tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.comments2023-05-24T08:43:26.671-04:00Postcards From The Uncanny ValleySylvain L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06595178160544184217noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-8637076370695953272013-12-27T21:06:35.906-05:002013-12-27T21:06:35.906-05:00Something interesting I would like to share:
I fi...Something interesting I would like to share: <br />I find the beginning of The Last of Us very interesting because we play for like a minute or two through Joel's daughter perspective (although it can be push into something more interesting). Narratively, when she dies after, I feel quite an emotion. Not only because of the «cinematic» story of when she gives the watch to her father, but because I was able to play through her vulnerable point of view (looking for her father to help her). She's also the only character that I played with, but that I cannot save (her life) (as opposed to Joel or Ellie). That prologue not only offers something we know of Joel when we play with him (20 years after), it defines the gameplay as a survival mode in which you cannot die (to make the story rolling), a determinism point of view or a closed one from Joel and also offers a «dying» experience. The only thing that I keep asking myself is, why not use the gameplay to make us feel the vulnerability of a character or a situation? For example, we lose Sarah while playing with her or make us feel the lost by not been able to save Sarah while playing with Joel. A closed point of view of Joel is far more interesting after, when the prologue offers an interaction in which you can't do anything to change it.Laurencenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-47730594436741969132013-11-22T20:12:41.763-05:002013-11-22T20:12:41.763-05:00I think I wrote about Passage at Séquences, 2-3 ye...I think I wrote about Passage at Séquences, 2-3 years ago. I played Papers, please recently and I may write about it at some point; I did like it, to an extent, but I'm not completely sold on the game. I'm not sure exactly why, but mainly I found the "spot the difference, find the error" game so funny in the context, and fun, that the ethical "dilemmas" were completely lost on me. I did not care at all about my family or whoever I let through or not. I just wanted to do my job, which I found quite fun! But I was so bad at it that I managed to get all my family dead quite quickly and I lost my job... I will give it another try soon, but somehow I think I can't connect with human beings when they're nothing more than a number in an equation... Maybe that's the point?<br /><br />I did not know of Judith, I will check it out, thanks!Sylvain L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06595178160544184217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-90877326629400017382013-11-22T14:57:08.630-05:002013-11-22T14:57:08.630-05:00Thank you, I did not know them. If you are looking...Thank you, I did not know them. If you are looking for interesting and non-violent games, try Passage, Dys4ia and/or Judith. They are all free. You also have to play Papers, please, which is a marvellous game about bureaucracy, social determinism, corruption, poverty and more.<br /><br />-MaximeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-71535575487624512132013-11-22T09:18:21.621-05:002013-11-22T09:18:21.621-05:00@anonymous Maxime
Yeah, I hope too, but somehow I...@anonymous Maxime<br /><br />Yeah, I hope too, but somehow I doubt it will reach the mainstream soon (apart from kids' games). The New Wave wasn't exactly mainstream, but its effects were soon felt on Hollywood. I'm not sure that AAA games are even noticing that there's a big indie scene right now, even less the not-on-Steam one...<br /><br />As for writing about games in French... I don't know, but it's possible because I'm really struggling while writing in English. I'm more into cinema right now (I found video games depressing, in part because of this constant violence), anyway, so I concentrate on my French articles. <br /><br />If you don't know them already, Panorama-Cinéma do write about games from time to time (rarely though). And there's this blog I know of, quite good, a mix of cinema, video games and philosophy: http://freakosophy.over-blog.com/ <br /><br />Thanks!Sylvain L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06595178160544184217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-75297560815943857282013-11-21T18:31:51.560-05:002013-11-21T18:31:51.560-05:00Many game designers are getting rid of destructive...Many game designers are getting rid of destructive elements in their games. To beat it, you don't have to shoot, slash or jump on ennemies anymore. I feel like it's a step in an interesting direction, which will maybe lead video games to its own "Nouvelle Vague". I hope so, anyway. Vas-tu également discuter du jeu vidéo en français? Il y a Sébastien Genvo sur youtube, mais à pars lui, je ne connais aucun francophone qui analyse et étudie le jeu vidéo comme on le fait plus communément avec le cinéma, sur le web. <br /><br />Billet super intéressant, encore une fois.<br /><br />-MaximeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-13267577315153933492013-11-14T22:31:51.446-05:002013-11-14T22:31:51.446-05:00Don't be sorry: comments are always welcome, e...Don't be sorry: comments are always welcome, especially when they're so kind! <br /><br />My thanks from Montreal.Sylvain L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06595178160544184217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-2581355704157294242013-11-12T20:30:24.261-05:002013-11-12T20:30:24.261-05:00Your blog is awesome. It's the only site where...Your blog is awesome. It's the only site where I can read some true deep texts about the convergence of cinema and games, and this is a very precious subject to me.<br /><br />Sorry about the general comment on this text, which is beautiful too.<br /><br />Greetings from Brazil.Lucianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-70953556671505833582013-10-14T10:19:22.766-04:002013-10-14T10:19:22.766-04:00Well, if it can help you make a decision: I think ...Well, if it can help you make a decision: I think The Last of Us is pretty good, even though it doesn't deserve all the hyperbolic praise it got. As far as man-with-a-gun games go, it's probably about as good as it can get (although the violence can be quite extreme, and I'm no fan of making a point through the use of extreme violence, especially in an interactive context). But it's worth playing, for sure.Sylvain L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06595178160544184217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-38137125317466610412013-10-14T09:45:39.998-04:002013-10-14T09:45:39.998-04:00Damn, didn't read most of this because I am st...Damn, didn't read most of this because I am still uncommitted on whether to play "The Last of Us"... Going to have to make a decision about this at some point if it's going to get in the way.<br /><br />*waves*<br /><br />Chris.SpiralChrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05240692748750321792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-4497472521668799932013-09-26T18:49:26.378-04:002013-09-26T18:49:26.378-04:00Thanks again for your support, Chris! Oh, Dr. Chri...Thanks again for your support, Chris! Oh, Dr. Chris, sorry! Congratulations, by the way.Sylvain L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06595178160544184217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-64597439592975993282013-09-26T05:37:23.423-04:002013-09-26T05:37:23.423-04:00Posted this to twitter - it's a refreshingly d...Posted this to twitter - it's a refreshingly difference stance on the cut scene. I appreciate this!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-74293972621884996912013-08-12T17:03:01.734-04:002013-08-12T17:03:01.734-04:00I use to read you at Séquences.
Thank you for your...I use to read you at Séquences.<br />Thank you for your answer.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-8787318888844272752013-08-11T13:12:22.250-04:002013-08-11T13:12:22.250-04:00Those are very good questions! Most of them are ac...Those are very good questions! Most of them are actually the very subject of my next post (especially the "how does it affect our experience?" part). It's turning out to be a very long article (like 8000 words...), and I'm struggling to put it together in a satisfactory fashion, but I'm almost done. I'm hoping to put it online sometimes this week.<br /><br />One temporary answer: <br /><br />"The «world past» you mentioned concerns the reality of an image (or maybe our perception about it?)"<br /><br />I'm talking about our perception: the key word is "belief". We believe in the reality of a photographic image, but our belief is not always well-founded. And the possibility of CGI changes this belief: it doesn't really matter whether there is CGI or not, because we can never know these days. Your examples of Lee and Nolan are telling exactly that: even if there's minimal CGI in those movies (or none at all?), people don't believe that they correspond to a "world past", because we're used to CGI and we assume that filmmakers must have use it. I'll leave it at that for now: this is an important part of my next article (as is the question about Blu-ray vs theatre).<br /><br />Thanks for your comment!<br /><br />If I may: did you come to this blog from its French counterpart? Or a newcomer?<br /><br /> Sylvain L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06595178160544184217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-63492114422030679692013-08-11T10:40:25.558-04:002013-08-11T10:40:25.558-04:00Interesting!
I believe that our perception with an...Interesting!<br />I believe that our perception with an image changes in many ways. Everything that we know or, EVERYTHING from the past to the present (the present that is moving forward continuously) is what makes us experiencing what we have now. Of course, the way we go to the the movies, or the way we watch a movie has changed. Obviously, it affects the experience. But how does it affects the experience? It could affects in the way you describe in this post. The «world past» you mentioned concerns the reality of an image (or maybe our perception about it?). Is CGI or all the mechanical part of a film more true to reality?. Do we really feel more real about Ed Wood's ovni than when Iron Man is flying in the city? Do we questioned what we see as real or fake in a movie? Is it important? Of course, as we know the inside out of a film, it changes our experience of a film. Some people didn't believe that people in Crouching Tiger were actually in those trees fighting. Some people believe that there's a lot of CGI in the Batman movies. Of course, the use of CGI makes us ask about his existence in a frame, something we wouldn't do before (as if we were asking about the existence of God...). How deeply the photographic image of a film changes our experience when it comes to CGI? As we accepted what's in the frame, we accept to move on to the next frame. This is less true when it comes to believe IN reality (the media, or historical image for example). But, for an image of a film, we already tend to believe that it is a creation of someone's imagination. The truth remains in the authentic experience of a viewer. My experience of The Tree of Life on Blu-ray is not the same as if i watched it on the big screen but the «world past» has so little to do with it.<br />Like you said, CGI is a medium. I prefer to say that it is another tool to communicate. Whether you add graffiti to an old historical building or rebuild a building to make it look exactly as if it was from the past, there is something interesting about art or life, it's that we experience what we see in the ways of how we get there.<br />What do you think?<br />I'm really looking forward for your next post on CGI.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-80045904099913765242013-07-31T13:28:57.197-04:002013-07-31T13:28:57.197-04:00@Chris
Thanks again! Walton "see through&quo...@Chris<br /><br />Thanks again! Walton "see through" is quite similar to Godard's idea (well I think it's Godard) that every movie (on film) is his own making off, since the images take us back to the circumstances of the shooting, as you say. I'll keep Walton's phrasing in mind. It is, indeed, useful!<br /><br />@slaktus<br /><br />Welcome!<br /><br />For the propaganda: the development of photorealist CGI was pushed by two major entities: the entertainment industry (mainly Hollywood and now video games) and the army (for simulation programs). So, yeah, a hologram of Ronald Reagan may well be possible. (Although I'll say photorealism is still a wonderful artistic tool; as with everything, its worth depends on how we use it).Sylvain L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06595178160544184217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-14695887533432293922013-07-31T06:28:00.748-04:002013-07-31T06:28:00.748-04:00Great observation. I've spent a lot of time wo...Great observation. I've spent a lot of time wondering about the endgame of cheap, accessible photorealism: Absolute propaganda.<br /><br />Baudrillard talks about the war that never happened, as all perception of it was constructed from mediated images. Soon, that can be literal.<br /><br />Photo-real, on-the-fly online rendering/compositing means Eurasia can change allegience mid-sentence, with pictures to prove it.<br /><br />One day, a hologram of Ronald Reagan will be re-elected.Slaktushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03767227495853470634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-13604990078986009292013-07-31T05:58:34.060-04:002013-07-31T05:58:34.060-04:00"Nowadays, all floors may hide a T-1000."..."Nowadays, all floors may hide a T-1000."<br /><br />Wonderful line, this one. :)<br /><br />The more you develop your ideas here, the better the thread is becoming. The discussion of 'pause' here alone is fantastic!<br /><br />Regarding Cavell's 'world past', I'd like to briefly mention Walton's idea that we 'see through' a photograph (i.e. we see through it to the circumstances of the taking of the photograph). This transparency thesis is incredibly simple, but I find it very useful in distinguishing film and photography from CGI and its ilk, because CGI is not transparent, and we *never* see through it.<br /><br />Oh, one small thing: in English, it would be "going *to* the movies" not "going *at* the movies", although the point you are making remains apposite.<br /><br />*salutes*SpiralChrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05240692748750321792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-3512969951031926942013-07-03T09:42:38.957-04:002013-07-03T09:42:38.957-04:00Hi Chris! Thanks, I wasn't sure about this one...Hi Chris! Thanks, I wasn't sure about this one: I thought it was uneven on the writing side, and a bit erratic. <br /><br />For Cameron, I'm not sure, but I think he's aware of what he's doing, for the most part: his movies form a coherent vision, about technology mainly, but also on smaller themes like the American family, the woman-fighter or the love-conquers-all aspect. <br /><br />And you mentionned Scott in an earlier comment, but I don't know him that well, and I'm still quite surprised that he didn't like CGI: someone like Spielberg resisted to editing on computer (before Tintin, all his movies were edited with scissors and glue), or Nolan insists for shooting on film, but CGI is everywhere now, especially in action movies. It must have been pretty difficult to keep CGI out of his movies.<br /><br />Thanks again for the comment!Sylvain L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06595178160544184217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-2987422894657173612013-07-03T05:32:03.200-04:002013-07-03T05:32:03.200-04:00Really enjoyed this one - I have have often though...Really enjoyed this one - I have have often thought about Cameron's movies and his thematics. Sometimes I think he isn't aware of what he's representing - sometimes I think he's playing me somehow... :)<br /><br />Have you looked into the suicide of director Tony Scott? Although no reason for his death has ever been given, I have often wondered about his pathological hatred of CGI in films and his passion for avoiding it (something I greatly respected). We'll probably never know the dimensions of this sad event, but I cannot help but wonder...<br /><br />All the best!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-69669739952166663982013-06-03T20:38:07.327-04:002013-06-03T20:38:07.327-04:00Good points! My first sentence was meant to be pro...Good points! My first sentence was meant to be provocative, but you're right: this wedding can be possible. It may already exist in the form of Interactive Movies, but I've never play/seen one (and it seems there are quite a few, if I'm to believe wikipedia).<br /><br />I'm more familiar with Western videogames, or rather, I played my share of Japanese games in the NES/SNES era, but not much afterwards. My perspective is clearly tainted by my experience (I knew, though, that Japanese are less prone on "realism", I should have noted this bias in my article). <br /><br />I didn't know for Scott, as I didn't pay much attention to him before his death. And now you remind me I should have (his last movie was quite good, better than anything his brother made in the last twenty years). <br /><br />Thanks for your comments!<br /><br />Sylvain L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06595178160544184217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-39911284404890794192013-06-03T08:40:24.386-04:002013-06-03T08:40:24.386-04:00A few thoughts...
"Videogames are not cinema...A few thoughts...<br /><br />"Videogames are not cinematic and they will never be."<br /><br />Never say never. :) Don't discount the concept of a videogame comprised of cinematographic segments, for instance. There's a space here barely tapped - and I don't mean to suggest it would simply be a choose-your-own adventure in film. But the game-forms bring to the table an interrogatatibility (just had to coin that...) that I believe *can* be wed to cinema. The result would not be like conventional games or like conventional cinema, but it would borrow from both media.<br /><br />But I agree with much of what you say here, particularly that it's bizarre that videogames steal the narrative language of film and try so very hard to *be* like films, something they cannot be in any deeper sense. But of course Japanese videogames *do* take their cues from animation, and not from movies - this is a blight of the US (and increasingly the UK) videogame development community.<br /><br />I always thought it was valiant that Tony Scott fought against CGI in movies and refused to use it. Such a shame that he felt it necessary to commit suicide.<br /><br />When I'm teaching, I am usually very careful to ensure that so called "cinematics" in games are understood as embedded cartoons (i.e. animations). There are reasons for wanting to do this, of course, although also huge room for improvement.<br /><br />Look forward to reading your further thoughts in this vein,<br /><br />Chris.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-81611428691947942032013-05-23T13:18:53.314-04:002013-05-23T13:18:53.314-04:00Thanks Chris, nice to see you here!
I'm no fa...Thanks Chris, nice to see you here!<br /><br />I'm no fan of the expression either (it's a mouthful!), but I have to say it's quite convenient.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Sylvain L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06595178160544184217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-80652283235038202452013-05-23T10:16:38.021-04:002013-05-23T10:16:38.021-04:00Apart from the term 'ludonarrative dissonance&...Apart from the term 'ludonarrative dissonance' for the disconnect between rules and fiction I like your argument here. :) I do not, however, have a neater term in my pocket. Shall ponder...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-69083373235898931332013-04-09T11:28:19.979-04:002013-04-09T11:28:19.979-04:00"Our discussion has made me wonder how often ..."Our discussion has made me wonder how often ethical angles are to be taken seriously."<br /><br />I was about to write something to that effect, so I'll put it briefly here: after publishing my text, I began to wonder if I exagerated the importance of the ethical aspect of these kind of choices, especially in Dishonored, where it's mostly implicit. I don't even remember thinking about it while playing the game! <br /><br />I would not say Dishonored is about ethics, but on the other hand, any game which offers the choice to kill or not surely has an ethical aspect, no matter if it is consciously developped in the game (it seems like it is in Dishonored though). I think you're right when you say it's about the drama first, but if a designer does propose such a choice, and design different outcome for each possible path, this kind of discussion is not entirely unwarranted either. Whether it was his intention or not doesn't matter. <br /><br />I'm mostly sad about my article because it feels like a harsh critic, and it doesn't properly say how fine a game Dishonored really is. <br /><br />Thanks again for the conversation (which was useful for me too).Sylvain L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06595178160544184217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2882815174745926563.post-57851136245898425482013-04-09T10:35:44.372-04:002013-04-09T10:35:44.372-04:00Honestly I don't really have anything to add t...Honestly I don't really have anything to add to this. I want you to know, however, that the conversation has been useful. Your comments were helpful in refining my position which was a little more vague in the actual article. Hence we end up agreeing!<br /><br />I'm still debating internally about the whole ethics angle. Our discussion has made me wonder how often ethical angles are to be taken seriously. Are games with obvious ethical decisions in games *really* about ethics? Or are they just about drama, to make the player feel involved?Harbour Masterhttp://www.electrondance.comnoreply@blogger.com