Pretentious? What's wrong with you? The Path is as deep as it is. 0% of gameplay, but it's like a painting, which talks about this or that through visuals and sound.
What Makes A Game Truly Pretentious
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Well, maybe we can call Killer is Dead "pretentious" because he wants look as deep as killer7 but lacks height.Ruzinus said:
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sorry i thought that forum automerging messages 1 after 1
For me, something becomes pretentious when the artist made it deliberately vague and difficult to follow, then counters any criticism with, "it's clearly brilliant, you just didn't understand it!" If, at any point, you feel you've created an unparalleled masterpiece and have not been dead long enough for it to stand the actual test of time, you have reached conceit levels obsessive narcissists can only barely dream of. Bonus points should be awarded if your game is also borderline unplayable (not just buggy, not just poor controls, but an experience that actively drives away any immersion due to how horrible it is).
Pretentious:
1. characterized by assumption of dignity or importance, especially when exaggerated or undeserved:
Going by the definition, i do not see how a game can be pretentious. Or any other object. An object is just what it is, and cannot in and of itself assume dignity or importance, exaggerated or otherwise.
However: Creators of art (whether being a game, painting, song, movie, whatever) can certainly be pretentious by claiming undeserved importance of their creation.
The important thing is with the definition though is that an object cannot assume anything about itself, as it does not have a brain. It just is. Pretentiousness comes from those interacting with or creating said object.
For example "I am deeper than, and therefore more important than you, or better than you, because i profoundly understood and was affected by Dear Esther". That would be pretentious. The game is not, no matter how many people may utter words to that effect.
You could certainly argue that the dev's at The Chinese Room are pretentious for creating Dear Esther how it was, but that would be very subjective anyways.
Note: I have no problems with that game, just seems to be one that came up a lot during this thread. And to be honest i haven't heard or read anything from them that indicates that they think their game is majestically important to life the universe and everything, and personally think the dev's there have come across as quite humble actually.
Of the great artworks created over the years, especially painting, a whole heap of them were painted on commission, or created to sell once complete, thereby making them a commodity just as much as a video game is. Is the Sistine Chapel ceiling any less a work of art because the artist was paid to do it? Maybe some would argue that it is, but i certainly wouldn't. Many painters in the past, and now, create their artworks with the intent to sell them, thereby making them products, just like a video game.
So i would argue that this point is moot especially when it comes to this topic.
1. characterized by assumption of dignity or importance, especially when exaggerated or undeserved:
Going by the definition, i do not see how a game can be pretentious. Or any other object. An object is just what it is, and cannot in and of itself assume dignity or importance, exaggerated or otherwise.
However: Creators of art (whether being a game, painting, song, movie, whatever) can certainly be pretentious by claiming undeserved importance of their creation.
The important thing is with the definition though is that an object cannot assume anything about itself, as it does not have a brain. It just is. Pretentiousness comes from those interacting with or creating said object.
For example "I am deeper than, and therefore more important than you, or better than you, because i profoundly understood and was affected by Dear Esther". That would be pretentious. The game is not, no matter how many people may utter words to that effect.
You could certainly argue that the dev's at The Chinese Room are pretentious for creating Dear Esther how it was, but that would be very subjective anyways.
Note: I have no problems with that game, just seems to be one that came up a lot during this thread. And to be honest i haven't heard or read anything from them that indicates that they think their game is majestically important to life the universe and everything, and personally think the dev's there have come across as quite humble actually.
On this, i have to disagree completely. Just because something is a commodity does not make it any less a piece of art than something created with no commercial consumption in mind.Thr33X said:
Of the great artworks created over the years, especially painting, a whole heap of them were painted on commission, or created to sell once complete, thereby making them a commodity just as much as a video game is. Is the Sistine Chapel ceiling any less a work of art because the artist was paid to do it? Maybe some would argue that it is, but i certainly wouldn't. Many painters in the past, and now, create their artworks with the intent to sell them, thereby making them products, just like a video game.
So i would argue that this point is moot especially when it comes to this topic.