gamesecosse

Why are Video Games denigrated?

Why are Video Games so denigrated when other creative media are not? This is a question that has interested and irritated me for quite a while and I have already touched upon this idea in some earlier posts. There are double standards regarding criticism of video games. Most older people subscribe to the idea of not judging something without knowing about it. It has become something of a truism. So why does this not apply to video games? If you ask somebody who disrespects video games, which games they have tried themselves, they will most likely reply 'none'. Or possibly begin analysing the appeal of Pacman, and wonder why the youth of today waste their time moving 'a wee man around a screen'. Please crawl back under your rock... Either that or they will complain about the violence of certain games without batting an eyelid at films such as (the admittedly brilliant!) Pulp Fiction
I find it irritating that people can get away with this, but I sometimes believe that the key to the problem is down to a few, seemingly innocent factors.
The first of these is in the term 'game' itself. The definition of the word which instantly springs to mind is 'amusement or pastime'. But many games of today share the qualities of film and similar artforms while other, more competitive games have tremendous depths of playability which puts them on a par with many sports. The fact that video games are called games in the first place gives mainly older generations the instant wrong impression.
The second problem I believe is largely down to what developments certain people have lived through in their lives. An old school teacher once told me that I would certainly not still be interested in video games when I was in my thirties. But this assertion disregards the many changes and developments which take place in an individual's lifetime. Of course old age pensioners are not going to support video games when they did not spend their young years surrounded by them & technology. They would have to make a conscious effort to become interested - and many do! These are the people I have a lot of respect for. But maybe, just maybe, I'll be reflecting on the Playstation 3 when I'm in my 70s, while my grandchildren are raving about their personal Virtual Reality systems!

posted by qmchaz64 @ 1:56 pm