Do you want your games to touch on serious subject matter?

[QUOTE="Vesica_Prime"]

Sure, if it means expanding and pushing videogames as an art medium.

ActicEdge

Do you think games can touch on mature subject matter intelligently and still be fun and enjoyable "games"?

Yes, not all games, but some games sure are welcome to.

A game like Deus Ex, BF, or even CoD, have ample oppotunity to get thier hands dirty in some really serious subject matters, that would benefit thier respectible series alot (in the case of BF, I mean the SP part only ofcourse, which is kind of odd, since they are fairly new at it).

I am fairly sad that one of the games with the most thoughtful subject matter, was The Witcher (that I playied) and the fantasy genre is NOT the genre I would suspect having to raise up as a good example of this.

Kind of shameful to all the "would be" serious games out there :S

Ah Crud forgot about HR :P

I don't know. Honestly, when I think of games, I think of FUN. I want to enjoy my experience while playing them, and find they satisfy a different need than movies or books do. I don't always watch movies to have fun, nor read a book for the same. They sometimes can be unpleasant to witness, but with games I usually tend to prefer a more light hearted approach. I believe the interactive nature of the medium is not as capable of conveying what its more passive brothers can. Well, until I see something that proves me otherwise, at least.

Yes, games like MGS3, MGS: PW, AC, AC2, and

[spoiler] GARRY'S MOD [/spoiler]

[QUOTE="trugs26"]

Hm, I think I may have misinterpreted what this thread is about. Games obviously can touch on emotional issues, I thought we were wondering if games can touch on a serious subject matter. "Serious" not meaning a serious dramatic storyline, but rather, a problematic question we are faced with in life. Something intellectually challenging, rather than emotional. A game like Sanitarium is heavy on an emotional (and a very interesting) story. What I was inferring to was something that challenges the viewer on subjects like justice, morality, questions of meta ethical issues, what constitutes intelligence, etc.

I know games that are examples of these problems, but they only tell it as an emotional story. Nothing is actually critically assessing the matter.

And it was of this kind, that I claimed that no game has done. If it is "serious" in the sense of a serious, emotional, gripping story, then ofcourse games can do that, and can do it quite well.

Lucianu

I think its a matter of.. perspective. What i mean by that is how the viewer, the gamer, is affected by these aspects and how they can make the gamer at hand feel challenged intellectually with conflicts in their sense of what you described (justice, morality, depth), is subjective, it depends on each. A emotional take on these issues grabs the attention of the viewer.. Games have always ben one sided, but so have, if not most, movies. I think, i'm mearly generalizing anyway..

I see. Although, usually an emotional take on these matters aren't really intellectually useful, but rather emotionally stimulating. The fact that it grabs your attention by the emotions is just the beginning of how it isn't a very critical analysis of the subject matter, but rather a biased one (this doesn't dismiss that something critical can lead to something emotional for the viewer though).

[QUOTE="Not-A-Stalker"]I think it's possible. Like a Heavy Rain inspired direction. I'd be very interested in a game without any action in it and is more story and drama centered. I feel like all games now are easily comparable to action movies, but very few are comparable to a drama. And I think if games want to be taken more serious, we're going to have to explore those subjects more.BlbecekBobecek

You are talking about story and thats where you are wrong in my humble opinion. Videogame is completely different medium than movie and if you want to propose artistic experience, you have to look at it from a completely different angle (its sort of like paintings vs literature - both are completely different artistic disciplines). I think Flower is true piece of art among videogames and it has nothing to do with the story, its all about the expeirence.

Also, Heavy Rain is arts in a videogame and although there is great thriller story, thats not what makes it artistic. The gameplay is. The experience, the number of motions that you have to make with your controller just to use inhalator, the choices you make and the consequences they bring, etc. etc.

I don't know. Honestly, when I think of games, I think of FUN. I want to enjoy my experience while playing them, and find they satisfy a different need than movies or books do. I don't always watch movies to have fun, nor read a book for the same. They sometimes can be unpleasant to witness, but with games I usually tend to prefer a more light hearted approach. I believe the interactive nature of the medium is not as capable of conveying what its more passive brothers can. Well, until I see something that proves me otherwise, at least.

Rekunta