Brandon Cruz GuestSpotter

Now Playing: Xenosaga (PS2), Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (GBA) Eagerly Awaiting: A reliable, working PS2 (Sony has to make one someday, right?)

A Pragmatic Approach

Games have certainly come a long way since their genesis. The game industry has become a multibillion dollar giant that continues to pervade pop culture worldwide with little sign of slowing down. Games have even reached the point where they're being considered an art form. Many believe that games possess certain qualities that rival more established artistic mediums, such as fine art and film, and that they should reflect this by sporting more serious, emotive content accompanied by formal critiques and analyses. They feel that by doing this, games will truly be embraced by the mainstream and gain the appreciation that the film industry now enjoys. At face value, this makes sense. After all, with all the dramas that sweep the Oscars and make millions each year, heavier content in games is a surefire road to legitimacy, right? But it's really not that simple when you take a step back and look at the bigger picture. I'm not here to debate whether games are an art form or not. Instead, I want to take a look at the reality of the struggles that the game industry must overcome if it really wants the status and acceptance that the label of an artistic medium ultimately brings.

A viable, if impractical, solution.

It's often suggested that interactivity in games should be further honed, as it is a feature that, when combined with serious, compelling content, can give users an unequivocal and enlightening experience. Although interactivity is one of the most unique features of a video game, it's also somewhat of a liability. On the one hand, this interactive component can draw one into an imaginary universe in a way that few other mediums can genuinely achieve. However, this also means that it takes more time and effort for a person to get acclimated to the gameplay mechanics and control scheme that are necessary in order to experience a game's universe. Think about the last time you saw a movie or viewed an exhibition at an art gallery or a museum. There's really not much to these activities; you watch, take everything in, and then maybe analyze what you've seen later on. Now, think of the first time you played a platformer, or FPS, or RPG. These took a bit more effort, didn't they? Sure, the effort required to learn to play a video game isn't insurmountable, but it still limits their accessibility.

Then there's the economic issue. One of the most oft-cited reasons my non-gamer friends give for not being into games is that they just cost too much. Video games are simply more expensive than most artistic mediums. Yes, fine art often costs a fortune, and the equipment to view videos and DVDs, along with the actual videos and DVDs themselves, can also cost a pretty penny. However, as a more cost-effective alternative, you can go to a gallery or a movie theater to experience these mediums' latest and greatest offerings. Such an equivalent doesn't really exist in the world of video games--yes, there are arcades, LAN cafés, and demo kiosks, but these venues cater only to a somewhat limited selection of games. If you really want to experience the latest games, then you must own a $100-$200 video game console and be willing to shell out a good 30-50 bucks each for games. Add to that the cost of accessories (memory card, another controller, etc.) and you could initially be set back $300 to $400. And this is after the price cuts, during the twilight years of this console generation's cycle. No matter what your opinions are about games, you can't deny that they are a fairly pricey investment that a lot of non-gamers just aren't willing to make.

I think it's these problems that prevent more people from embracing games, not because they are "just for kids" or "not deep enough." Even if games built around more serious subject matter start to catch on, the industry still has these hurdles to clear if they really want to have a profound influence over the mainstream. Until video games are made more accessible to consumers in cost and in interface, I don't think that they'll gain any more acceptance than they already have, no matter how deep or visionary they become.