The Gamer's Quarter

Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

"On November 3 in New York City, the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theatre will hold a special presentation focusing on Ubisoft and the art of games. The event will feature a hands-on player's lounge (which starts at noon) as well as onstage presentations of in-game and CGI footage from current and forthcoming Ubisoft titles. King Kong, Brothers In Arms and Prince of Persia will all be featured. General admission is $10. Students are $6. For more info, go to the web site."

Not quite the company that I was expecting to give this presentation. Then again after reading this perhaps they are making advances.

SuperWes · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 2:40 pm Post subject: !

It's important to note that this is about the art "of" games not games "as" art. Every game contains art regardless of whether it's by EA, Ubisoft, Capcom, or some guy who just learned how to use flash. You could even argue that text adventures contain art, assuming they throw in an Ascii title screen or something.

It's a shame that they're concentrating on CG Intros, because I kinda feel like we should be moving away from those and toward in-engine cutscenes or even in-game cutscenes. Oh well, at least Ubisoft is celebrating their artists.

-Wes
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player 2 · . Joined: 10 Jul 2005 Posts: 585 Location: Madison, WI USA

I really am bothered that I never picked up BG&E
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Wii #: 8749 9109 9732 3653

"It is a peaceful way of understanding life, to play"
_Marcel Duchamp

dhex · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 2:43 pm Post subject:

games as art is becoming the most boring, no self esteem piece of shit sidebar among "intelligent gamers" ever.
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Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

BG&E is a pretty good game. Not fantastic, but above par. You can probably still get it new pretty cheap.

dhex, you are right, I read that so wrong.

wourme · . Joined: 01 Jul 2005 Posts: 362 Location: Maridia

I consider BG&E pretty fantastic, myself.

player 2 · . Joined: 10 Jul 2005 Posts: 585 Location: Madison, WI USA

Thanks to all you guys who have played BG&E for making me envious.
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Wii #: 8749 9109 9732 3653

"It is a peaceful way of understanding life, to play"
_Marcel Duchamp

ApM · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 8:10 pm Post subject:

I didn't really care for BG&E. I'd offer you my copy (for Mutant League Football, say), but it's sealed up and buried in a box.

But yeah, seriously, it's everywhere, and it's cheap. Just buy it.

ajutla · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 8:48 pm Post subject:

dhex · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 9:02 pm Post subject:

i never played bg&e.

Mr. Mechanical · Friendly Stranger Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276

God damn it you guys, it's been covered. Kind of.

I don't really think of videogames as art so much as I think of videogames as an art. When I hear "games as art" I immediately think of some coffee shop arcade with a bunch of pompous art house freaks with spiked hair and black rimmed glasses discussing the merits of Ms. Pac-Man as a response to gender discrimination through feminism and the role of women in games.

dhex · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 10:01 pm Post subject:

that doesn't bother me. people murder texts with politics all the time. some folks make it a full time career on both sides of the aisle.

it's the "if only we could convince everyone else that this is VERY IMPORTANT" that's totally useless. you have to bring about the age of the spirit on your own, kids. the father is in the son and all that jazz. aderack seems to have hit all the major points.
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Swimmy · . Joined: 16 Sep 2005 Posts: 990 Location: Fairfax, VA

Mr. Mechanical · Friendly Stranger Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276

I've tried to play BG&E before and can't get past the forty minute mark. I think I just don't like the kinds of games Ubisoft tends to make. Or rather they way they make their games, not exactly the games themselves. Lot of production but it's missing something.

Mister Toups · Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 12:37 am Post subject:

I liked Beyond Good & Evil. It reminded me of 80's cartoons like the city of lost gold. Sort of weird and out of nowhere but really evocative and imaginative.

I mean. It's a weird choice to hold up as an argument for the games as art donkey show. But it's got its merits.
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dark steve · . Joined: 17 Jun 2005 Posts: 1110

It's charming is what it is. It's just.. that's all it is.

And photography is fun. We need more photography games.

Lackey · . Joined: 11 Jul 2005 Posts: 1107 Location: Canada

Most of the game/art things I've seen have focused on more traditional materials which exist outside the game itself. Painting, concept drawings, etc. It seems odd to me to argue for the inclusion of a whole medium into an institution like "art." The products will speak for themselves, in any case.
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| Little bird fighting against a bat sect game |

ApM · Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 8:41 am Post subject:

SuperWes · Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 9:07 am Post subject:

dessgeega · Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 9:11 am Post subject:

dhex · Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 9:36 am Post subject:

Ketch · . Joined: 17 Sep 2005 Posts: 420

Lackey · . Joined: 11 Jul 2005 Posts: 1107 Location: Canada

I've never really thought the concern was with convinving people who didn't believe games could be art that it was, but rather illustrating this for people who never really considered it.

There seems to be a growing discourse on the actual content of games, and the critical analysis of that, and it's good to see.
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| Little bird fighting against a bat sect game |

SuperWes · Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 1:27 pm Post subject:

player 2 · . Joined: 10 Jul 2005 Posts: 585 Location: Madison, WI USA

dhex · Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 2:46 pm Post subject:

wourme · . Joined: 01 Jul 2005 Posts: 362 Location: Maridia

Up until just now, I had the impression that BG&E had a general sort of retrospective respect--apparently I was quite mistaken. Interesting to know. I don't know about its worthiness to represent video games as art or its importance in the industry, but neither of these things really matters much to me.

The things I really liked about the game were the creative world designs, the polished presentation (including some really excellent music), the fact that it took itself seriously and the characters weren't completely stupid and/or irritating, and that it continually piled on more artistic touches, new gameplay elements, and interesting areas to explore long after I was already satisfied.

Other than ICO, BG&E is pretty much the only 3D platformer that I list among my favorite video games. I think that a few others are fun and contain artistic merit, though, such as Jumping Flash, Ratchet and Clank, and, well, those are the only ones that come to mind.

Lackey · . Joined: 11 Jul 2005 Posts: 1107 Location: Canada

I think a lot of people like BG&E because it's charasmatic. I mean it was an underdog, to start with, but also a very polished and approachable game which does some things a little differently without straying outside genre conventions.
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| Little bird fighting against a bat sect game |

dessgeega · Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2005 7:33 am Post subject:

Lackey · . Joined: 11 Jul 2005 Posts: 1107 Location: Canada

The Underdogs is actually when I first heard about the game. I mean, I'd seen it in stores before but never given it a second thought. I suppose I was sort of surprised to see it get underdog status so fast and plus the review made it sound a lot like something I'd like.
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| Little bird fighting against a bat sect game |

Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279