Sustainable Perspectives on Video Games: Andy Robertson at TEDxExeter
Vložit
- čas přidán 3. 08. 2024
- Andy Robertson presents his call for a new "Priesthood of Player-Critics" who nurture fresh perspectives on videogames that enable more people to benefit from their emergent ways of telling stories about being human.
Andy Robertson is a videogame expert who specialises in family gaming. He edits the GeekDad blog for Wired.co.uk, has written for The Telegraph and BBC as well as contributing regularly to Radio 4's You and Yours programme.
He produces alternative responses to videogames on his www.gamepeople.co.uk/ website. These take the form of songs, plays, comedies and art that offer a playful and creative way to engage with videogames. The work has appeared nationally in both newspapers and television.
Along similar lines, his / familygamertv show offers parents a space to learn and engage with videogames without hype or jargon. By featuring real families it uncovers videogames successes and failures as a way to engage parents and children with these experiences.
Andy broadens this theme, of finding meaning in videogames, in his Greenbelt talk about the intersection between theology and games. He has also experimented with this intersection in an Exeter Cathedral service integrating videogames and worship.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. - Věda a technologie
Excellent talk Andy. Great points on the contribution of video games to our "human experience". And I couldn't agree more.
Some games have stimulated my imagination, others stirred my emotions, made me laugh out loud, kept me happy when I was sad, helped me discover other cultures, bond and argue with my friends, and even engage my brain in ways no other passive art form will ever manage (thank you Picross). There is so much beautiful content out there and we really need to advocate it.
At times I did think twice about some of my religious language in the talk, but decided that its intentional use (priesthood, faith, heart, sunday-school) reflected my desire to connect video-games to unusual concepts. Another interesting topic for a talk would be that video-games are a new faith denomination.
"Preisthood" in particular was a good fit for critics who nurture rather than own the video-game conversation.
- Andy R
“the presence of dark games helps us avoid inoculating ourselves or our children against darkness, loss and danger and helps us engage in those difficult subjects” - though provoking stuff, even for those of us who have known for years the importance of playing games. Good work, Andy.
I like Jospeh Campbell's thoughts on the function of myth. "The absolute mysteries of life cannot be captured directly in words or images" and that "mythological symbols touch and exhilarate centers of life beyond the reach of reason." For me this touches on the value of a medium like video-games.
- Andy R
Bravo Bravo!
*Standing ovation*
There have been some games that connected with me emotionally, which makes me think they are about much more than pure entertainment... or can be.
I love the line "To be human is to be a storyteller". The best games, for me, are those that are the best storytelling media.
Excellent to hear all these ideas coalesce in one place. I particularly like the reminder of the differences between how we relate to gaming shop and book stores. When I talk to staff in a book store about a book, the conversation revolves around how the writing connected with them and how it made them feel. In a videogame store it's about the weapons and graphics. To compare, who expects to talk with somebody about how great the font or spelling is in a book? Really well done.
It's so actual!
This is video, this study is so complete, perfect. Gamers and developers need see this presentation.
I will share this video.
I'm so happy to find this!!
👏🏻👏🏻
This is an excellent speech. Creating space for videogames by talking, singing, joking about them or generally spreading the word is the best way to open them up to other people. Games are just starting to come out of their own shell, and will carry on growing as an art (and as a business) in the years to come. Cinema, TV, even theatre and literature, all had to grow throughout the years to achieve the levels of merit they hold nowadays.
Never knew there could be so many poignant issues covered in videogames. Fascinating.
agreed. I didn't learn a single thing from this.
Some people see the red TED logo, hear a soft-spoken british man, and think "omg this is just so beautiful and meaningful"
"We spend a lot of time and energy keeping the wrong games out of the hands of the wrong people, and very little time getting the right games in the hands of the right people"
I love the idea of mixing art forms as you demonstrate here, breaking the clichés and crossing boundaries... you've made me ponder on the whole gaming thing as an outsider to this world...
You are spot on. The message of the talk was designed to be encapsulated in the form of the talk. To create a space in which we could talk about video-games as something interesting and engaging, and then to make that space attractive and accessible to both gamers and non-gamers. I think it succeeded in part at least judging by these fascinating comments.
Most games are experiences we use to entertain ourselves. You're painting this thing with a wide brush. There are artistic thought-provoking games and there are games simply made to be fun and fill what the market wants. The exact same thing occurs in music, literature, film, art, sculpture, gardening, clothes, architecture and everything else you might think of. I personally enjoy the economics of the industry as it's really quite a unique system that doesn't really operate like others.
good to view things we humans make other than books in a mature play engaging way
Well done, Andy! I'm enjoying wrapping my brain around the thought of using one art form to help validate another art form--in essence signaling to the rest of the world that it's safe to engage that "new" art form as a means to work out the human experience.
That sounds like a study worth reading. To my mind it would follow that by intentionally perceiving tasks differently (and most importantly talking about them differently) we are able to uncover meaning and value in unlikely places. Maybe even in the video-games we play.
This also overlaps with work of Joseph Campbell on the importance of Myth, something we seem to have lost in our culture and could do well to regain.
Great speech there Sir. I have to say I can relate to a lot of what you said, there have been quite a lot of games that have had an emotional impact on me in the past. I think they used to create more of an impression on me when I was younger, games like A Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time had lasting effects on me. More recently, Heavy Rain evoked some emotions of a very different nature to those that I am used to having. Having to make some of those choices were very hard.
That is an interesting concept, I wonder if there is a historical precedent for one form of media validating another. Certainly, books about and engaging with film to some extent made them safer spaces in which to experience stories.
There is a general point here that you are touching upon, that how we read/watch/play things has as much impact on them as the person who wrote/directed/designed them. In this context our talk about games and the spaces we nurture for that is important.
- Andy R
A recent study I completed regarding participation and tools to gain particpation with children n young people included a finding that our perceptions of tasks impacts greatly our views of its significance. gaming is viewed as a childhood activity therefore minimal credability is given and if this is the case we cant talk about it in the context of self gratification or becoming a better person
After thinking about this talk for the last 24 hours it strikes me that there are almost two camps to this line of thought. Yes there are those games that evoke strong emotions, creative thought, expression etc, but on the other hand it is perfectly possible to play those same games with an air of detachment.
For example the artist that made a song about Halo4; I would guess that a large number of players of this merely see the multiplayer aspect as the goal and think no further any other areas
Indeed, Bravo! I always talk about my dream of putting up a "KINDERGARTEN UNIVERSITY"... Of Course, subjects are taught through my personally tried and tested games.... Physics through Angry Birds, Political/ Social Science through Castle Craft, etc!
Love it. Bonus points for getting Rebecca Mayes in there.
Thanks, that's Rebecca Mayes. The video of the performers are available in this playlist of my live theatre show of unusual videogame reviews:
/playlist?list=PL0B556519FD8A94EA
Awesome Video. It A Great Idea To Connect And Have A Discussion Which Is Extremely Helpful For Gamers. Nice Work.
What's the song at 9:39?
An interesting presentation indeed. I do find the social stigma placed upon gamers pretty ridiculous - whereas sitting in front of your TV and watching Britains Got Talent or similar drivel and vegetating is considered 'normal'. Gamers are interacting, thinking and interacting with an enviroment working on motor skills and problem solving skills. Games are a beautiful art form in itself - but they also combine things that even standalone could be considered art. Civilization soundtrack for ex.
I guess I'm the only person to have found this talk really wafflesome and meanlingless. A priesthood, what the fuck is that even supposed to mean?
I was there bitchesss
Yeah, you're definitely missin' out, no offense.
Ok. I play video games for entertainment. I don't play games to understand life.
This isn't to say that I haven't tried. I sought out video games that had something called a plot. However, the writing was always too poor and plot holes always have and always will ruin any game that has any potential.
I find that life doesn't have any plot holes so learning life from life seems like the best bet.
Again, I play video games for fun because at the root of it all, that's what games are for.
No