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[disabledHeliocentric]

Am I alone in thinking it's kind of cool the way some games sort of satarize or present a game world which has enough connection with things recognizable in the physical non game world that it can also serve as a critique of mass culture, personal disposition, aesthetics, style, and human behavior? I'm not just talking a story here. I'm talking something, whatever it may be, that resonates and stimulates ones thoughts, emotions, perhaps expresses poetic truth-- it can be interactive details, sense of geometry and architecture, characters, ambiance enhancing details, expertly crafted gameplay which seems somehow organic, a unique perspective on events, cool themes, or even a cut scene; It's in the eye of the beholder.

Games have to improve in this regard. There's so much effort and technical excellence involved in the best games that it's a shame in other ways the level of artistry and expression is not equal or relevant to the level of technical excellence.

Now elect me as your leader!

 

[sprsk]

games need to improve on having content period. not just social critisism.

 

[Insertia]

The closest current game that does that is Call of Duty. Games as a whole have a long way to go before they can be in the same league as art house movies.

 

[ge-man]

It's possible, but current trends are making it difficult. I think that the industry was closer to that goal at the beginning, when individuals could still put a game out by themselves. Today committee thinking is largely the rule, making individual artistic voices less likely to reveal themselves.

 

[way more]

I thought Deus Ex did this, constant discussions of man and politics, it was really cool. But it was done better when fewer people produced a game. Now games resemble high-budget studio films.

 

[Keio]

games sort of satarize or present a game world which has enough connection with things recognizable in the physical non game world that it can also serve as a critique of mass culture, personal disposition, aesthetics, style, and human behavior?

I think that games are too honest a mirror of the state of our world and thus qualify as satire - it's a pity most people don't realize that.

Oh, and the lack of possible interactions with the game world also help. To be able to kill or buy is enough.

 

[Scrow]

Can gaming interactively express poetic truth and serve as a cultural critique?

I think some already do.

 

[ManDudeChild]

The closest current game that does that is Call of Duty. Games as a whole have a long way to go before they can be in the same league as art house movies.

... but that doesn't make the pretzel line in Disgaea any less funny.

 

[Gantz]

Games nowadays don't have enough interactivity.

 

[Agent Dormer]

Ico taught me more than Robert Frost ever did. Also, Rez is the best anti-racism tool to date.

 

[Crazy Harry]

Heliocentric, you're not the only one with this idea:
http://particleblog.blogspot.com/2004/03/introducing-insyn.html

 

[Prospero]

Out of recent games I've played, Freedom Fighters gets pretty close, if you grew up during the Reagan years when a lot of people actually thought things like that would happen.