Ebert Regrets Attack on Gaming

[D_987]

I really don't see this as an apology; if only based on the snippets of the article The Escapist have pulled out; I mean:

"I concluded without a definition that satisfied me. I had to be prepared to agree that gamers can have an experience that, for them, is Art. I don't know what they can learn about another human being that way, no matter how much they learn about Human Nature. I don't know if they can be inspired to transcend themselves. Perhaps they can. How can I say? I may be wrong, but if I'm not willing to play a video game to find that out, I should say so."

I concluded without a definition that satisfied me. I had to be prepared to agree that gamers can have an experience that, for them, is Art. I don't know what they can learn about another human being that way, no matter how much they learn about Human Nature. I don't know if they can be inspired to transcend themselves. Perhaps they can. How can I say? I may be wrong, but if I'm not willing to play a video game to find that out, I should say so."

So what he is basically saying is that games aren't art, and he sticks to his opinion, but he shouldn't have said anything because he has no understanding of the subject matter and people rightfully pointed out his ignorance...

 

[Loonerinoes]

And thus Roger Ebert redeems himself in my eyes completely. Now if only he might realise how this could also apply to the *other* thing he called without artistic value and maybe, JUST MAYBE, he'll finally exit his insulated time-capsule and observe how the world became as it has today.

On a purely joking note, I BET THIS WAS BECAUSE OF YAHTZEE!

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/1815-Prince-of-Persia-The-Forgotten-Sands

He posts this video, directly scorning Ebert and 1 week later this comes out?! IT IS AMAZING!! (and in a wacky sort of sense quite likely too, since the two of them are actually pretty similar in character. And as they say...birds of a feather...wouldn't be surprised if he watched it and thought to himself a bit about it all).

But to conclude...congratulations Roger Ebert. Few sacred cows as him would ever display this level of humility and admit their own ignorance on a subject they felt they had to debate with others strenously - and for that I must salute you. I'd hope for something more, but who am I kidding - this is already quite something as it is and I doubt he'll exceed it. Still...at least he threw me one intriguing surprise at the least.

 

[Tharticus]

I wonder what changed his mind- oh that's right, the internet. I guess his mailbox is stuffed with hatemail.

 

[Marmooset]

So he has changed his position not because of any altered convictions, but because of a negative reaction from a fanbase?
Market testing at its worst. That's akin to the movies that change their ending because the initial test audience thought it was too sad that the hero dies.

I'm very sad he caved, and I don't think a healthy Ebert in his prime would have.

 

[Frequen-Z]

The thought process behind this must have been;
"Uhh fuck what I said was stupid, lets try and take it back without actually taking it back"

Now I just hate the guy even more.

 

[HK_01]

You have to give him credit for admitting his mistakes, not many people do that.

 

[Zannah]

Well Yahtzee certainly showed him oO

Anyhow, not much of an apology really, but more than most politicians would ever offer, after talking complete bs...

 

[Quaxar]

So...it seems to me...he regrets saying it, but he still means it.

So, really, he hasn't admitted he was wrong at all.

O_O

We've been duped!

At least he admitted he should have kept his baseless opinion to himself. It bugs me that he still claims games can never be art without having played, but i's better than nothing.

 

[DTWolfwood]

Well duh! He should have known better

You don't criticize outside your own genre unless you are specifically looking to toll someone

and yes HE STILL THINKS THEY CAN NEVER BE ART PPL!

 

[Kandrel]

Wait, people are still paying attention to Q-Bert? I thought that retro game was over and done with a long time ago.

 

[Crossborder]

The hell? I don't get this asshat.
First he says games aren't art. Then he regrets this statement, but he says he hasn't changed his mind.
Then, he just states he isn't going to try gaming at all.

So, He doesn't regret saying that bullshit, he regrets saying that bullshit to our faces.
And his head is so far stuck up his own ass he doesn't even realise he's being a real dick here?
For me, this just makes me dislike him even more.

EDIT: Just to be clear, I didn't even really care about him saying games aren't art.
I'm just a bit confused about why he thinks he decides what's art and what isn't. Not sure whether it was his intention, but I got the sense he feels superior.

 

[The DSM]

At least he tried.

He failed, but he tryed to make up for it.

I think this is the best anyones going to get out of him to be honest.

 

[Cherry Cola]

This is well and all... But I'm still pissed at him giving Kikujiro only 2 stars!

Oh well, at least the situation is settled.

 

[ThirdPrize]

What does he know about games? He probably still thinks Citizen Cane is the greatest film ever made.

 

[SpaceSpork]

You're getting warmer, Ebert. You're getting warmer.

 

[Gentleman_Reptile]

Ah well good on him, meeting us halfway

 

[UnravThreads]

So...it seems to me...he regrets saying it, but he still means it.

So, really, he hasn't admitted he was wrong at all.

O_O

We've been duped!

Pretty much.

Are games art? Maybe, maybe not. But the question is "What is art?", and my answer is "Well, if a lump of blu-tac in the Tate Gallery is art, then games can be art too".

 

[Ironic Pirate]

Half assed concession earns him....

Spoiler

A slow clap that never speeds up.

Better than nothing.

 

[Axeli]

Dang. Who will we antagonize now?

 

[Ekit]

Why do people car about what Ebert thinks?

Not to be rude or anything but...

Isn't he just (another) old, senile man attacking a medium he admitted himself knows nothing about?