bunch of other things. will become the remit of the traditional mainstream. They are nearly there already. This is not necessarily such a good thing for us in the long-term. since it is these once-new interests which will soon be seen as traditional and dated. We will all feel the gentle passage of time.‘
Of course. gentility is not one of the words often used to describe some elements of the industry (proof of identity may be requested for those who wish to tackle some of the lS—cert games at the exhibition). There will always be pcoplc willing to rain on a PlayStation‘s parade. It‘s too violent. they say: the addiction takes such a grip that money. sense and. worst of all. morality ducks out and evil takes residence.
‘I hate them for two reasons.‘ says author and commentator Bidisha. ‘lt‘s technology for people who don‘t know anything about technology. And if anything‘s going to turn a kid into a serial killer. it's immersion in an alternative dimension where good and evil are pretty much the same. being devoid of moral justification. Nihilistic. all-negating violence is actively encouraged without any political. cultural or ideological context. It all reminds me of (‘ronenherg‘s l’idem/rame: "TV is
reality and reality is less than TV“. To me. the phenomenon of
the videogarne proves that the human race is doomed.‘
Well. it‘s an opinion. One that Steven Poole doesn’t quite share. ‘lf I can watch Saving Private Ryan. I ought to be able to play a videogarne with levels of represented violence that are not nearly as horrific. They are already certificated along the lines of films: it‘s the responsibility of retailers to make
sure that the most violent kinds don’t get into the hands of
children. And very violent videogames are in a small minority compared to all the other genres that the form offers.‘
But what does the form offer for future generations of
gamers? The exhibition hints at the adventures ahead. displaying a new type of interface game from Sony. Liquid Fire allows you to interact with characters and environments without the use of a joypad. A logical step perhaps. "The best stuff may happen well after we are dust.‘ says Lucien King. ‘lincouraging kids to use games as ways to socialise and develop problem-solving skills while being entertained is how we can start to imagine a future for games.’ A world away from the acne-addled loser rotting in their bedroom.
Steven Poole. too. wants more mind games. ‘I look forward to jacking a console straight into my head and living out some future sequel to The Matrix in totally iinmersive virtual reality.‘ Now that really would be game on.
Game On is at the Royal Museum, Edinburgh, Fri 18 Oct-Sun 2 Feb.
4 THUMB BANDITS [com]
I Grant Stott, Radio Forth DJ
I'd say Metal Gear Solid because the graphics are fantastic and it feels like being part of a movie. Each level of the game has a new set of challenges and it takes all y0ur game-playing skills to crack each level. l have been known to play for four hours a day.
I Steve Claydon, Add N to x member Donkey Kong Junior by Nintendo was sinister. The jungle floor is littered with jumping traps and the object of the game is to free an adult gorilla without getting crippled in a bear trap or pecked to death by a bird. The action is punctuated by the digital cries of a juvenile ape who tries against the odds to free its father. Dark.
I Zoe Strachan, author
A weirdly sexualised yellow blob. the pictures on the console showed Ms 1 Pac-Man in
. W. eyeshadow and mascara. draped in a flashy mink stole. kicking her killer heels in the air. lnexplicable power dots. pretzels. killer ghosts and bananas: by God she (:Ould eat tip anything, without ever smudging. She must've been responsible for a whole generation's castration anxrety. Despite having no discernible torso. lvls Pac-lvlan is a spokes—game character for breast cancer charities. And her mazes were always much. much harder.
I Douglas Maxwell, playwright
The first game that I did the ‘my goodness I seem to have been sitting here for three days' thing was Sonic on the Megaduve. I really got into games again with the P8X and. in partICular. the Tomb Raiders. I started with the third one and to this day haven't finished any of them. I was hoping the film would be like the game; you know. she walks aimlessly for hours finally working out how
something really easy is done and then just when she needs to inch to the back of a ledge. she leaps pointlessly to her death. But it wasn't.
I lain Davidson, The List’s games reviewer
No rules. no ending. just pure. open-ended jOy: Elite is a game unlike anything before or since.
I Stuart David, Looper leadman
My faVOurite videogame is still Galaxian. We used to go across to Helensburgh to play it at the pier there about 1987 when I lived in Alexandria. I was crap at it. but I loved the setinds it made.
I Anthony Wilson, media guru
I've always loved the physicality of the hovering and the twitch of the firing in the Desert Strike series. EA on top form. For ‘old hippy'. read 'megadrive initiate'.
I Bruce Morton, comedian Mandatory teamwork. sensational gunfights and WWII scenarios make the Return to Castle Wolfenstein multiplayer the crack cocaine of online games.
I George 8- Zippy. Rainbow warriors George: | don't like those Violent games. There's one called Sabrina the Teenage Witch where yOu can dress her tip. and that's lovely. And also Parappa the Rapper because everyone can dance to that.
Zippy: i like Pac-Man. And Quake's good because you get all those monsters to shoot at. All of us are big games fans btit Bungle's not very good at it. because of his great big hairy fingers. Videogames
The history. culture and future of videogames
We have managed to get our hands on five pairs of tickets for Game On. All you have to do is answer the question below and you could be there!
To enter, just tell us: Who plays Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider movie?
Answers on an email marked ‘GAME ON’ to promotions@list.co.uk or on a postcard to The List, 14 High St, Edinburgh, EH1 1TE. Deadline for entries is 31 October 2002. Please include a daytime telephone number and home address.
Terms and Conditions: There is no cash alternative available. Usual List rules apply.
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