As the years roll by and consoles come and go, one thing about video games seems increasingly certain; it is a medium destined to never be taken seriously. Despite how many housewives are now plucking up the courage to waft a Wii remote or the number of middle-aged men that have become addicted to Football Manager; gaming seems forever cursed with a reputation of being an immature hobby for teenage geeks. Far worse though, than this tragic misunderstanding of interactivity’s timeless joys, is the general consensus that games are unworthy of comparison with the civilized art-forms of music and film.
The latest famous person to dismiss our beloved pastime in such a way happens to be none other than Mike Newell, director of the recent Prince of Persia film. In his infinite wisdom, Mr Newell felt compelled to tell the world (via CVG) that games would never be able to compete with movies for emotional involvement. Ouch. Now before I launch into a prolonged rant about how erroneous such sentiments are, it seems only fair to provide the exact quote, directly from the horse’s mouth.
“You can’t do it without the human drama. And the video game cannot do that. The video game can do all sorts of face-pulling, all sorts of: ‘I am a bad man, I have a mean jagged sword,’, but it can’t do any more than that… Don’t get me wrong – I watched the game and took many things from it. But I haven’t had the experience of feeling in a game. The one thing I do not do when I watch my son mow down Brazilians by the regiment – nor when I watched my assistants playing Prince Of Persia – I don’t feel anything, which is why I hate my son doing it.”
Then why make the film?
After reading his words, I’m sure one of the first questions that entered your mind, as it did mine, was why on earth did Newell agree to direct such a project if he has so little respect for the source material? Could he not have declined a screenplay based around such uncultured superficial drivel, in favour of something more worthy from literature circles? Yes of course he could; which brings us to the second question: why didn’t he?
Well that’s the depressing part. Though Mr Newell clearly does not see video games as a genuine art-form, he still possesses sufficient commercial nous to realise the merits of adapting one of its brands for his latest work. The man knows only too well that opting to translate a well-known game, as opposed to a novel, to the silver screen will all but guarantee him better box-office results. Essentially he told himself that, “though the youthful geeks may be devoid of taste, they are strong of number.” For what it’s worth, I find that quite a hypocritical position to take. Rather than getting superior about where the film came from after its release, Newell should have had the courage of his convictions when it was offered him in the first place.
Not Comparing Like For Like
Despite whether or not Mike Newell has the moral authority to make the point, it is only right for us to consider the merits of what the man has said. Is gaming an emotionless medium? Well, it can be. When you’re running along, gunning down hordes of zombies in Left4Dead or jostling for a place on the podium in Mario Kart, obviously your heart strings aren’t being tugged at. You’re playing to have fun, to compete, to survive. I quite appreciate how Mike Newell would say there’s no human drama in these kinds of titles, but surely he can see that this wasn’t something the developers were aiming for?
It’s a bit like going to watch the latest Saw movie or The Fast and The Furious and wondering why you weren’t being treated to detailed characterisation and insightful dialogue. No right thinking person would buy tickets for either of these films expecting anything thought-provoking or emotional so why does Newell dismiss our medium just because it contains titles which don’t attempt to offer such experiences either?
Two Distinct Mediums
What Mike Newell should bear in mind is the major differences in how films and games are enjoyed. In the former an audience member is always a spectator. Although they can be deeply moved by the drama they are witnessing, they remain nothing more than a witness to it. Contrast that with the latter, where the joypad holder has a much more active role in proceedings. More and more games now feature non-linear stories where player choices dictate which direction the plot will take. For the “scriptwriter” embarking on such a project, ensuring the story is engrossing whichever way it plays out is a far more difficult feat than having an exact vision and sticking to it.
There’s another aspect to the interactivity of games as well; it gives the player a vested interest in the protagonist’s fate. By not actually playing Prince of Persia or Brazilian Regiment Killer 2 (?), but merely viewing them over the shoulders of others, Newell is doing the medium a disservice. I doubt he, or any other director for that matter, would be very impressed if cinema-goers criticised his films having sat with their backs to the screen. The fact is, a part of the emotional aspect of a video-game stems from the attachment you have to the character(s) you are controlling. Once you combine that with a well-told story, the resulting level of immersion can surely be just as impressive as a lot of what is being offered by Tinsel Town.
Do Your Research
So my advice to Mike Newell would be to reserve judgement until he’s looked at (and preferably actually played) a more diverse range of games. Perhaps he could suggest his son obtain a copy of Heavy Rain or Mass Effect to see what can be achieved in terms of a game’s story. And if those two don’t take his fancy, what about Ico or Final Fantasy? If Newell can sit through Aeris death scene without shedding a tear or fail to appreciate Ico’s tender care for the vulnerable Yorda, well frankly, he must have a heart of stone.
Maybe these stories don’t quite have the impact of Gone With The Wind or Schindler’s List, but when you‘ve said all, neither does Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire. And if, after taking a closer examination of video game’s finest dramatic efforts, he still isn’t satisfied, maybe Mike Newell should put his money where his mouth is and take up the creative reins of a future game. Then he can show everyone how it should be done.
Despite a complete lack of basic hand-eye coordination, Simon Cooper has been dabbling in Video Games for years. His obsession with gaming began almost two decades ago when a portly man, wearing a red suit, deposited a Sinclair Spectrum in the family living room. Ever since, Simon has been furiously hammering joysticks/keyboards in a futile attempt to get various collections of colourful pixels to obey his wishes.. with little success. "
One Comment
As I’ve touched on in previous articles, this instant dismissal of the medium is as generational thing than anything else. I also suspect l