Incoming: Crotchety Gamer Comments

Over at CNET, Don Reisinger has a post for his "The Digital Home" blog basically saying movies are derivative, video games are innovative, and

"The movie industry needs to take some notes from the video game developers. Trust me, it's the only way to bring us back."

Ridiculous hasty generalization aside (but read the whole article, so you're not just taking my words), there are some problems with Reisinger's post.

Keep in mind he's a self-expoused video game proponent. Also keep in mind that though I am, too, I've smacked the video game industry around recently (and am getting ready to again). And while this is going to sound overly critical of him, it's not meant to. He's just espousing some "pro-game, anti-everything-else" rhetoric that seems to have become pretty popular lately. I feel like it needs a response. Again.

He's made some good points about the "mind-numbing" film offerings and the "far more innovative" games industry, but these are generalizations for both vertical markets. I think it romanticizes video game offerings, and unfairly slights film.


In essence, he's talking about the very real trap of commercialism, but that exists regardless of the distribution medium.

It's not like it's that easy to nail down. After all, film and video games are at the end of the day
commercial enterprises. It takes money to make creative projects, and financial backers may go with known quantities at the expense of original intellectual property. Sure, we want original IP, but if that doesn't sell, companies can't make more of it (look at how video gamers under-appreciated titles like Psychonauts, Beyond Good & Evil, and Breakdown, keeping us from those possible sequels).

Do you want challenging stuff in film? There is a fantastic independent film scene that pushes thematic and content boundaries. Sure, the downside is there are those that do it for the sake of pushing boundaries (to poor effect), but the same can be said of video games (the Virginia shootings "simulator" game, and it's too early to know whether Take-Two's Manhunt 2 will fall into the same category).

On the flip side, there are interesting and valuable films that attempt to make it through mainstream commercial distribution (Hayao Miyazaki's films, Timur Bekmambetov's Night Watch, Danny Boyle's/Alex Garland's Sunshine), and those that are wildly successful -- and arguably thematically important -- on the commercial front (Zack Snyder's 300, Robert Rodriguez's Sin City).

Reisinger maintains, "Movies have become boring and derivative", so I'm not sure he's compared and contrasted first-person shooters in general (and the number of World War II games in particular). Or the sports franchises. Or Massively Multiplayer Online games.

Sequels are often at the top of detractors' lists as a sign of a decreasing box office quality. But I'd argue there is commercial and popular anticipation for sequels like Sin City 2/3. And it's not to say there can't be innovation in sequels (in film or gaming). To me, Madden is a tired franchise -- but Madden 08 is an amazingly solid game. And while I would be satisfied with a break from WWII shooters, Gearbox Software's upcoming Brother's in Arms: Hell's Highway is the third in its series, is a WWII shooter, and is arguably one of the more innovative franchises out there.

And all of the "hot new video game releases" he lists are actually sequels (Halo 3, Grand Theft Auto IV, and Metal Gear Solid [4]).

And BioShock (which I consider a fantastic game), is, to honest, a bit derivative -- of its System Shock precursor and of the Deus Ex play mechanics and depth of story.

And video games are a different industry than film. A very young industry, with a lot of potential. Reisinger bemoans "only" getting his choice of a "'blood-pumping thriller', a 'laugh-out-loud comedy', or your run-of-the-mill family drama", but games don't even give us those three (surely not two of the three).

I'm also not sure I've ever seen anyone lament human beings' lofty emotions and struggles: "For too long, we've been subjected to the mind-numbing stories of love, action and drama."

To be honest, I believe good stories are good stories. Film sequels can be told well (The Empire Strikes Back, The Return of the Jedi), or not as well (in some folks' opinion, the new Star Wars trilogy). Same with games (I'm hoping Halo 3 has a better story than Halo 2; Hell's Highway is based on pretty hard-core, real account; I'm looking forward to Mass Effect's story; etc.).

So let's give different medium the grace afforded by the medium. And let's take each medium to task when it is being derivative. And let's laud the good stuff, loud and long.

No medium is more artistic than another.