Form, Culture, and Video Game Criticism - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

robbdn · 10-27-2004, 09:00 PM

Princeton holding a conference on video game studies?

"The conference provided a compressed picture of some of the intellectual activity going on in video game studies today. In a short summary, it was clear that early attempts to define the discipline or argue against a sort of 'academic colonization' were hopeless. The ideas flowing into the area of video game studies from all quarters hold great promise to energize the notion of studying something as banal as video games. The literary critics were not going to leave our beloved game world, I discovered. Then again, neither were the musicians, lawyers, cultural studies folk, computer science departments or anyone else.

...

What the conference stood for, and what it signaled, were credibility, quality, momentum and clarity of the field of video game studies. Borrowing the prestige of Princeton's ivy, game's studies took another step away from the dubious shadows of the arcade and parent's basement."

Rest of the article <A HREF="http://www.buzzcut.com/article.php?story=20040309220912691">here</A>. The article talks about a close-playing of Super Mario Brothers, the attraction to Lara Croft, and a bunch of other interesting stuff. What do you guys think about this? Are video games scholarly? Is there anything worthwhile to this?

LeviticusMky · 10-30-2004, 11:34 PM

Video games are as scholarly as you make them.

Something like playing CS 24 hours a day may not be scholarly, but games like Command and conquer, Super Mario, Warcraft, Final Fantasy, Diablo, SimCity, Even Doom/Quake type FPS's can really influence the way someone views the world. The trick to selling video games to old farts at princeton is to focus on the gamers who play only a dozen or so hours a week, who have devoted their life to something else and use videogames as a side show.

I know for a fact that had I not invested so much of my teen years to playing video games, I never ever would be where I am today. I won't say what I do, or why my life is alright, suffice to say that video games have played a very important part in my being successful in my non-related career.

CityOfAngels · 10-30-2004, 11:41 PM

The only way I would say videogames have truly influenced me is they have given me many hours of fun when I have nothing better to do, and in trade I give them my loyalty. When ex girlfriends whined about me playing videogames, I always told them: "Hey, I've been doing this since I was five. I'm not gonna change now."

GakFace · 10-31-2004, 05:41 AM

With so many different way to look at the world, be as simple as good or evil in fable.. fighting demon in diablo.. being an alien race encountering humans.. Or the simple watching someone cook some eggs.. it all helps you to think outside the box.. and to open your mind to other possibilities. You can't just play a game one way because sometimes your idea doesn't work, and other times (as AI gets better) they react to that strategy making it futile over time. You have to think about multiple scenarios in quick amount of time. It helps you to not only make decisions on the go but also to visualize your goal while being timed.... Like say setting up that quintimple play in Dr. Mario... you don't have the room for a mistake, nor the time to think that long.. yet you need the play to make your friend want to kill you.

Games are beyond button mashing and simple fun, but now they take your mind to get past puzzles, they take quick decision making to keep on living, some games take precise movements in the physical world to dodge bullets (a definate work out on the upper thighs I might add). Where some give you a physical work out, other put your mind to a great test. Some levels seem like a dead end until you realize that if you shoot the air duct and jump off that box over there that you can get inside and move to the next level. All of these are still able to keep the game fun.

There are also games meant to be educational in purpose.. they put pieces of fun here and there while learning useful skills.

You can learn to catch a beat with games like DDR or the new Donky Konga game (essential for any would be musician). You can draw and create pictures for any would be artists. You can strain your mind from tough puzzles for any would be scholar. You can think outside the box for any would be lawyer. YOu can also get into shape for any would be Athlete.

And aside from all this.. its a lot of fun!

robbdn · 10-31-2004, 10:35 PM

Thanks for the replies... just an interesting thought I had based on them:

Does the role of a video game as an "impartial observer" add credibility when a pre-recorded announcer (as in DDR) says "you suck!" or something to that effect lend emphasis to the result? Or, does a program objectively deciding your skill level at a certain task drive humans to prove the program wrong, therefore furthering human evolution?

I admit, I am probably taking things a little bit too far with that last question, but I'd like to hear what you have to say in that regard -- if you don't mind. Let's pretend that it's not "evolution" or anything else like it, but could it possibly bring out natural talent that a particular individual had without knowing they had it?

This isn't really what I was getting at in my initial post, but this seems like a great forum to explore these possibilities. I hope to hear what people have to say about this.

mandal · 10-31-2004, 11:50 PM

I think there are a few things that games do for you:

1) makes you visualize things much better. I'm studying organic chemistry right now and people who don't play video games all tell me that they have trouble visualizing the molecules, but I see them easily

2) Helps increase hand eye coordination and reaction. Supposedly surgeons who used to play video games perform surgery faster and better

3) Brings people together. I've said it before, but i have a bunch of friends who usually drink and get high during the weekends, but if there is a Halo night going on, the party and killing of brain cells take a break.

10-27-2004, 09:00 PM	#1 (permalink)
robbdn Crazy	Form, Culture, and Video Game Criticism Princeton holding a conference on video game studies? "The conference provided a compressed picture of some of the intellectual activity going on in video game studies today. In a short summary, it was clear that early attempts to define the discipline or argue against a sort of 'academic colonization' were hopeless. The ideas flowing into the area of video game studies from all quarters hold great promise to energize the notion of studying something as banal as video games. The literary critics were not going to leave our beloved game world, I discovered. Then again, neither were the musicians, lawyers, cultural studies folk, computer science departments or anyone else. ... What the conference stood for, and what it signaled, were credibility, quality, momentum and clarity of the field of video game studies. Borrowing the prestige of Princeton's ivy, game's studies took another step away from the dubious shadows of the arcade and parent's basement." Rest of the article <A HREF="http://www.buzzcut.com/article.php?story=20040309220912691">here</A>. The article talks about a close-playing of Super Mario Brothers, the attraction to Lara Croft, and a bunch of other interesting stuff. What do you guys think about this? Are video games scholarly? Is there anything worthwhile to this?

10-31-2004, 05:41 AM	#4 (permalink)
GakFace Go Ninja, Go Ninja Go!! Location: IN, USA	With so many different way to look at the world, be as simple as good or evil in fable.. fighting demon in diablo.. being an alien race encountering humans.. Or the simple watching someone cook some eggs.. it all helps you to think outside the box.. and to open your mind to other possibilities. You can't just play a game one way because sometimes your idea doesn't work, and other times (as AI gets better) they react to that strategy making it futile over time. You have to think about multiple scenarios in quick amount of time. It helps you to not only make decisions on the go but also to visualize your goal while being timed.... Like say setting up that quintimple play in Dr. Mario... you don't have the room for a mistake, nor the time to think that long.. yet you need the play to make your friend want to kill you. Games are beyond button mashing and simple fun, but now they take your mind to get past puzzles, they take quick decision making to keep on living, some games take precise movements in the physical world to dodge bullets (a definate work out on the upper thighs I might add). Where some give you a physical work out, other put your mind to a great test. Some levels seem like a dead end until you realize that if you shoot the air duct and jump off that box over there that you can get inside and move to the next level. All of these are still able to keep the game fun. There are also games meant to be educational in purpose.. they put pieces of fun here and there while learning useful skills. You can learn to catch a beat with games like DDR or the new Donky Konga game (essential for any would be musician). You can draw and create pictures for any would be artists. You can strain your mind from tough puzzles for any would be scholar. You can think outside the box for any would be lawyer. YOu can also get into shape for any would be Athlete. And aside from all this.. its a lot of fun! __________________ RoboBlaster: Welcome to the club! Not that I'm in the club. And there really isn'a a club in the first place. But if there was a club and if I was in it, I would definitely welcome you to it.

10-30-2004, 11:34 PM	#2 (permalink)
LeviticusMky Crazy Location: Minnesota	Video games are as scholarly as you make them. Something like playing CS 24 hours a day may not be scholarly, but games like Command and conquer, Super Mario, Warcraft, Final Fantasy, Diablo, SimCity, Even Doom/Quake type FPS's can really influence the way someone views the world. The trick to selling video games to old farts at princeton is to focus on the gamers who play only a dozen or so hours a week, who have devoted their life to something else and use videogames as a side show. I know for a fact that had I not invested so much of my teen years to playing video games, I never ever would be where I am today. I won't say what I do, or why my life is alright, suffice to say that video games have played a very important part in my being successful in my non-related career.

10-31-2004, 10:35 PM	#5 (permalink)
robbdn Crazy	Thanks for the replies... just an interesting thought I had based on them: Does the role of a video game as an "impartial observer" add credibility when a pre-recorded announcer (as in DDR) says "you suck!" or something to that effect lend emphasis to the result? Or, does a program objectively deciding your skill level at a certain task drive humans to prove the program wrong, therefore furthering human evolution? I admit, I am probably taking things a little bit too far with that last question, but I'd like to hear what you have to say in that regard -- if you don't mind. Let's pretend that it's not "evolution" or anything else like it, but could it possibly bring out natural talent that a particular individual had without knowing they had it? This isn't really what I was getting at in my initial post, but this seems like a great forum to explore these possibilities. I hope to hear what people have to say about this.

10-31-2004, 11:50 PM	#6 (permalink)
mandal Crazy	I think there are a few things that games do for you: 1) makes you visualize things much better. I'm studying organic chemistry right now and people who don't play video games all tell me that they have trouble visualizing the molecules, but I see them easily 2) Helps increase hand eye coordination and reaction. Supposedly surgeons who used to play video games perform surgery faster and better 3) Brings people together. I've said it before, but i have a bunch of friends who usually drink and get high during the weekends, but if there is a Halo night going on, the party and killing of brain cells take a break.