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[Hitler Stole My Potato]

Steven Spielberg spoke out on video games last month at the EA Game Innovation Lab at the University of Southern California. "I think the real indicator," he said, "will be when somebody confesses that they cried at Level 17." Spielberg was talking about video games and art, and the increasingly less absurd question of are-they-or-aren't-they. The mere fact that U.S.C. has a Game Innovation Lab is probably an indicator that something is afoot, but I'm here to accept Spielberg's challenge and come clean. A video game made me cry.

The game is called Halo, and it wasn't actually Level 17; it was Level 5. I had been slugging it out for what seemed like — and probably was — hours with a bunch of aliens in an icy canyon. Just as all hope was fading, I seized an alien aircraft and made my escape. I sailed up into the darkening sky with light snow sifting down around me. Moody music, like something from Carmina Burana, swelled in the background. The sounds of battle faded beneath me in the dusk. It was like the end of Platoon, and I was Charlie Sheen. Then the waterworks started.

More nonsense can be found here.

 

[Yusaku]

If you're gonna slobber over a videogame, slobber over one that deserves it, like Ico.

 

[GhaleonEB]

If you're gonna slobber over a videogame, slobber over one that deserves it, like Ico.

http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/472132.asp?q=halo

http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/367472.asp?q=ico

 

[MrAngryFace]

"so then I lead this girl around for what seemed like hours...probably was. We were almost at our escape when she went the wrong way, While trying to bring her back I was assaulted, she ran into the fight, I tried to save her, then she got stuck, I had to climb things."

 

[IJoel]

"so then I lead this girl around for what seemed like hours...probably was. We were almost at our escape when she went the wrong way, While trying to bring her back I was assaulted, she ran into the fight, I tried to save her, then she got stuck, I had to climb things."

:lol :lol :lol

 

[Dragmire]

The Zelda series has made me teary-eyed on many an occassion going back to A Link to the Past (that animal in Dark World turning into a tree). Actually, tears did well up in my eyes in the first one when I finally reached Princess Zelda to get the final piece of the triforce. I think Mr. Spielberg is just jealous because it's a medium he can't compete with because he has no experience with it (unless it's just complete ignorance about videogames in general, which would be pretty pathetic). But I can forgive him. He's only human, and I've enjoyed many of his movies.

 

[Azih]

Spielberg has never had Aerith die on him I see.

 

[Justin Bailey]

I've never wanted to cry from a video game, but there have been times when I've been "awestruck" from playing them. Rez, Metroid Prime, Metal Gear Solid, Chrono Trigger, and others all did this. Most people would call this a "religious experience." One where after you've played a certain part of the game you put the controller down, sit there in a daze, and think about what just happened. It's a great feeling and I'm glad Halo was able to do it for this guy. I assume he wasn't the only one.

 

[belgurdo]

I miss 80s Spielberg

 

[paul777]

I shed a few tears during Metal Gear Solid when the chick died, and at the end of Ocarina of Time.

 

[Azih]

Yes, only a junior member would ever admit to anything like that.

 

[callous]

I have never cried over a video game, and I'm far from being insensitive. They simply haven't been good enough at evoking that kind of emotion yet.

 

[Dan]

I miss 80s Spielberg

Yeah, I just couldn't get enough of The Color Purple.

 

[TekunoRobby]

Yes terrible example but the point is that people with high media attention are making comments about how powerful interactivity can be. The more comments like this the more people will realize that this is the best possible medium to really play with the consumer's emotions and create truly memorable experiences.

 

[Gorey]

"so then I lead this girl around for what seemed like hours...probably was. We were almost at our escape when she went the wrong way, While trying to bring her back I was assaulted, she ran into the fight, I tried to save her, then she got stuck, I had to climb things."

+100 MAF

 

[Prine]

I never, in a million years would have thought Halo would be as popular as it is.

I mean Speilberg ffs. Whoa

 

[Azih]

On that note, I wonder how much money Microsoft gave the Daily Show to plug Halo like they did in the Elections special.

 

[mrklaw]

I cried at ICO.

 

[neptunes]

I thought Spielberg liked games.

Didn't his love for goldeneye cause the creation of the medal of honor series?

 

[Great King Bowser]

Yeah, I just couldn't get enough of The Color Purple.

I'd die a happy man if I never had to hear the name of that bloody book, we had to study it for my English Lang/Lit course and it made me want to die, and not on an emotional level.

And the film sucked, fucking Morpheus.

On topic, the only game to ever make me teary eyed was Ocarina of Time.

 

[Justin Bailey]

I don't know why everyone is jumping on Speilberg, he didn't really say anything negative about video games. Really if you think about it not many games try and garner that type of emotion (but that doesn't mean they can't be considered "art"). Movies do that sort of thing all the time because they have to in order to be appealing. Games like Tetris won't get the tearducts running but that doesn't make them bad games. Movies that don't strike an emotional cord with people are bad movies.

So I have to say that I disagree with Speilberg in that games have to invoke an emotional response in order to be "art." But I wouldn't mind seeing more games attempting to do this sort of thing.

 

[Mr. Lemming]

Hey you Ico fans. Bungie agrees with you.

GameSpy: What's the best video game storyline in history?
Joe Staten: Many games have had good, compelling stories and characters, but few have connected with me on an emotional level as expertly as ICO. There's not much in the way of dialog, but ICO's fiction (and the characters and the events that spring from it) is terrific, moving stuff.

http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/halo-2/562962p4.html

 

[etiolate]

I shed a tear for every dumbass game mentioned in this thread.

 

[Tellaerin]

Games (RPG's in particular) have made my eyes well up on a number of occasions over the years. No matter whether I'm shedding tears of exhilaration or melancholy, it's always satisfying to play a game that makes me feel something. Pretty sad that some people here seem to think they're 'too cool' for that, and that anyone who comes away from a game moved deserves to be ridiculed. And then people wonder why it's hard to get the mainstream to recognize videogames as a legitimate form of entertainment. If gamers themselves aren't willing to take their preferred medium as seriously as TV or movies, how can they expect casuals and non-gamers to?

 

[mrmyth]

Fuck that. I got misty when I saw the PoA beached on the Halo. The music was just right for that scene.

 

[B-B-Bomba!]

My mother cries because I play them. I don't know if that resonates with any of you.

 

[Catalyst]

I cry ALL the time.


Err.

 

[Tabris]

These made me cry...

Final Fantasy X Ending (I cared for the characters)
ICO Ending
Final Fantasy VII Aeris' Death (well more misty-eyed than crying for this one)

 

[Chopin Trusty Balls]

I cried over Vice City when it corrupted my save file,i now have my SA saves on 2 Cards.

 

[TekunoRobby]

My mother cries because I play them. I don't know if that resonates with any of you.

Ha ha ha that was pretty funny Junior Member, I'm positive many people can resonate with that.

 

[soundwave05]

Video Games are still a relatively young medium.

It's only about 35 years old.

 

[puck1337]

Every fucking nerd loves Carmina Burana. Blah blah blah.

 

[Sein]

Wow. Time Magazine publishes some shitty writing.

hella fun

Oh, my.

 

[Sho Nuff]

GAFFERS AM CRYING

 

[Grimlock]

I cry everytime I see War Gods.

 

[Rahul]

The Ameena/Dion scene in Star Ocean 3 was sudden and out-of-nowhere enough that it could have easily equalled any movie for dramatic impact (voice acting and dialogue aside).

 

[ChrisReid]

The mere talking heads in Wing Commander 1 made people cry back in 1990.

 

[FightyF]

I've scored some truly beautiful and glorious goals in ESPN NHL 2K5...I've shed a tear or two after watching them on replay.

 

[fennec fox]

Whiplash made me cry... oh, why'd it have to end so quickly...

I've scored some truly beautiful and glorious goals in ESPN NHL 2K5...I've shed a tear or two after watching them on replay.

:lol

 

[belgurdo]

The Ameena/Dion scene in Star Ocean 3 was sudden and out-of-nowhere enough that it could have easily equalled any movie for dramatic impact (voice acting and dialogue aside).

I laughed at that scene because it was so damned forced and contrived. Tri-ace could have found a million better ways to interject some emotion into the plot instead of just

Spoiler

offing two NPCs many probably didn't give a shit about

 

[Pedigree Chum]

I thought this thread was going to be about girls not getting any once Halo 2 comes out...

 

[lexi]

I thought this thread was going to be about a negative Halo article, one that blames society's ills on videogames.

Color me dissapointed.

Oh, and nothing beats Majora's Mask in terms of tears shed.

 

[Pedigree Chum]

The only game that even made me come close to crying is ICO, and by coming close to crying I mean, feeling kinda sad...