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| Acmlm's Board - I3 Archive - General Gaming - Video game theory |
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Ziff B2BB BACKTOBASICSBITCHES                   Since: 11-18-05 From: A room Last post: 6300 days Last view: 6300 days |
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| I'm really surprised that this isn't a field that has really opened up too much. Film and literature, as viable industrial and artistic aspects of culture as video games, both are full of theorists and actually working genre systems that transcend basic play models (witness auterism). I was wondering why video games, and gamers for that matter, haven't been able to spawn a field that is so important to forwarding creativity within a genre?
Ultimately many video games are as open to interpretation, due to complex musical scores, plot lines and play devices, as many films. I personally think that by opening video games to being more open to indepth analysis, like films, that go beyond basic and primative critiques (seriously, many reviews of video games that I happen to browse read like a gorilla grunting). Within the film industry there are major insider magazines that are open to those outside of the film industry, I've yet to see one for video games. Likewise, let me just say that EGM (sadly, being the only really readable magazine that is affordable) has some pretty bullshit analysis. See this shitty analysis done on 1up about differences in gaming. Such things would become more commonplace, but would require a better amount of research, depth, writing skill, and other factors. Much like the way that film and literature has evolved. By creating a field that would be populated by people who make a living out of video game analysis at the artistic level it could potentially widen niche and indy market viability. Imagine games that are just more stylish than what we're used to, or games that focus on nothing but innovative gameplay. Of course, a mainstream will still exist, but many producers will actually be inticed by the artistic aspects of video game production to change their methods to cater a little bit more to this should-be-important sector of the audience. Plus, it would mean that guys like Itagaki would have a bit more prominence, but many of them would be noticeably less dickish than he. edit:: my personal theory is that the 2d-3d transition in certain genres simply can't be done easily and that series that have been in 2d for a long time are going to have a harder transition. Well, it's not a theory, really. But you can expand it into a theory. (edited by Ziff on 01-23-07 06:43 PM) |
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Hiryuu Sword Maiden Retired Admin   Since: 11-17-05 From: Nerima District - Tokyo, Japan Last post: 6300 days Last view: 6300 days |
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| Actually, if you look on Google with that query, you'll find a bunch of articles pertaining to that on various sites.
As for it being an actual program/course to complete in a college or university, however, I would only believe that it would work if people took the concept a bit more seriously. That's what I think would be the downfall of such a course if it existed. Anything of a 'theory' class is usually held to some respect. Video Games? I dunno... Would I take such a course if it was available, however? Hell yes. |
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Ziff B2BB BACKTOBASICSBITCHES Since: 11-18-05 From: A room Last post: 6300 days Last view: 6300 days |
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| I see it as eventually breaking out as its own program, but currently it would have to be confined to maybe a film studies program. I'd really like to see some colleges offer maybe just a single course in this as a suplement. Gamers are coming of age, and ultimately many of us are taking a different look at the hobby, the industry, and the culture now that we are older. Some people are taking to different sides of it, some are forgetting all about it.
One thing that I DID like was the recent Itagaki interview on 1up. Here was a decent article. Not because of a good interview, Mielke is a dolt, but because of a developer who is really seeing video games and the experience therein as something more. He alludes to a design philosophy, but doesn't really explain and expand on that point enough. Plus, I think students would learn about this being serious when they realize that listening means marks. 
edit:: just found the wikipedia article on ludology or game studies. Not particularly indepth, but a start. Likewise I found an interesting blog about well, ludology itself . These are starting points, but the humanities side of video games have been massively neglected and their social conscience aspect, which is so strong in film, is nearly non-existant. (edited by Ziff on 01-23-07 07:06 PM) |
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Xeo Belmont Wiiiiiiiiiiiiin  Since: 11-17-05 Last post: 6300 days Last view: 6300 days |
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| Wow, this is awesome stuff Ziff. I really don't have much to say, but it really alludes interest myself, and this is something that I could definitely have fun with.
I took Game Design for two years at High School, and really enjoyed it. But, once I got back into that class for College this Semester, I think I finally decided that's not really for me. I just don't have the certain drawing skills, and patience for animation and things like that. This is somewhat besides the point I guess, however I've always taken a lot of games pretty seriously and have looked at them pretty deeply. If there were courses for this out there, I wouldn't even hesitate to sign up. Seriously. Like Ziff's said, there's other studies and courses out there on different subjects that have been around for awhile, but now we're in a new age with videogames, and there's definitely room for this study if you ask me. There's a few games that can really capture my mind at times. An older one, would be Super Metroid. The detail, level design, atmosphere, music, and just everything about that game has always hit me as "insane". Its unbelievable how incredibly cool that world of Zebes is, and I just feel like I'm there when I'm playing it. I remember in Halo, on the second level I once spent maybe an hour or so just ... walking around. Looking at the environemtns, the rocks and the waterfall (at the beginning), staring at the Halo's other side above me, and I was captured in its world. I guess that's all besides the point too. But hey: 1) I take my games seriously too, 2) This is pretty interesting to discuss.
Gaming Humanities. |
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Ziff B2BB BACKTOBASICSBITCHES Since: 11-18-05 From: A room Last post: 6300 days Last view: 6300 days |
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| For all those interested, I started a blog (boo!) to begin using as a platform. I'm getting used to this blogspot crap. I'm hoping to get some other people perhaps posting as time goes on.
dpadpundit | L ___\ If you're interested in helping with the blog, I can add you as an author. / (edited by Ziff on 01-23-07 11:47 PM) (edited by Ziff on 01-24-07 02:49 AM) (edited by Ziff on 01-25-07 01:55 PM) (edited by Ziff on 02-01-07 09:27 AM) |
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NSNick Gohma IF ALL ELSE FAILS USE BOOZE  Since: 11-17-05 From: Last post: 6302 days Last view: 6302 days |
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| I replied with some quick thoughts. I'm hoping they sound as coherent as I think, as it is 4 am. | |||
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Ziff B2BB BACKTOBASICSBITCHES Since: 11-18-05 From: A room Last post: 6300 days Last view: 6300 days |
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| Thanks for the comments, Nick. I'm going to keep this thread alive as long as humanly possible to try to get at least a minor audience at my blog. I made a big post there. It was fun to write and I'm looking forward to finding another story to take a look at. | |||
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Xeo Belmont Wiiiiiiiiiiiiin Since: 11-17-05 Last post: 6300 days Last view: 6300 days |
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| Yeah I definitely liked your first post.
I'm not as much as an artistic writer as some, but maybe I'll try to put some stuff out there myself sometime. |
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Ziff B2BB BACKTOBASICSBITCHES Since: 11-18-05 From: A room Last post: 6300 days Last view: 6300 days |
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Originally posted by Racer Xeo I don't care if you have writing flare. You know as much, probably a helluva lot more, about video games than I do. I just want people out there seriously thinking about video games in a new light. Also, a huge shoutout to Kas for dropping my next post's topic on me. I'm looking forward to taking some screens and suggestions on what to play to illustrate some points. I've been looking for a way to incorporate the ideas behind the wii and games like DDR and Guitar Hero into this. And you gave me my opportunity  not to mention I get to talk about graphics and art direction. |
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Ziff B2BB BACKTOBASICSBITCHES Since: 11-18-05 From: A room Last post: 6300 days Last view: 6300 days |
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| I'm going to keep beating this dead horse for a while, but my blog will soon have an awesome update revolving around a very important someone who has a first name with two vowels! Really, a few people know already and I don't want to spill anymore than I need to. | |||
Ailure Mr. Shine I just want peace...  Since: 11-17-05 From: Sweden Last post: 6300 days Last view: 6300 days |
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| I had a game related course in my programme.
It sucked. Sound design in games it was called, but it probably would have been much better if we didn't get a such teacher that... well he probably knew what he was talking about, but he could go on for something about hours that we get in five minutes.  And he was really unclear what we're supposed to do with our assignments at times. And yet, there were students who couldn't do this course properly, despite the assignments being a piece of cake.
Games are starting to get more well-accepted amongst critics it seems. We're already seeing game design courses in college now, and it's only a question of time the theoretical field widens up. If the course I was in is any indication, it still hadn't matured fully but it's on it's way.  Maybe I take a course in ludology in a few years if it had matured, but maybe there would be a lot of obvious things popping up when you played video games for as long you had the ability of speech.  |
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Kasumi-Astra Flurry Since: 11-18-05 From: Sheffield England Last post: 6300 days Last view: 6300 days |
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You're welcome, Ziff 
I had a gaming oriented module at uni, it rocked. It was part of a module about scripting languages. We used Python and PyGame to make simple 2d games, and it was highly enjoyable |
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Ziff B2BB BACKTOBASICSBITCHES Since: 11-18-05 From: A room Last post: 6300 days Last view: 6300 days |
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I broke early 
I made my big announcement. Y'all should check it out. |
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