Siskel & Ebert playing Greatest Heavyweights...

[lynchesque]

with the Activator!



Greatest Heavyweights is one of my favorite games on the Genesis - it's an underappreciated gem.

[cheaterdragon1]

And I thought they hated video games.

RIP Gene Siskel

[M4R14NO94]

And Ebert said that he never played a game. Damn liar

Still, RIP Siskel

[j_factor]

And Ebert said that he never played a game. Damn liar

Did he say that? He's published a few reviews of games in the past.

[Eric83]

Did he say that? He's published a few reviews of games in the past.

I don't think he's ever said that he's "never played video games".

He did say he say
Video games can never be art

and then later
I was a fool for mentioning video games in the first place. ... In my actual experience, I have played "Cosmology of Kyoto," which I enormously enjoyed, and "Myst," for which I lacked the patience.

[j_factor]

Ah yes, Cosmology of Kyoto was the review of his that I saw. Maybe he just did the one. And yes, I do remember that controversy. It actually started a few years ago. I hadn't seen that most recent blog post, though. Good to see that he semi-reconsidered.

[retrospiel]

He did say he say
Video games can never be art

I say that he never played a Japanese game then.

(although I have to add that his point is debatable to say the least even from a strictly American point of view. I've seen plenty of American games that are worthy of being called art. Quake might be the most prominent example I can think of)

[sheath]

I think video games have been art, but not in the sense that Ebert thinks of it. In the classical sense, art is anything that that can invoke the sublime.

http://www.amerindianarts.us/article..._quality.shtml

For those with short attention spans jump to the section on Emmanuel Kant and read the short section. But I'll shorten it even further with this important quote.

"The feeling of the sublime is experienced when our imagination fails to comprehend the vastness of the infinite and we become aware of the ideas of reason and their representation of the boundless totality of the universe, as well as those powers that operate in the universe which we do not grasp and are beyond our control. The feeling is the realization our own finitude, but is also universal in the realization of our capacity as an autonomous, rational agent sharing in mankind's interest in what is good through the capacity to apply the moral laws of practical reason. "

Based on our varied and sometimes incredulous discussions on how "great, fun, or better" games are, I'd say that we've all felt this from games in the past. For me, the feeling comes from the pinnacles of the action genre, such as Shinobi III or either Virtual On games. For others it is Square RPGs or Nintendo's big five. Modern games heavily emphasize rudimentary story telling and cinematics over art in gameplay as such. So a similar feeling from "Core" players is simply a reflection on the medium's advancement in cinematics and story telling as compared to Novels or Movies.

Gaming proper has been art in the past and simply needs to return to it.

[M4R14NO94]

I don't think he's ever said that he's "never played video games".

He did say he say
Video games can never be art

and then later
I was a fool for mentioning video games in the first place. ... In my actual experience, I have played "Cosmology of Kyoto," which I enormously enjoyed, and "Myst," for which I lacked the patience.

I only read the first article a few days ago (thanks to Gamespy). However, I didn't know about that other article

[j_factor]

Art is in the eye of the beholder. But to me, most of the arguments on both sides miss the mark. A particular work doesn't have to be "great art" to be "art". Nor does it have to be artsy. If film is art, then Plan 9 from Outer Space is as much art as anything else. I think videogames are art, but I don't think it's limited to the greatest works or the most artsy stuff or the games that most imitate other mediums. Trampoline Terror is art. Bad art, but still art.

[Nobi]

lol at :41 with no sound!!

[snume]

Losing this boxing match to Siskel probably formed his anti-game philosophy. Like the kid who sulks off when he loses and won't play anymore.