How Microsoft got Beautiful-Katamari Exclusivity..what will be next?

[Bodhesatva]

Quickdraw McGraw said:

Bodhesatva said:

 

This is pretty much in line with my views.

Violent games about killing super spies and space aliens don't have to stop existing entirely to attract adult gamers, they just need to stop dominating the landscape (you may laugh at my examples, but consider all the games this includes -- Resistance: Fall of Man, Gears of War, Splinter Cell, Metal Gear, Halo... virtually every "killer app" that's has been or will be released on the 360/PS3 in the last year fall in to this category. Killing space aliens and super spies, every time). Similarly, lots of violent and/or sexual action movies that are clearly aimed at young males can exist as long as there are enough serious films made to allow the art form to grow and be taken seriously.

The problem right now is that "hardcore" gamers hold up games like Grand Theft Auto, Gears of War, Metal Gear Solid and God of War as the pinnacle of gaming. This is the apex of the video game world, and as long as that's true, there really isn't a lot of room for video games to become a legitimized art form instead of a childish entertainment.

I just wanted to point out that just because certain games are violent, doesn't mean they can't be targeted towards a mature audience.

You used Metal Gear Solid as one of your examples. What makes Metal Gear only targeted towards a teenage and/or immature audience? Are intricate plots with good character development considered immature, or even senseless violence? Sure, you have a point with some games such as God of War (ie. More blood and gore, essentially violence, then necessary), but that doesn't mean every game that contains or even about violence makes it intended towards a teenage/immature audience. Many RPG's, and games such as MGS are good examples of games that can be enjoyed by adult/mature audiences, without being senseless blood/gore.

I'm not going to tell you your views are wrong, because it all comes down to opinion. You have a valid point with games like God of War, Gears of War, and even Halo, but you can't discredit games with violence, for the sole purpose of those games containing violence.

First, let me say that I largely agree with your point. I totally agree that violence does not inherently make things less mature. However, it seems that your particular sticking point is MGS, so let me delve into that a bit. I do feel it's less painful than others mentioned, however, keep this in mind:

Metal Gear Solid is a series of games about a cloned super spy that chases down, among other people, another clone that happens to be the president of the United States and a robot psychic. These people can very effectively be called "bosses" or even "super villains." Outside these bosses, the heroic cloned super spy kills dozens or even hundreds of people during a single mission. There are lines such as "Snake, do you think love can bloom on the battlefield?" that personally make me cringe.

As you can see, I have some pretty serious misgivings about MGS' plot, but with all that said, I love MGS' playstyle. I think it's creative, intelligent, and some of the best gameplay ever created. I just think the plot is a bit melodramatic.

And Quickdraw, I do largely agree that violence isn't inherently bad. Heck, there was violence in Shakespeare, and many of the best movies ever made involve wars (although generally speaking, they don't involve a single soldier killing dozens if not hundreds of enemy soldiers, as most WWII era video games do).

So instead of saying that all violence is automatically immature, I'd say that it tends to be, especially when coupled with space aliens and spies and convoluted plots. Is it possible that some day, someone will make an incredibly sophisticated film about space aliens invading earth, and the super soldier that saved the planet? Yeah, that's possible. But for now, I feel safe saying "generally speaking, violent movies and games about a single hero slashing and shooting and killing his way to victory are almost universally pretty shallow and lacking in both theme and plot."

I actually would have stated all this before, Quickdraw, but it's such a complicated point, and my post was already so long, that I decided not to. Even if we disagree about Metal Gear Solid (and again, please note that I think the gameplay is spectacular), I hope we can agree that most games/movies/books/plays about a hero blasting or slicing his way to ultimate victory are very rarely any more than pure, juvenile fun. Which isn't inherently a bad thing -- it just isn't the experience I'm hoping games will bring in the future.