Brainy Gamer: Turning the corner

May 12, 2008

Turning the corner

Reporter Back in September of last year I wrote a piece called "Why don't the mainstream media get video games?" It followed the "biggest game launch of all-time" (Halo 3), and examined the woeful coverage from news outlets like Time Magazine and The New York Times. Throughout the media, stories tended to focus on the same three generalized observations: 1) Video games generate big money; 2) Video games attract geek fanatics; 3) Video games are violent.

Now there's another "biggest game launch of all time" in town (GTA IV), and things are looking quite a bit different. While it's still easy to find plenty of stories that focus on all the nasty things players can do in the game (see note below), some of the biggest mainstream outlets have responded in ways that suggest the game is an ambitious cultural achievement to be regarded seriously.

San Francisco Chronicle: Cultural revolution often comes from seemingly imperfect people and unpopular places.The most influential athlete was labeled a draft dodger. The man who helped bring rock 'n' roll to the mainstream grew a huge gut, wore sequined jumpsuits and then died in the bathroom. One of this country's greatest defenders of free speech was dismissed as just a pornographer. But Muhammad Ali, Elvis and even Larry Flynt are remembered for their contributions - just as one day, the makers of Grand Theft Auto will be known as more than peddlers of video game sex and violence.

The Sunday Times (UK): Rockstar North is to video games what JK Rowling is to literature but few, particularly in government, are prepared to acknowledge this. It seems odd that politicians committed to “a smart, successful Scotland” haven't come knocking at [Rockstar producer Leslie] Benzies's door.

New York Times: Grand Theft Auto IV is a violent, intelligent, profane, endearing, obnoxious, sly, richly textured and thoroughly compelling work of cultural satire disguised as fun... [It] sets a new standard for what is possible in interactive arts.

NPR's All Things Considered: The game is more than merely satire. Video games have never been known for expressing the finer points of human emotion...The more I played GTA IV, the more I felt I knew Niko. He's haunted by violence. He walks slowly, and every action is deliberate, as if he were conserving energy. When he steals a car, he matter-of-factly pulls the driver out of the seat and deposits him on the road. There's no joy in it; it's just what needs to be done. And everything about Niko feels uniquely Niko — like when a great actor disappears into a character. It's just not something you see that often in video games.

Rocky Mountain News: I answer the phone and get a nasty reminder that in Niko's world, not only do things not turn out as expected, but the tragedy of his life and of his months in the big city have other, more tragic and lasting consequences, which he and I will have to live with as we continue to explore. In Grand Theft Auto IV the story isn't just an amalgam of cut scenes and cleverly written dialogue, it's the experiences I create, too. It's now, watching Niko stand, his shoulders slumped, that the depth of this game finally hits me.

Newsweek: When you find yourself, as Niko, standing on the edge of a crane, deciding whether to save the low-level hood you've been ordered to kill or speed his passage to the afterlife, what will you do? I let him live, even though part of me very much wanted the instant gratification of watching him fall. What held me back, however, was not just how convincingly the digital actors can portray the series' signature violence (because of the way your enemies stagger, stumble and crawl after being shot, the killings now feel more squalid than exhilarating). It's also because the writers have given our mercurial protagonist a conscience, a fatigue with death and a desire to start afresh. Rockstar managed to convince me that Niko wouldn't do this—so I didn't...That's where the art of Grand Theft Auto IV resides, in the complicated responses it can elicit. Even for those among you who aren't gamers, attention must be paid.

The Today Show: It will be a great shame if the inevitable hubbub overshadows the epic, revolutionary nature of “GTA IV.” The developers, Rockstar Games, have crafted a wildly ambitious game world complete with an engrossing story of an immigrant's rise to power, unforgettable characters and expertly honed gameplay. It will be weeks, if not months, before I get my fill of “GTA IV.”

Part of this sudden enlightenment is surely due to the fact that these and other outlets are hiring writers who understand the medium and happily refer to themselves as gamers (Heather Chaplin, N'Gai Croal, Brian Crecente, etc.). I'd like to think it also has something to do with the quality of the game itself. Despite the franchise's long history as a target of media outcry, GTA IV appears to have turned a corner in the minds of whatever critical mass is required to make something culturally acceptable. Given that it's currently fashionable to speak in praise of GTA IV, there's probably some bandwagon jumping going on as well. I'm sure the backlash is due any day now.

Whatever the reasons (and whatever you think of the game), it's encouraging to see a significant portion of the mainstream media respond to a video game in this way. Perhaps it signals the emergence of a more widespread cultural appreciation for games in general. I'm not expecting an overnight conversion, but this at least feels promising. I don't need the New York Times to tell me video games matter...but I want them to anyway.

Note: Many newspapers and websites rely on the same source (in this case the Associated Press) for their coverage or reviews of GTA IV. Consequently, the following phrase can be found in various versions of the AP story reprinted in dozens of newspapers like the Kanas City Star and the Indianapolis Star: "Critics say the extreme violence in "Grand Theft Auto" video games could be harmful to children, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving has complained that the latest version includes the ability to drive while intoxicated."

Posted at 07:48 PM in Games and culture, Games and media | Permalink

Comments

San Francisco Chronicle: Cultural revolution often comes from seemingly imperfect people and unpopular places.The most influential athlete was labeled a draft dodger. The man who helped bring rock 'n' roll to the mainstream grew a huge gut, wore sequined jumpsuits and then died in the bathroom. One of this country's greatest defenders of free speech was dismissed as just a pornographer. But Muhammad Ali, Elvis and even Larry Flynt are remembered for their contributions - just as one day, the makers of Grand Theft Auto will be known as more than peddlers of video game sex and violence.

The Sunday Times (UK): Rockstar North is to video games what JK Rowling is to literature but few, particularly in government, are prepared to acknowledge this. It seems odd that politicians committed to “a smart, successful Scotland” haven't come knocking at [Rockstar producer Leslie] Benzies's door.

New York Times: Grand Theft Auto IV is a violent, intelligent, profane, endearing, obnoxious, sly, richly textured and thoroughly compelling work of cultural satire disguised as fun... [It] sets a new standard for what is possible in interactive arts.

NPR's All Things Considered: The game is more than merely satire. Video games have never been known for expressing the finer points of human emotion...The more I played GTA IV, the more I felt I knew Niko. He's haunted by violence. He walks slowly, and every action is deliberate, as if he were conserving energy. When he steals a car, he matter-of-factly pulls the driver out of the seat and deposits him on the road. There's no joy in it; it's just what needs to be done. And everything about Niko feels uniquely Niko — like when a great actor disappears into a character. It's just not something you see that often in video games.

Rocky Mountain News: I answer the phone and get a nasty reminder that in Niko's world, not only do things not turn out as expected, but the tragedy of his life and of his months in the big city have other, more tragic and lasting consequences, which he and I will have to live with as we continue to explore. In Grand Theft Auto IV the story isn't just an amalgam of cut scenes and cleverly written dialogue, it's the experiences I create, too. It's now, watching Niko stand, his shoulders slumped, that the depth of this game finally hits me.

Newsweek: When you find yourself, as Niko, standing on the edge of a crane, deciding whether to save the low-level hood you've been ordered to kill or speed his passage to the afterlife, what will you do? I let him live, even though part of me very much wanted the instant gratification of watching him fall. What held me back, however, was not just how convincingly the digital actors can portray the series' signature violence (because of the way your enemies stagger, stumble and crawl after being shot, the killings now feel more squalid than exhilarating). It's also because the writers have given our mercurial protagonist a conscience, a fatigue with death and a desire to start afresh. Rockstar managed to convince me that Niko wouldn't do this—so I didn't...That's where the art of Grand Theft Auto IV resides, in the complicated responses it can elicit. Even for those among you who aren't gamers, attention must be paid.

The Today Show: It will be a great shame if the inevitable hubbub overshadows the epic, revolutionary nature of “GTA IV.” The developers, Rockstar Games, have crafted a wildly ambitious game world complete with an engrossing story of an immigrant's rise to power, unforgettable characters and expertly honed gameplay. It will be weeks, if not months, before I get my fill of “GTA IV.”