For my interview, I worked with a friend of mine who is a senior in high school though he does a combination of home-schooling and learning with other kids at a local Co-op. I asked this student questions regarding video games as a new digital media and their value as art. His perspective is one of being very experienced in video games and digital media so he holds a more positive opinion to these subjects. However, when discussing such subjects, I would much rather ask for the opinion of someone who's informed on these issues than someone who is giving a gut reaction and has never picked up a controller. Going back to my first Journal Post, different fields of study require different types of literacy to enter (or at least become a valued member).
Questions and Answers
Has you ever learned anything from a video game? Anything small or profound?
"Yes, from Sonic Adventure 2. Eggman's (the villain) grandfather never moved on from a loss and ended up destroying all of the Earth for the sole purpose of making others feel his pain. So I would say, holding onto loss and suffering will only lead others to loss and suffering."
Do you think video games count as art? Why or why not?
"Yes. In my opinion, art is any way of expression so if you can express yourself, an event, or even an allegory in something; that's art."
Is there any specific game you would use as an example to qualify as art? Why?
"Yes, I would consider "Undertale" by Toby Fox a piece of art for its expression on how we as humans will affect things big and small with our choices."
Would you say that video games have replaced forms of more traditional media such as novels, plays, and poems?
"No, there will always be the need and usage of old art forms. Although I do think video games are getting more popular than them, I wouldn't say they have replaced them."
What positives or negatives are there in the shift into digital media?
"The positives are easy access to find and share with each other and the negatives are that it allows people to be negative towards others without fear of the consequences they would get if they said it face-to-face."
This interview has been a valuable experience for me. I wouldn't claim that I learned anything extremely profound (though maybe a reader has). These answers were in-line with what I expected though I am surprised by the level of thought and eloquence put into these answers. The student took the time to think of quality answers to give, knowing they potentially will be read by my classmates and professor. I also enjoyed learning about two video games that I haven't played, those being Sonic Adventure 2 and Undertale (Although I am familiar with their popularity). That just goes to show that there always is something new to learn, especially in the video game medium.
Dear Timothy:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your very informative post.
I am happy to hear that there are people that are learning things from video games (in particular you refer to learning how to cope with loss).
I viewed the video you suggested, Undertale: The story of Toby Fox. What an inspirational video. I absolutely loved it. He discusses a video game where non-violence is rewarded. You have to talk with your enemy as opposed to physically hitting them and there are repercussions for violence in his game. Friendships are encouraged and violence is discouraged in his series. He started this idea on Kickstarter. His goal was to raise $5,000 and he raised $50,000. His message was clear: Don’t underestimate yourself and think outside the box.
You also discuss negatives of social media wherein people will say more negative things than they would face-to-face with someone. I have definitely seen this many times over. It’s a cowardly way of communicating. This has always been something that has been very upsetting to me.
I watch the show Sharktank frequently. They had an investor who had a great idea. Whenever you were about to post something hurtful an alert would pop up saying “Are you sure you want to say this”. It gave you time to think twice before sending someone a negative message. I am not sure if this idea ever came to fruition but it did get a lot of attention.
Reference
Undertale: The story of Toby Fox. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIIx3gmLdpA.
I have watched my brothers, my nephews, and my husband play through the sonic games, and I never thought about the backstory of the characters, I just saw them as kind of one dimensional parts of a the whole game. I think its so interesting that the young man you interviewed found a connection to real world emotions and traumas from a video game.
ReplyDeleteHi Tim,
ReplyDeleteI second Manda's response. I enjoyed playing video games like Halo and Skyrim, but never really took any sort of lesson from them. It is very enlightening how others can experience the same game but have such different take-aways. I am curious as to what your response might be regarding whether you've ever learned something from a video game?
Thanks for your post!
Sam