Korean Job Discussion Forums

[reactionary]

true, the old Japanese RPGs were kind of like illustrated books in a way. I mean it depends on how far back you want to go. What about those old text based games where you'd type in your commands? Open door, turn left, etc. That's kinda like those kids' "Choose your own adventure" books. Certainly couldn't be considered high art or anything, though.

[Bloopity Bloop]

I consider video games to be an art form, without a doubt. It's ridiculous to think that films are but games aren't. As ridiculous as those people who claim graphic novels aren't credible reads.

[banjois]

Art form, sure. Literature, no.

[Fox]

[banjois]

I think it necessitates a total revision of the definition of literature. I know I'm working in sort of an old-school, academic framework here, but literature is defined primarily by its medium. I don't deny that there's all sorts of interesting work being done in interactive media. But I'd hold to something loosely stated as "Literature is books." Video games aren't literature the same way films aren't literature.

[Fox]

[Bloopity Bloop]

[djsmnc]

[Tundra_Creature]

I got to sleep for a few hours and I wake up to this. I like it though. This is basically what my teacher is talking about.

Our teacher also brings in 'what is a game and what isn't', since we also look at a lot of hypermedia texts or online poems. You know, it's the whole, 'how do we define ____. Do we even know what ____ is?'

Games are games first of course, but there are some that could border on 'game/literature', 'game/film' etc. I'm not saying that the game adaptation of Dante's Inferno should be considered literature, but something like Silent Hill 2 with some intriguing symbolism and character development would be closer to something of literature.

For me personally, I'd consider games another form of story telling. There are good games and bad games, just like there are good books and bad
books.

Over all, interesting class. She's introduced us to both interesting games and interesting pieces of written fiction/poetry.

And of course... some not so stellar ones.

[banjois]

Storytelling, art, groundbreaking new media. Yes, yes, yes. I'm not coming down on games as not having merit (except for this Dante's Inferno business. I'm opposed to that on fundamental grounds. The game just has nothing to do with Dante). But literature is not "interactive." Even if a game has a lot of reading involved, and even if that text is written with a particular flair, it's still reading within a game. Leave the analysis of that to the Cult Studs and let me settle back into my wingchair with my complete Sidney, already.

And I'm perfectly aware that by making this distinction I'm marginalizing literature more and more and so on. But I'm just old-school that way. And I'm aware I'm starting to make arguments worthy of Junior in the evolution debate on the other forum (which, is there a way to personally lock a thread, just to me? I can't help going back and looking, and it just makes me sadder and sadder.)

Tundra Creature, I'm really sorry, and I'm gonna let you finish (and I honestly never went for these digs while I was there) but as a McGill literature alumnus, yeah, this sounds like a Concordia class

...ed elli avea del cul fatto trombetta