Let's talk about video games again.

I've opened this discussion once before, but now after doing more professional research and whatnot I'd like to do this again.
I'll ask the following first, just to see what some responses are, then I'll post my own thoughts (because it would be very, very lengthy for an opening post).
Right then, onward.

How do you see video games? Do you play simply for entertainment?
Do you think video games can be considered art? And I'm not talking just high-def CG. Take all aspects of the game into consideration.
When you pick up a game, how often do you find yourself completely wrapped up in it?
Have you ever played a game that has been considered to have terrible graphics (for the time it's from) but wanted to see the story, or vice versa (bad story/gameplay, good graphics)?
Why do you think gaming has become such a huge part of our everyday lives?
What is your opinion on the "video games make our kids violent" argument?
Given that there is somewhat of a recession going on around the world, do you think the gaming industry will suffer from it?
Overall, how do you think video games have progressed? Do you think that fewer very good games are being made in order to produce games that barely sell but are from big toy companies? Like Barbie games for example.
How do you feel about games with multiple sequels? Do you think companies are opting to try and make sub-par sequels they know will sell rather than more thought out original ideas?
For you, what makes a video game good?
Has there ever been a game you've played that actually changed how you look at life, or at least made you think about things?
What is your all-time favorite game and why?

And for fun, what is the stupidest - yet somehow entertaining - game you've played or watched someone play?

 

I see video games as more than merely entertainment; to me, they are a conglomeration of many other forms of entertainment: music, animation, cinema, photography (dunno a better word), writing, and more, but the main thing that sets it apart to me is that fact that it is an art form that, to me, requires, and thus benefits from, constant user input. You can listen to a CD, watch a movie, read a book, look upon a photograph, and other sorts of things, but they all are unfolding without much (if any) of your own input (I don't mean like flipping a page in a book either). You can't honestly experience a video game without actually putting your own input into it.

So, to me, video games can very much be seen as works of art, but they're still subjective works. To me, prime examples of video games being works of art include the games Okami, Half-Life, Silent Hill 1-3, Metal Gear Solid, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and Mass Effect to name a slim few. In most of those games cases, I can see a huge amount of effort put into the same things that other forms of art require: enjoyable and fluid writing, substantial plot and character development, engaging visual and auditory scenes, and the like, as well as some of its own aspects, such as intuitive and tight controls and replay value.

I usually can find myself wrapped up in a game if it has an engaging story and characters and an interesting plot set in cool locations. As such, I find difficulty in enjoying most of today's war shooters *cough Call of Duty Modern Warfare* and can just as easily never play a game again if it didn't hook me on substantial artistic properties.

I don't think I've really played any games that have terrible graphics...for their time periods. I played Silent Hill 1, a Playstation 1 game, for the first time last year. By today's standards, it looks like garbage (and I'd agree), but in all other aspects (aside from maybe controls), it is still an amazing game. Don't think I've played any terrible games just for the graphics though.

Gaming's become such a huge part of our everyday lives (not everyone's) because its simply so easily accessible, to so many people (don't personally know anyone who doesn't have at least one video game console, besides adults who've lived without video games most of their lives), and just like any other form of art, there's a genre for everyone.

My opinion on violent video games making kids violent? They can only play as much a part on a child's development as every other form of art. I played games like Mortal Kombat and Metal Gear Solid at a very young age, yet I find myself no more violent than my friends who don't play video games often at all. What needs to be taken into account is a child's psychological development, which is dependent on how the child is raised. I only see violent video games making a person violent if that child's mind is easily influenced, but that would mean violent films could just as easily have the same effect.

I've no say on the gaming industry aside from my frustration of how many developers seem to be using DLC as a profit-gaining device, rather than a true expansive instrument. Many times, I see a DLC product around the price of, say, $5, and think "...this could easily have been implemented into the game before it was released." Still, there are many debates on the validity of DLC. I myself have enjoyed much DLC, mainly for the Mass Effect and Red Dead Redemption games, which are prime examples of giving solid, worthwhile expansion to an experience that really does feel complete. To me, DLC is a tricky thing, and game companies can just as easily suffer from poor implementation of it as they could benefit.

...I feel like I'm typing a school paper. Part 2 of this later.

 

I see video games as art ( kind of relates to the question below :P ). I play them not only to be entertained, but to relax and enjoy the experience. I think games have a lot of culture to them that is severely unappreciated.

Absolutely. Look at a recent game like Journey for example. It definitely has creative artistic expression and highly unique gameplay, as well as an amazing soundtrack. Games can certainly be considered art because there are just so many aspects to them that take a lot of creativity.

Majority of the time. When I get a new game, I usually play it from start to finish. Not in one sitting of course, but it's something that I constantly look forward to experiencing more of.

I personally haven't experienced that, but I have had an interest in seeing why the recent Ninja Gaiden 3 has received such poor reception. It looks phenomenal.

Gaming is now a culture. It's a culture that many of us are a part of. :P

I think a lot of media is pointing fingers at video games as a cause of violence because they need something to blame. I think I would argue that what makes kids violent is parenting. If you know your kid is mature enough to handle a violent video game, then let him play it. Obviously he won't be at a super young age though. Besides, there aren't too many games where violence is portrayed as like a focus point of the game. Media always make it look like your objective in games is to murder as many people as possible just for the sake of murdering them, when that isn't the case at all.

It already is. According to an article I read on Joystiq, year-by-year revenue for the gaming industry as a whole is down.

What I think is happening is that fewer good games are being made so companies can just milk their customers with DLC. But there are still some companies out there who provide complete, in-depth experiences with their games like Bethesda.

I like multiple sequels so long as it brings something new to the table. Expanding the story is great, and adding in new depth to gameplay is also very good. I'll throw in the example of Super Mario Galaxy 2, where many new gameplay elements were added, and it was overall a much better experience than the original.

However, companies out there are making sub-par sequels that will sell. Such as the Call of Duty series.

A game that has a complete package of good story, music, and gameplay.

To a certain extent, Final Fantasy VII has had that effect on me. Cloud Strife had essentially lost his identity, and felt utterly lost. But he managed to find himself, and came back to his team stronger than ever. I think that's helped me a little, since I've found myself wondering who I am at certain points in my life.

Either Donkey Kong Country 2, or Final Fantasy VII.

I grew up with both, and both have fantastic music and gameplay. Though DKC2 is more out of nostalgia. :P

QWOP. No doubt.

 

While the main purpose of a video game is to entertain, there are some that can really engross the player. With some games, it's the story, with other's it's the gameplay or musical score. I personally see video games as an interactive way of experiencing a story, be it a simplistic one or an epic tale, that isn't a book or movie.

Yes, I do think video games can be (and are) considered art. Entire teams of people work hard for months on end to complete their interactive experience for players around the world. That alone is enough for them to be considered art.

It depends on the game. For me, games of the shooter genre tend to bore me quickly. They basically consist of "Get from point A to point B while shooting people/aliens/whatever in between". A game of the RPG genre, however, I find I can easily find myself getting wrapped up in it's elements. Kingdom Hearts is an example of a series of games that I've gotten wrapped up in.

I don't believe I have...

In recent years with the expansion of things like Xbox Live and the Playstation Network, gaming's role in everyday life expanded from a time-killer to a means of keeping in contact with people you may not have seen in a while (An example of this would be my relatives who moved from my home state, Michigan, to Florida. With Xbox Live I am able to stay in contact with them while having fun at the same time.

First off, if parents worry so much that video games make kids violent, why are you buying them for your kids in the first place? Secondly, I have been playing violent video games for at least 10 or more years now, and I'm not going around shooting people, or even thinking about it. If your child becomes violent due to their gaming, then they're took susceptible to what they see to be playing video games in the first place.

For some, myself included, the price of gaming can be a bit much (luckily there are price drops over time). This in mind, I don't think the gaming industry will be affected. If anything, it has only gotten larger over the past few years, with the fighting genre putting itself back into mass popularity and the many advancements in gaming technology that have been made with things like the Wii's motion controls, the Playstation Move and the Kinect.

I think they've progressed quite a bit as time has passed in terms of graphical quality and such. Of course, just because the graphics are good doesn't mean the rest of the game is. As for the toy-company games, I don't think those are affecting the industry much, if at all. If they were affecting the industry, then games like that would greatly overshadow the gems we know and love today.

There are some series of games that have multiple sequels that are obviously well thought out and done right. The Mass Effect series comes to mind when I think of this. There are companies, such as the ones that make the Call of Duty series, who are obviously rehashing the same thing every year to make money because they know people will buy it solely because it's Call of Duty.

For me, a game is good if it combines good gameplay elements, story elements and musical score to create an epic story that really pulls the player in. Graphics, in my opinion, are just icing on the cake.

From what I can recall, no there hasn't.

Probably not the first thing to come to ones mind when thinking of a game worthy of the "favorite" title, but mine would have to be "Brütal Legend". The game is a game that is only meant to be liked by fans of the Heavy Metal genre of music, like myself (Of course anyone can enjoy the game regardless of their musical tastes). The game mixes hack-and-slash combat with a real-time-strategy flair to make battles fun yet strategic. The characters are memorable and funny, like the main character, Eddie Riggs. Initially he seems like a regular roadie working for a crappy modern metal band, until his past starts to unfold and you find out that

Spoiler

his mother, Succoria, was the evil Empress of an ancient land of Heavy Metal, and his father, Riggnarok, was a hero of that land.

That mixed with the large heavy-metal album cover inspired environments and epic soundtrack, it earns the title of my favorite game.

I haven't played it, but my younger brother plays Fat Princess a lot. The aspect of a CTF game where the flag is a princess who has to be fattened up to make her harder to capture is just crazy.

 

I did at one point simply see them as entertainment, but it eventually turned into both entertainment and art. I agree with Deadpool. Video games are wonderful ways to tell a story. They're much longer than a book, a show or a movie, so there's more detail added into a video game. I guess that can be a reason why people might say the games that are turned into movies aren't very good because they miss out on some of the details they might have seen in the game.

Definitely. Again as Deadpool said, people put so much work into making a video game, that a person should consider it art. It's the same thing as with animated movies or shows. Some of the amount of work I've seen is just astonishing.

Very rarely. So far, I guess there's only been two or three that really made me emotional and attached to the characters. It really depends on the story. If the story is amazing, I'll be hooked.

I don't think I have.

I guess it can just be a way to calm down and relax if you've had a long day. And to be honest, it's an amazing stress/anger reliever. There have been times where I have been so angry or stressed out that I would usually end up playing a game to release that anger. I have a habit of releasing my anger onto the wrong people, so going off and killing things in a game really helps me.

I hate it. To be honest, it's stupid. If your kid is becoming violent because of a game, take it away and give him some children's game. I don't even like the fact my 11 year old cousin plays Call of Duty or any other shooting games. Why even let a child play those type of games in the first place? I really dislike that argument, and it's never the kid's fault, it's the parent's.

They might. I don't really know. Nowadays, barely anyone can really afford anything, and I'm one of them. There have been quite a few games I really, really want but I don't have the money to buy them, and neither does anyone else I might ask the games from. It's really hard now. I think that maybe 60 dollars for a game is a bit much.

Those Barbie games, and other things like that are for children so I can understand why they would make those. But I don't really see an issue with any of it to be honest. I guess an equal amount of those games, both for children and those for adults/teens, are being made.

Too many sequels, and the game gets played out, but it also depends on the story itself. I guess an example would be Assassin's Creed. The games are amazing, but the amount of sequels they're giving it, with practically the same things over and over happening in the game, it can get a bit frustrating. But the games are still amazing. <<;; So I don't complain.

The story and a bit of good graphics. But the story also has to get me emotionally attached to characters. << I'm serious. Or just make me like them at least. I've played some games(Kingdom Hearts specifically) that made me like the game, but I had little interest in the characters. It was difficult to really get into it and talk about a character someone might like or not like. The only game so far with the Kingdom Hearts series that made me like the characters is Birth By Sleep. If I don't feel attached to the characters, I'll feel as though something is just missing.

Oh yeah. Persona 3 really made me think differently about a lot of things. So far, this has been the only game to make me so attached to the characters, the storyline, everything.

Persona 3, for the above reason. To be honest, it was the first RPG game I actually played so I was really clueless about it all. And when I first started playing it, it didn't seem that special. I was told constantly by friends from high school that the game was amazing and that I would like it. I doubted it at first but when I got further into it, I just couldn't contain the amount of emotions it brought to me. My obsession with it might dim down a bit after a while, but it always just comes right back up. The game really made me think twice about life and friendships I made(as cheesy as that sounds).

This really weird dirt bike game. I don't know why but it's just really fun watching my brother play it. XD

 

How do you see video games? Do you play simply for entertainment?
I see video games as a way to kill time, yes I do play simply for entertainment.

Do you think video games can be considered art? And I'm not talking just high-def CG. Take all aspects of the game into consideration.
Sometimes.

When you pick up a game, how often do you find yourself completely wrapped up in it?
Not so much anymore. It might have to do with the current games or maybe I've just grown out of the mindset that I can suspend my disbelief easily.

Have you ever played a game that has been considered to have terrible graphics (for the time it's from) but wanted to see the story, or vice versa (bad story/gameplay, good graphics)?
I've seen a game with good graphics and bad story, Final Fantasy XIII and Metal Gear Solid 4 which are very liked but I just thought both games had bad stories to tell.

Why do you think gaming has become such a huge part of our everyday lives?
It's a cheap and fun way to kill time.

What is your opinion on the "video games make our kids violent" argument?
I definitely think it has some effect short term but maybe not so much long term. I've seen my younger cousins throw a fit when they've lost or when they see something that they imitate. I also kinda think that online gaming brings out the "inner ******" in quite a lot of people. I've seen very mild mannered people turn into trash talking rage quitters when playing games online. It's weird, if they play offline they're not like that at all. I even find myself doing things just to troll other people when I'm playing online.

Given that there is somewhat of a recession going on around the world, do you think the gaming industry will suffer from it?
Nah, I don't think gaming is so expensive that most people with electricity can't afford it.

How do you feel about games with multiple sequels? Do you think companies are opting to try and make sub-par sequels they know will sell rather than more thought out original ideas?
I like sequels for the most part, there are a few series that I feel are better left dead instead of making a sequel.

For you, what makes a video game good?
Not sure, it's one of those things that's hard to state but it's something I know when I see it.

Has there ever been a game you've played that actually changed how you look at life, or at least made you think about things?
Persona 4 was very philosophical so it did have some sort of effect on my thoughts. Another game that didn't really affect my view on life but affected me emotionally was Heavy Rain.

What is your all-time favorite game and why?
Kingdom Hearts 1. I just really like it.

And for fun, what is the stupidest - yet somehow entertaining - game you've played or watched someone play?
That's an easy one, Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe. It's a good game but a little silly, lol.

 

I play for entertainment and challenge. Those two don' t necessarily overlap (I' m looking at you, insanely low item drop rates).

Well they are a sum of other art forms, so yeah, but I' m more interested in its own unique ingredient, interactivity : it allows narration and direction tricks that movies don' t, although from what I' ve seen it is mainly used as a game device or as a way to implement player choices rather than as a directing device.

Most of the time, I usually complete a game before I jump into another.

Yeah. For instance every Wii game I own. We' re talking about graphics right ? Not the artistic direction ?

A few Squenix games come to mind.

It isn' t just gaming, entertainment as a whole has become a huge part of our lives. Humans hate to feel bored, this isn' t exactly groundbreaking news. We just happened to invent computers, which allowed extremely efficient production and distribution tools and gave us loads of free time to kill.

It is a fallacy (Machina already explained why), and I' m amazed that some people don' t get that and still throw it around.

Machina is right, recessions often led to entertainment booms in the past, however piracy wasn' t a factor back then. As Scruffy mentionned the industry is not exactly booming at the moment.
As for the comments about video games prices that I read in the posts above :

Spoiler

Lousy games that expect to sell on their licensed title alone aren' t a recent fad, they' ve always been plenty of those. ET on Atari 2600 for instance, that game is quite emblematic of this "crappy but licensed" marketing scheme.

You seem to equate "innovative" with "good". I don' t. A game can be immensely innovative yet lousy, or not innovative in the slightest yet awesome. When I buy "Resident Fantasy number XVIIVXVI" I' m obviously looking for more of the same recipe, if I actually wanted something innovative I' d buy "That Brand New IP Name" instead.

Video games budgets have reached such high numbers that no one is willing to take risks anymore, so more and more developers disguise spin-offs and/or entirely new concepts as famous IP numbered sequels, which infuriates me. Basically the gaming industry is, overall, acting like the Hollywood movie industry (meaning money first, complacency second, and art last if at all ...)

A few games made me think about things, namely Silent Hill and Metal Gear games.
I don' t have one single favorite, I got dozens of them.

I often watched people playing GTA. 99% of the time players were just kicking the missions aside and killing people for fun while trying to escape the police as long as possible. I wrecked a little virtual havoc in Vice City myself, it' s fun at first but it quickly gets dull.

 

Part 2 ahoy

I feel that video games, as a whole, have progressed tremendously since the turn of the century. More games these days have deep storylines, very artistic visual scenes, gripping sound effects and music, innovative controls, continuously expansive replay value, high-level talent in voice-acting and writing, etc. But there are still many, many cheap games made for a quick buck; just check the bargain bin at a Walmart or something and you'll see a few.

I feel that, when it comes to storyline, sequels are imminent, and thus, good: they usually give up an appropriate amount of time to enjoy each installment in a series, to really be able to play it fully and reflect upon them. However, I don't like when games purposely withhold on gameplay quality just to help sell the next game in the line (Call of Duty), and I dislike when it seems that a sequel is more like an expansion than its own game (Assassin's Creed Brotherhood + Revelations)

What makes a video game good, to me, is an engaging plot, likeable characters that develop throughout the plot, artistically and/or technically appealing graphics, appropriate and unique sound design and music, tight and responsive controls that make sense, lasting replay value, satisfying conclusions (unlike Mass Effect 3's...), really heartfelt moments, good pacing, and well-implemented game design (make the player continue to learn on their own instead of babying them the whole time).

I can think of two games I've played that have changed my life in some way: Final Fantasy VIII, and Metal Gear Solid 1, both I remember playing around the age of 8 or so. The first gave me my first experiences of what true love is like, and a hope that I could find happiness by helping people instead of secluding myself. The second taught me a lot about what I feel is right and wrong, and helped influence my idea that destiny doesn't really exist.

Final Fantasy VIII. Squall is my favorite protagonist with his style and attitude ("Whatever...") yet willingness to change in order to save his love, the Gunblade is a badass (yet unconventional) weapon, the music is amazing, the story (though contrived at points) is very gripping to me, there are a bunch of secrets to find, and a bunch of memorable scenes: confronting Edea, finding GF's like Odin and Bahamut, fighting Omega Weapon, the funny dialogues between party members, the dance between Squall and Rinoa, landing at Dollet, etc.

The dumbest yet most entertaining game I've played was Wario Ware Smooth Moves...and thats all I'll say.

 

How do I see them? I could answer this a few ways, depending on what assumptions we make, so I'll refrain for now. I don't play solely for entertainment, but I do expect to be entertained when I play.

They can, and they must. I don't believe this notion is seriously questioned except by the ignorant and the ill-informed. If the purest form of art is to deliberately elicit a reaction, then video games are as much art as literature or film. Their strong point, and one that is regretfully overlooked by many developers, is immersion: building a vivid world, then dropping the player into it, making them an intrinsic part of it. Players develop strong emotional ties to their favorite games if the immersion element is paid plenty of attention. Ties that greatly resemble ones fostered by other entertainment media, all of which are unquestioned as art forms.

Like the martial arts, games can be played ceremonially or as a competitive sport, to demonstrate one's skill. Like film, they can accurately convey complex emotions using only body language and dialogue. Like just about any art form, dedicated communities build around discussing just a single property. If there's any question left in people's minds as to whether games are art, they probably haven't played any.

As often as I find one that deserves such attention. I tend to focus on one thing at a time for as much as a week, so I can get pretty immersed if a game lasts that long for me.

Not particularly. Most of the games I play have a fair mix of both. And they're both part of the atmosphere, so lacking one tends to make the other suffer.

The only thing I could think of is Final Fantasy VII, but I don't know if it's entirely agreed upon that the graphics are bad. The walk-around polygons are cute, imo.

Because it's enjoyable. That's how anything gets to be a large part of people's lives, I'd say. It's enjoyable, and it can be enjoyed in so many different ways; flying solo, playing with friends, testing your skills, goofing off. Many different lifestyles can now find a game that suits them. So it's enjoyable for a wide range of people, let's go with that.

A lot of things make our kids violent. Kids are impressionable. Is this news? But to be able to ban or restrict something requires the utmost discretion, especially on the national level. It would be absurd to ban games, any games, on account of something like that. Such bans tend to fail, or to receive backlash that's far worse than if we'd left it alone. On the one hand, the fact that violent games sell so well may be a sign of something problematic, but it's a symptom if it's anything. The real illness lies elsewhere; games are just the latest scapegoat.

As a whole? Hard to say. Recession itself makes money tight for everyone, but does that mean people will stop buying games? I doubt it. The industry still rakes in millions. The only real suffering the industry has done is from two sources: (1) Rapidly improving technology, and (2) piracy. The stronger the technology becomes, the more expensive each game becomes. The more people pirate, the less small start-ups and indie developers make. Both of these lead to the industry as a whole taking less risks, making the games more bland and tasteless every year. There are outlets yet for the most dedicated developers, but the climate has changed.

This relates heavily to the above. I don't think it was ever a question of which games were being made, or for what. Many of the best games from the old days were produced as tie-ins for famous fictional characters, products, etc. The old Scrooge McDuck and Chip & Dale Rescue Rangers games for the NES are both cult classics. If anything has changed, it's the fact that developing is more like to take place in-house these days; that is, the companies will make their own tie-in games. And the tendency in this case is for them to half-ass it, because they know people will buy it anyway. The same sorts of people who made the classics of old still exist, but now they have to build their own brand from scratch, and very rarely do they get a chance to flex their muscles with someone else's property. It's a rougher climb, and it does lead to less good games... but they're far from gone.

There are two kinds of trilogies. There's kind that is planned well in advance, telling a single, cohesive narrative in three neat segments; and there's the kind that is thrown together after what would have been a one-off sells incredibly well. It used to be you could tell the difference between these two, but now there's almost always a sequel hook at the end of a game, just in case. It's obnoxious. But it's not as bad as people make it. A pre-planned trilogy can be a disaster from day one, and something organized on the fly can be fulfilling from start to finish. Any game made with love is worth playing, no matter if there's a number tacked on the end.

Like any art form: If it knows what it's trying to do and does it well, it's good. Some games are meant to be short and sweet; they have Portal to look up to. Some games want to be hard, and make you work for the goal; Devil May Cry 3 could show 'em a thing or two. My favorite games share one thing in common: They all build a world so convincing that you lose yourself in it. They craft an experience so captivating that you forget about the "real" world when you're playing them.

Plenty. Jet Set Radio Future made me realize what kind of person I want to be: someone who's happy, but not nauseatingly so. Someone who inspires others to be happy and live free. Brawl helped me come to terms with my sense of self, and taught me that single-mindedly pursuing individuality, even to your own detriment, turns you into a generic zombie regardless. The World Ends with You reinforced the benefits of broadening one's horizons. Demon's Souls taught me that the thing we love most about games, what we all blame on the "story," is probably better referred to as "atmosphere." I could go on.

Jet Set Radio Future. There's never been a game like it, not before and not since. Something to lighten people's moods, something fresh, something stylish, that you never get tired of hearing, seeing, or playing. Being angry and depressed seems so popular these days, but why? Because it's more realistic? I doubt it. People truck with "realism" because they think it's healthy, but I think too much reality does a body harm. Keeping an eye to the sky, whistling a jaunty tune, and above all else, fighting for what you think is right, however you can; that's what JSRF is all about.

Definitely Sumotori. You control block people with poor motor skills who are trying to wrestle each other to the ground. The only fun to be derived from the game is finding new and more absurd ways to fail; doing a leaping faceplant, tumbling down a flight of stairs, knocking over the hapless polygon people with block projectiles... It's mad fun.

 

I do see it for entertainment, but also a time-killer when I'm bored. But I do see them as a learning tool sometimes. A lot of my life's philosophies come from playing video games.

They can be, when done right. But if you just slap together a few programs and think it's a game, I think it's just rushed and there could be so much more to it.

I find myself wrapped up in it every time I play a new game. But unless I'm replaying and I just really want to get somewhere, I can restrain myself a lot.

Yeah, I've played plenty. In fact, a lot of people today seem to consider Final Fantasy VIII and Legend of Dragoon bad graphics, but I play them for the story and the entertainment value. Now there are occasions where I just simply can't play a game, no matter how bad/good the graphics are, if the story is just downright terrible.

I think maybe because games are like metaphors. People can understand things easier with metaphors, and with video games, you can understand concepts and stuff a little easier because it's put into perspective.

I think it's fairly true. If a kid is growing up only seeing violence, he might want more violence. However, I grew up with things like Yuyu Hakusho, Dragon Ball Z, Final Fantasy(which seemed violent to my parents for some reason), and other violent stuff. When I was 10-years old, I was already watching a few R movies, like Matrix. But I always limited myself on violence, because I didn't care if it was violent, I just wanted something fast-paced or something. That's why now, I don't really play M games, I stick to a height of T-rated games. I just find them just right for my tastes. If violence really did come solely from video games, I would be much more violent.

Considering gaming industries are one of the most successful businessess out there, I'm sure they'll be fine. It's actually fairly hard to get a job in designing video games because it's so popular. Even with the recession, video games will always be doing well. It's our generation's form of entertainment, and I don't think we'll give it up.

I think video games have progressed fairly well, considering what we had during the PS1 days. However, we are getting lame games like Barbie, Cars, and things like that, which have nothing to them. More games should actually have plots, and let you think deeply about it and how it works. Heck, that's why I only look for games that are RPGs. It lets me think a lot about the plot, and keeps me interested.

I'm sure that games with multiple sequals are fine. Some probably have sequals planned years ahead of time just in case games sell well. And when you make a sequal, you can have an original idea. Sure you'll probably get something cliched here and there, but considering how many games/movies/books have been made, it's hard to get something that's truely original. The best you might be able to hope for is come up with an idea, and try to leave out as many cliches as possible. I personally like sequals, because they can keep the story going and make it even deeper.

All I need for a video game to be good is a nice, immersive story. Something that keeps me thinking about "what if's" and such keep me entertained. And if the story is long, even better, since it means so many more things could happen that you might never have seen coming.

Pretty much all of the games I do. The games I play always make me think about views on life, and I think that, depending on the games you play, your life could be headed in a great direction. My life is based on what I learn in games, and I think it's great.

My all-time favorite is Legend of Dragoon. It's got a complicated story, really deep characters, and a huge plot. No matter how many times I play it, it always amazes me how someone could think of all the sub-plots and side quests, while still keeping it in line with the normal story.

I honestly have not found one yet

 

I see them as a combination of hard work and determination by a programmer. They are a product to bring joy and entertainment to others.

Yes and no. There's the entertainment part for just pure fun but then there is also the social part of it.. I made many friends through playing games and it's a way to hang out with others. Also, it's a great topic to talk about when socializing to make friends.

Yes. I tried to make a game before and it was pretty difficult. There's a lot of work that is put in to video games. Making video games is like making a film (which is considered an art form). There's music, story, and artwork to consider when making a film, but there's also programming and designing the interface when making a game.

It all depends on the game. If there is really good story, I'll keep playing. If the gameplay is fun, I'll keep playing. If my friends are playing it, I'll play with them.

Most of the time, I prefer good gameplay/story over graphics. Graphics is a temporary thing that will always get overrun by later games as technology gets better. Good gameplay/story can barely ever get overrun by the new cause it will either the newer gameplay is based off the old, giving the old gameplay some credit still or the gameplay is worse. An example is Tales of symphonia vs. it's sequel. The graphics were better in the sequel, but it's original has a much better story/gameplay.

Yes, everyone wants entertainment nowadays. The level of how big gaming is for a person, depends on how much they like games.

What is your opinion on the "video games make our kids violent" argument?

YES! Games will suffer a bit from it. Games are not essential to live and people will have to make sacrifices.

It has gone a long way in only about 30 years. Video games used to be just pixels on a screen, now they're works of art in general.

Yes, all big toy companies are going to try to get in to the video game industry to get some extra income, even if the game is bad.

Now this is difficult to say. Kingdom hearts has a bunch of sequels, but they're doing fine on all sequels. But there are the times when there are too many sequels that are just simliar to one another. (Call of duty?) They just need sequels to be different.

Fun gameplay, good story, worth my money, and graphics are a tiny plus.

Eh....no

I don't have one. I have too many games that I love.

Amnesia :D It wasn't stupid, but it was just hilarious.
[video=youtube;H4w0_n1Yras]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4w0_n1Yras[/video]

 

Nowadays ? Sure, but he was talking about graphics terrible for their time.

FF 7 graphics were so incredible that it took most developers 2 years to catch up to that level. As pretty as they were FFX and FFXIII didn' t exactly put the rest of the industry to shame (graphic-wise) when they were released.

Furthermore FF7 wasn' t just pretty, it used graphic techniques that opened a world of narration and gameplay perspectives. The pre-rendered 2D + 3D + CG combo allowed a lot of things that couldn' t be done in 3D or 2D alone at the time.

Compare for yourself, here' s the FF7 trailer, and two other RPG released the same year in Europe :

Spoiler

[video=youtube;ojVq7qeH1ug]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojVq7qeH1ug[/video]
[video=youtube;jIO3GoABe_Q]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIO3GoABe_Q&feature=related[/video]
[video=youtube;hZhIFjSR06c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZhIFjSR06c[/video]

All we did since to improve graphics is add more polygons, pixels and filters, which doesn' t exactly open a world of new gameplay possibilities. That' s why even today FF7 easily remains the most impressive graphic leap I ever experienced.[/fanboy rant]