Re: [-empyre-] games and apathy

[Simon Biggs <simon@littlepig.org.uk>]

On 10.06.03 22:24, "John Klima" <klima@echonyc.com> wrote:

> agree, i can't imagine that simon would suggest that the very "nature"
> of the game industry is void of creativity and experimental practice. he
> could never be suggesting *that*
-----
No, I would never say "that". Rather, I would extend "that" to the entire
commercial media sector, taking in TV, Hollywood, most other cinema, 99% of
the net, most of print, etc, etc. I am not saying there is no creativity or
innovation in these sectors, nor any craft. I agree, there is buckets of it.
But the values that underly the whole thing ensure that anything of value is
crushed and all you are left with is the pornographic exploitation of the
"user"...and "user" is a good word as the makers of this stuff are no
different to the drug dealers who are also looking to develop new "user"
markets (in fact I have a lot more time for drugs than for contemporary
media culture...). Melinda's description of the adrenalin driven quality of
contemporary games and cinema is exactly what I am refering to. The main
gland I am interested in is the brain...not the adrenal or testes.


best

Simon


Simon Biggs
simon@littlepig.org.uk
http://www.littlepig.org.uk/

http://www.greatwall.org.uk/
http://www.babel.uk.net/

Research Professor
Art and Design Research Centre
Sheffield Hallam University, UK
s.biggs@shu.ac.uk
http://www.shu.ac.uk/schools/cs/cri/adrc/research2/