores of book-to-movie conversions which have had their plots diluted in such a way (again, Jurassic Park) yet have been incredibly successful and profitable is downright saddening to one who truly values art. Just as Picasso had to pass on before the mainstream could ever appreciate him, the "old school" videogames will pass on before their artistic worth is ever examined. In fact, it has already happened. The old school is dead; its pall is born only by the most devoted of fans, who are small in number but possess a grand passion far greater than that of the new school, or the game-bashing mainstream.
Gaming Today
Today, video and computer games are finally becoming accepted by the mainstream, but a heavy price was paid for this. Today's games, like today's movies, are feasts for the eyes but poison to the heart. I long for Gone With The Wind and Final Fantasy IV, and I hope that you now understand why.
To anyone who actually read all that,
Go rest your eyes, have a little think, maybe have a nice cold beverage,
come back, and reply.
:)
Page: