A Video Game is a Video Game....

I had read an article about A "Video Game Church" over at the Dtoid Facebook Group.
While I did find the post amusing, it did bother me a bit, which resulted in this comment, and a reply:



A Good point and counterpoint, and I came up with a good reply (and so there is no confusion, this is a general chit-chat you are reading - I'm not pissed off at anybody)

This is the reply below, but I want to add more to it here, because FB has a text limit:

I have nothing against his religious beliefs, or anyone's personal views: to each his/her own. It's just that - a video game is a video game. In the 80's the Video game industry was leveled by pumping crappy games into the market...Now, I feel like the same thing is happening, but with real-life situations being thrown into the mix.

There is nothing wrong with a little realism in games, but I think we take it way too far sometimes. "over-sexualizing women", lack of over-sexualizing men, this shouldn't be like this or that, etc.

A Video Game is a work of art. It's OK to embellish reality to suit the needs of the GAME, provided it doesn't go to far and has a purpose therein.

The same can be said for movies: A naked woman showing up out of nowhere without rhyme or reason is just silly - the same ideal can apply to games too.

This article really resonated with me, because of the game I'm making. There is gonna be a part of the story that will involve boobs, but it will have a purpose to the story. As a matter of fact, the way I have the storyline planned out, it will be more funny than offensive, and it actually plays an active part to the game. I know that some of you will find it cheesy (and I'm sure that those in question might be a mix of men and women), but It will be done with tact and cunning.

And I won't be doing it the way I want because I don't want to offend people, I'm doing it because that is how my story is written. It should surprise you, it should make you laugh, and maybe shed a tear or two.

That's how good Video games...no, that is what makes ANY game a great game to play.

It's one of the main reasons I love Indie games so much - they are creative because they are the game designer's vision: it isn't about appealing to the easily offended - that is what hurts a game more than anything. It's about expressing one's vision for a game.

I'll say it till my dying breath: "A game is a game. You play it, you enjoy it, you have fun. It's an escape from reality, not an extension of reality. Leave your real life issues at the door, pick up that controller, press start and enjoy."

If you want to read that article that I read, you can click here. I welcome your comments. Now if you'll excuse me, I have art to make and a vision to complete.

Laters.