But with video games, these are precisely the conduits into the art. Personal experience, interactivity, emotions - these are essential aspects of what it means to be a gamer, but we rarely give them the critical attention they deserve.

I’m hoping that, as Frankie and Richard point out so well, games criticism diverges from established modes developed for other media and acquires a language and tolerance for writing that takes into account the things that can’t be listed on the back of a box.

To add to your comments, I think that we can apply criteria from music, film or literature to video games but only where it makes sense. Games have music, narrative and sequences of film in them, no doubt, so applying similiar analysis is sound. As you point out Frankie, games are individual, so for example, while we can apply music theory to music present in video games, it would be terribly wrong of us to disclude mention of nuances such as how the music is implemented, does it suit the mood created by the gameplay. In fact it is this that should have priority.

What both of you say really well is that we need to recognise the medium for what it is and this goes leaps and bounds above the other stuff that I just mentioned.

I’ve been trying to bring forth my own feelings of the impact that games have on me through my writing, slowly tieing this in with game mechanics (using your work as a guide, Richard). It’s pretty tough actually but I think that I am making some progress. Not much of this has been posted up on this blog yet, alot of it I’ve been formulating through other writing.

I see this blog as playground for my own the minute transformation towards that style of discussion. Bit of a journey I guess to describe “how it feels”.

It is very dangerous to directly apply the criteria of good films/literature/music to video games. But, the theory behind that criteria is still very applicable. For example, the strength of film as a visual medium can help structure one’s approach to thinking about the visuals and forms in a video game.

Recognizing games for games (ie. not movies, stories, or art) is the first step in understanding what games are and how they work. Interactivity sits at the heart of the video game medium. So, no matter what, interactivity must have a higher priority. Once a good foundation is set, only then is a cross medium comparison a smart move.

@ Daniel Primed.

Thanks for mentioning my blog.

I’ve done so much in efforts to communicate what gaming is like for me. As a top ranked tournament level Super Smash Brothers player, I’ve been around the country and fought against people from around the world. But there’s just something different about the community of smasher/Nintendo fans that runs deeper than the love of the game and competition. I’ve tried writing some of these stories down, recording podcasts recalling good times, and even filming a webTV show about what our journey is like. I haven’t had much success with these attempts mostly because I’m busy playing the game/enjoying the company of my friends. It would have been great to have a documentary crew following me around.

The first article on counterpoint the my Mario Melodies series explains from my view why video games are art, or rather why they’re just like anything else that can be considered art. How a work reflects life is what makes it appealing to me. And I have yet to find a medium that can communicate, regulate, and reflect action/functions/mechanics like video games can. I’ve always felt this way from my first N.E.S.

They try and compare games to movies, citing their cinematic value as the main trait. They compare games to books, citing the literary qualities to the game’s script. Then they go on to compare games to sports, citing the adversarial competition.

What does that leave the non-gamer with? Hmmm…something that’s cinematic, has a script, and is competitive. Oh, and it has music, too. Is it really any wonder that the video game idea isn’t being communicated in situations like this?

Video games are their completely own beast. Comparing certain elements of games to other forms of media and art not only completely misses the picture, but in fact degrades the medium as a whole. Games are not movies + books + music + sports. Games simply are what they are. And to us, they are an entirely separate medium that are so much more than interactive movies or mindless time wasters.

In order for we the gamers to be able to even begin to express our medium to outsiders, we must first acknowledge it’s existence as a wholly unique form. Then, we ourselves must be able to identify it. Only when we are comfortable with our own identities can we begin to let other people in. It might be a young medium that’s changing drastically with every passing year, but it still has the same soul that started back in the 70’s.

Thankfully I fully believe the question is not if, but rather when and how, we as a community can begin to express that soul to the outside world without it being bastardized and compromised.