I don't enjoy watching my favorite movie
Author
Have you ever seen Requiem for a Dream? This film is my all-time-favorite, and I hate to watch it. The rawness is almost too much for me sometimes, but I watch it anyway. I think its something everyone should have to expirience. Same goes for the book, too, which I couldn''t read for more than thirty minutes without taking a break and getting my mind off it, but, I couldn''t let myself not finish it.
What is my point? Entertainment doesn''t necessarily have to be entertaining in the usual sense of the word. Why are games so limited to being, well, games? Can''t they mean something, say something, stand for something? And why must the few that do accomplish such real essence to them have to be disquised in order to get out the door?
I''m tired of playing games, I''m ready to be taken to worlds of emotion, humanity, real horror, and everything that makes living worth living, either by being or reminding us that we can escape it.
Games for you to check out:
Sanitarium
Myst 3: Exile
Syberia
The Longest Journey
The Dig
Anachronox
If you only check out one of those, check out Sanitarium. It'll be in bargain bins now, and it's one of the most compelling adventure games released in the last several years. Syberia is absolutely beautiful, as is Myst 3. Anachronox is cinematically interesting and pokes a lot of fun at the adventure game genre.
"Sneftel is correct, if rather vulgar." --Flarelocke
[edited by - sneftel on January 22, 2004 8:37:19 PM]
Sanitarium
Myst 3: Exile
Syberia
The Longest Journey
The Dig
Anachronox
If you only check out one of those, check out Sanitarium. It'll be in bargain bins now, and it's one of the most compelling adventure games released in the last several years. Syberia is absolutely beautiful, as is Myst 3. Anachronox is cinematically interesting and pokes a lot of fun at the adventure game genre.
"Sneftel is correct, if rather vulgar." --Flarelocke
[edited by - sneftel on January 22, 2004 8:37:19 PM]
Do you read Game Matters?
I don't understand what so bad (good?) about Requiem for a Dream. The only character I found even remotely sympathetic was the mother.
I read the book first, so I wasn't surprised by the movie's plot. I also found the book a bit hard to stick with, because I found the way it was written (e.g. no apostrophes) very annoying.
Examples?
The games industry cannot compete with the novel and movie industries for the best writers at the moment.
I got Sanitarium for $10 two years ago, so it might even be out of bargain bins and out of print by now.
[edited by - Lysander on January 22, 2004 8:38:48 PM]
I don't understand what so bad (good?) about Requiem for a Dream. The only character I found even remotely sympathetic was the mother.
I read the book first, so I wasn't surprised by the movie's plot. I also found the book a bit hard to stick with, because I found the way it was written (e.g. no apostrophes) very annoying.
quote:
Can't they mean something, say something, stand for something? And why must the few that do accomplish such real essence to them have to be disquised in order to get out the door?
Examples?
quote:
I'm tired of playing games, I'm ready to be taken to worlds of emotion, humanity, real horror, and everything that makes living worth living, either by being or reminding us that we can escape it.
The games industry cannot compete with the novel and movie industries for the best writers at the moment.
I got Sanitarium for $10 two years ago, so it might even be out of bargain bins and out of print by now.
[edited by - Lysander on January 22, 2004 8:38:48 PM]
I saw it at Fry''s a month or so ago. If you can''t find it anywhere, go for eBay.
"Sneftel is correct, if rather vulgar." --Flarelocke
"Sneftel is correct, if rather vulgar." --Flarelocke
Author
I know there are games out there with some substance to them, I was just saying there aren''t enough. Not to mention, its sad that those games have to stand apart, that they are so rare. Its like when a game with some meaning to it comes out, its something special, which it is, but for the wrong reason. it should be special because they will mean something to the players, not because its so rare we actually see things like that.
just some social commentary.
just some social commentary.
I have to say I don''t agree with the fact that games should mean something, and this, in my opinion, goes for books and movies as well. In general, literature (probably the most abundant source of this so called "meaning" people speak of) should not be written to mean something, but to tell a good story. The story, in anything, be it literature, movie, video game should always come first. That''s probably my problem with many modern artistic works, the fact that the authors write stories to convey and emphasize some deep meaning, instead of writing good stories regardless of the meaning. Stories should be written because they are good stories, not because the author has something to say about the world or society. If the story is good, then there probably will be some aspects of the novel that touch on fundamental themes such as the human condition, but the story should not be written for that purpose. So in answer to your question, no, games should not be created to "mean" something, that should never be the purpose.
--BioX
--BioX
Their point is to entertain if you ask me, and if thinking about symbolism is entertaining to you...then youve found your type of game/movie/book
also, the only game i can think of that has symbolism and meaning per-say (per-se? eh im dumb) that i can think of is "Silent Hill 2" check it out, you might like it
also, the only game i can think of that has symbolism and meaning per-say (per-se? eh im dumb) that i can think of is "Silent Hill 2" check it out, you might like it
quote:Original post by ironfroggy
Can't they mean something, say something, stand for something?
Can't games just be games ? Something fun, something to do, a way to pass the time, a hobby, a social activity? (More so the others than the last, for many.) You seem to be searching for a deep, englightening meaning for something that was created for fun . That's what games were made for.
Don't get me wrong, it's good to have an interesting game. Drama is a vital part of many different games. A lot of games have a mythical background, which is what interests me the most. But you seem to want to get the same thing out of a game as you would find in a self-help book. Who's going to play a game and see something that's going to change their lives?
[edited by - orionx103 on January 22, 2004 12:12:57 AM]
Most games don''t have even remotely believable characters (living OR dead), so it is unsurprising that they don''t touch on any ''important'' themes.
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