The Art of War...
...must be easier than this.
So I'm playing Halo today, Big Team Battle (8 on 8). Single Bomb, where one team brings a bomb into the other team's base and arms it. I take the Banshee (the only flying vehicle) and start making some rounds on defense. Suddenly, over the speaker comes, "Who's the idiot that took the Banshee and didn't get the rockets?!?" Fine, I'll admit I don't know every detail of that map, but since I don't have a mic, I can't ask where they are. So I continue my defense. Eventually the bomb makes its way into our base and we have to keep them from getting it back. Now when a player on the bombing team stays close to the bomb, the timer on the game will freeze at 5 seconds as a "Sudden Death" feature. Then the game freezes. But where's the guy hiding near the bomb? After much searching, the mean guy on my team and I both get the idea that he's probably on the roof. I go for the Banshee to fly up there and kill him, but just before I get in, I hear, "Stay the f*ck away from the Banshee, ENDER." I turn, and there he is, running toward it. Now I like to consider myself a reasonable guy. In a gesture of kindness, I back away and let him take it. This is where the story should end.
As he makes his way up up and away, he starts talking again. "We have things to do. This isn't here for your entertainment."
...
It isn't? Wait, was he talking about the Banshee, or Halo in general? But, regardless of which one he was talking about, isn't it the same thing? Well whatever he meant, I think he has some issues to deal with. What's that you say? Everyone's entitled to their own opinions? Well, in that case:
Games are for entertainment. The deeper issue, should you argue that there is one, revolves around just how seriously you wish to take this entertainment. Let's back up a bit. There used to be (and basically still is) this ongoing debate about what "art" is. Some say everything is art. "Ooh, look at that pretty chair. It's art." Says who? You? Look, the fastest way to obliterate a concept is to expand it to mean everything. I mean, what does that even mean? My wallet is artwork? My notebook? My socks? I tend to disagree. In the opposite corner stand those nihilists who claim that any arguable value is baseless and that nothing can really be communicated. I.E., nothing is art. Please. I know I’ve created things. And is art not the product of human creativity? This is where I tell everyone to shut up and look at the obvious truth: A creation is art if the creator deems it as such. If a guy makes a table and someone says, “Oh, now that’s art!” and the tablemaker says “No, it’s a table,” then it is NOT art. If a girl sits down with a paintbrush and says to herself, “I’m going to make art,” then that is what she does. Basically, art is in the eye of the creator. Period.
So let’s apply this concept, now that I’ve given that dead horse a few good whacks. Are games for entertainment? I suppose this depends. Let’s ask the game’s creator. Inquiry: “Hey Bungie, did you guys make Halo or Halo 2 or Oni for entertainment, among other things?” Reply: “No no, of course not.” Come on. Wake up.
I know video games are coming of age, that is they’re really starting to grow up and reach places they’ve never gone before, but I can’t think of a single game whose developers would deny entertainment value as a purpose. Except maybe that yoga thing developed by responDesign, Inc. But…that’s not really a game. It’s a yoga training video. Besides, Microsoft got sued for it (http://www.lawdit.co.uk/reading_room/room/view_article.asp?name=../articles/Microsoft%20in%20Trouble%20over%20Yoga%20Game.htm).
Look, all I’m saying is, game purposes are in the eye of the developer. And no one can say entertainment wasn’t on Bungie’s list of things to accomplish in Halo’s development process.
So, in retaliation to Mr. Dumbhead’s claim about Banshees- Try thinking before you speak. You might learn something. Keep it, yo.
So I'm playing Halo today, Big Team Battle (8 on 8). Single Bomb, where one team brings a bomb into the other team's base and arms it. I take the Banshee (the only flying vehicle) and start making some rounds on defense. Suddenly, over the speaker comes, "Who's the idiot that took the Banshee and didn't get the rockets?!?" Fine, I'll admit I don't know every detail of that map, but since I don't have a mic, I can't ask where they are. So I continue my defense. Eventually the bomb makes its way into our base and we have to keep them from getting it back. Now when a player on the bombing team stays close to the bomb, the timer on the game will freeze at 5 seconds as a "Sudden Death" feature. Then the game freezes. But where's the guy hiding near the bomb? After much searching, the mean guy on my team and I both get the idea that he's probably on the roof. I go for the Banshee to fly up there and kill him, but just before I get in, I hear, "Stay the f*ck away from the Banshee, ENDER." I turn, and there he is, running toward it. Now I like to consider myself a reasonable guy. In a gesture of kindness, I back away and let him take it. This is where the story should end.
As he makes his way up up and away, he starts talking again. "We have things to do. This isn't here for your entertainment."
...
It isn't? Wait, was he talking about the Banshee, or Halo in general? But, regardless of which one he was talking about, isn't it the same thing? Well whatever he meant, I think he has some issues to deal with. What's that you say? Everyone's entitled to their own opinions? Well, in that case:
Games are for entertainment. The deeper issue, should you argue that there is one, revolves around just how seriously you wish to take this entertainment. Let's back up a bit. There used to be (and basically still is) this ongoing debate about what "art" is. Some say everything is art. "Ooh, look at that pretty chair. It's art." Says who? You? Look, the fastest way to obliterate a concept is to expand it to mean everything. I mean, what does that even mean? My wallet is artwork? My notebook? My socks? I tend to disagree. In the opposite corner stand those nihilists who claim that any arguable value is baseless and that nothing can really be communicated. I.E., nothing is art. Please. I know I’ve created things. And is art not the product of human creativity? This is where I tell everyone to shut up and look at the obvious truth: A creation is art if the creator deems it as such. If a guy makes a table and someone says, “Oh, now that’s art!” and the tablemaker says “No, it’s a table,” then it is NOT art. If a girl sits down with a paintbrush and says to herself, “I’m going to make art,” then that is what she does. Basically, art is in the eye of the creator. Period.
So let’s apply this concept, now that I’ve given that dead horse a few good whacks. Are games for entertainment? I suppose this depends. Let’s ask the game’s creator. Inquiry: “Hey Bungie, did you guys make Halo or Halo 2 or Oni for entertainment, among other things?” Reply: “No no, of course not.” Come on. Wake up.
I know video games are coming of age, that is they’re really starting to grow up and reach places they’ve never gone before, but I can’t think of a single game whose developers would deny entertainment value as a purpose. Except maybe that yoga thing developed by responDesign, Inc. But…that’s not really a game. It’s a yoga training video. Besides, Microsoft got sued for it (http://www.lawdit.co.uk/reading_room/room/view_article.asp?name=../articles/Microsoft%20in%20Trouble%20over%20Yoga%20Game.htm).
Look, all I’m saying is, game purposes are in the eye of the developer. And no one can say entertainment wasn’t on Bungie’s list of things to accomplish in Halo’s development process.
So, in retaliation to Mr. Dumbhead’s claim about Banshees- Try thinking before you speak. You might learn something. Keep it, yo.
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