Rogert Ebert Apologizes for Game Discrimination
Roger Ebert said games can't be art after playing only two titles.
Famed movie critic Roger Ebert took a severe reader bashing after saying that video games--whether they're on the PC or console--can never be a form of art. This opinion comes from a man who doesn't play games whatsoever, and admits that he doesn't have the desire to play them in the future. Because of his prejudice, he passed judgment and literally offended gamers and possibly even artists who pour their entire lives into the titles.
But after a thorough feedback lashing, Ebert retracted his "games aren't art" opinion. "I was a fool for mentioning video games in the first place," Ebert said. "I would never express an opinion on a movie I hadn't seen. Yet I declared as an axiom that video games can never be Art."
Ebert then added that he still felt that games couldn't be art, and that he should have never voiced his opinion on the matter. Ebert also admitted that he's had very little experience with the medium, playing a few titles like "Cosmology of Kyoto" and "Myst," the latter of which he lacked the patience to actually play.
When Ebert originally said that games could not in principle be art, his intention was to approach the argument on "purely theoretical grounds." He said that it was a foolish position to take on his part, realizing that one day games could actually be a form of art.
"There was no agreement among the thousands of posters about even one current game that was an unassailable masterpiece," he said.. "Shadow of the Colossus came closest. I suppose that's the one I should begin with."
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I don't know why people listen to this man to begin with, it's just an opinion. And this isn't the first time his ignorance has come out into the open with such statements.
The vast majority of movies made are not art either.
@husker; You're right. They aren't. Nor is most music. Or most paintings. Most of it is all rehashes of crap we saw ages ago.
I also don't ascribe to 'modern (bullshit) art'.
Art is what you make of it. If you think it is art, it is art to you. If you think something is not art, that does not mean that someone else won't think of it as art. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
Why would there ever be complete 100% consensus on what is an is not a game that counts as 'art'? There isn't for movies.
Everything is art. A nuclear bomb is art. A hamburger is art. A bendy straw is art. a ballpeen hammer is art. Well, almost everything is art...Roger Ebert isn't art.
So let my get this straight... he gave his honest opinion (what he gets paid to do), people got pissed, he apologized.
I am wondering how much ad revenue he generated for himself as people rushed to bash him, and how many people are happy now that he has apologized (generating him more ad hits, even though he still believes the exact same thing).
Soo.... uhh... who is stupid in all of this?
I'd say he's two-faced, but that would require ignoring the fact that he has just half a face...
Hes obviously never heard of Limbo or Okami.
"Games arent art", Hideo Kojima
Kojima is my Steve Jobs...
At least he manned up and admitted his ignorance. He's a movie critic and has no place passing judgement on a media he has no experience with.
If he wants to experience a game that is a true masterpiece of art, he would do well to start with Max Payne.
Being a film-goer I respect Roger Ebert a lot, as a reviewer. It's good to see that as a gamer as well, he finally respects the gaming world in return.
Of course we shouldn't listen to a biased old fellow who's never touched video games for opinions!
Ooh, Shadow of the Colossus. Good choice, Rog.
Who is "Rogert Ebert"?
I thought he was dead?
You can barf on a piece of paper and call it art and make millions these days. Pretty sad.
Bioshock, Half Life 2, Portal, STALKER, Audiosurf, Mirror's Edge, Crysis...
Not to mention flash games like Time Fkuc, Dino Run, Exmortis, Purgatory, The Company of Myself, Don't Look Back, Meatboy...
Too many games are true art either by their graphics, their clever writing, their atmosphere, the gameplay, how much is the player immersed in that world... And how deep they reach in us.
Just an example: if you played "The Company of Myself" and the final revelation didn't shock you and made you sad you have no soul.
Mass Effect 1 and 2 are art. The storyline is better than 99% of movies, and the graphics of 2 are many times awe-inspiring.
"_cubase_ 07/02/2010 4:07 AM Hide -0+
Being a film-goer I respect Roger Ebert a lot, as a reviewer. It's good to see that as a gamer as well, he finally respects the gaming world in return.
"
siskle and ebert..anybody with half a brain new the only good movies worth watching were the ones these guys gave 2 thumbs down at. anything thumbs up was like watching titanic or titanic after the four hundred thousandth time. you should see the rating these retards gave first few star wars and star trek movies.
my FPS i call my live targets eberts, the dead ones siskles "eberts at your 7 9 and 12 o'clocks. siskel down"
);D
Try Deus Ex or Mafia.
Or I will say movies are not art because I saw "Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2"
Isn't this apology from like 4 years ago? Anyways... who cares about his opinion? Pitiful seeing people actually get offended.
He's so full of shxt in his comments.
If he didn't think myst was art, then there's something wrong with him. That entire game was a picture 'literally' of art.
Wait a second, what?!
He played Myst... and didn't see it as art? A game pretty much entirely composed of beautifully rendered art work (way, way ahead of its time).
Some people should just be banned from speaking - period. What a tool.
Most MOVIES aren't art
Who is Roger Ebert (and who cares what he thinks)?
Who is Roger Ebert (and who cares what he thinks)?
Who cares whether games are art or not. They can consider games whatever they want and I'll still play games if they're fun.
Although it can be argued that games aren't art because they require participation. Is there any art form that requires active participation, skills and decision making?