2xDouble said:
Delcast said:
2xDouble said:
hmm, if you want to be technical, strictly speaking, many videogames are no longer "games". The name "video
games" is just a heavily loaded naming tradition that doesn't really define the experience of videogames anymore... Sorry.
Not true. "Video Game" is a highly literal term describing a game played on video. The term "Game" is defined [https://www.google.com/search?q=definition+game&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS497US502&oq=definition+game&aqs=chrome.0.57j0l3j62l2.5770j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS497US502&q=game&tbs=dfn:1&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=AnrcUauDAvej4AOuv4H4Ag&ved=0CCsQkQ4&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.48705608,d.dmg&fp=605cccb3dbaf8e8&biw=1360&bih=643] as: A form of play or sport, esp. a competitive one played according to rules and decided by skill, strength, or luck.
None of which describes a visual novel, which requires no input from the "player" other than page turns, nor presents any of the defined characteristics of a "game" (determination by strength, skill, luck, etc.). Entities such as Dear Esther are not games; they are other things entirely.
As I said, many videogames don't fit that definition, even some of the ones you listed are left out ( and by the way, that is a very narrow definition of "game", in fact modern descriptions include much more than that ). In any case, what about single player games? those are not strictly competitive. Even more, what about non competitive activities? what about simply exploration or games such as Proteus, Fez, Journey, Flow, Knytt or Flower, just to name a few of the more modern ones. What about games where you can't lose? What about narrative games? What about simulation games?
Definitions are inaccurate to describe this relatively new medium, today the creativity of the developers shapes the definitions of what can be a game, and not really the other way around. Using a definition to justify the lack of variability in an industry only displays a rather stagnant mentality.
In fact, it is silly to judge a certain digital product as a game because of the degree of obligatory established interactions that we can have with it: Microsoft flight simulator is no more game than pong, and Dear Esther is no less game than any Final Fantasy. The only distinction is what you accomplish within the rule set defined by each respective universe.