MikeMusgrove
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Book critic plays BioShock, says it's not quite "art"
If you're anything like us, you're probably getting a little tired of the seemingly never-ending "games as art" debate. Well try and revive your interest for just one more moment -- the Washington Post took an interesting approach in expanding the debate this weekend with a short piece looking at the artistic merits of BioShock.For the piece, Post technology and games writer Mike Musgrove took an Xbox 360 and a copy of BioShock over to the home of the Post's 58-year-old, Pulitzer Prize-winning book critic Michael Dirda, who played the game unassisted for a couple of weeks. As might be expected for a guy whose last game was Myst, Dirda had trouble getting past Neptune's Bounty. "I've got a first-aid kit, but I haven't figured out how to use it," Dirda said in a quote sure to draw guffaws from gamers who haven't won a Pulitzer Prize.But what about BioShock as art? While Dirda said the game obviously has artistic value and was easy to get lost in, he wouldn't quite go so far as to call it "art." The key threshold for games to become an art form, Dirda said, is the ability to make the player feel depressed. Apparently Dirda has never seen his rightfully-earned loot ninjaed after a five-hour World of Warcraft raid. Depressing indeed.But the final word on BioShock as art should probably go to head designer Ken Levine. "Is BioShock art? I don't know, and I guess I sort of don't care. All I care about is, does it work -- does it have an impact on an audience?" On that important score, we're going to have to answer with a resounding "Yes!"
Game therapy at Walter Reed Medical Center
Mike Musgrove of the Washington Post has written a touching piece on how soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center have been using video games as both mental and physical therapy.The story opens on a monthly gathering scheduled by soldiers aid group Cause and highlights how video games have helped soldiers socialize -- both as inpatients and on the battlefield. Said Chuck Ziegenfuss, an Army Major who spent six months at the hospital after being wounded in 2005, gaming in Iraq "gives [soldiers] back a sense that they're normal."Army Spec. Juan Alcibar has suggested to physical therapists that the use of games like Guitar Hero to help soldiers rebuild hand strength and dexterity. The article, published in time for Memorial Day, exemplifies how video games as an interactive medium can and have contributed to society.Those who wish to help Cause and Soldiers' Angel, another organization cited by the piece for its game-related donations, can do so at the embedded links. It couldn't hurt to donate any games you have lying around.[Via Evil Avatar]
