Roger Ebert Regrets Broaching Video Game Subject

**Woody** · 07-05-2010

Famed movie critic explains "I was a fool for mentioning video games in the first place".

A lot of gaming news sites have been quick to call Roger Eberts admitted regret over saying "video games can never be art" an apology. It simply is not. Mr. Ebert never offers anything resembling an apology for expressing his opinion. And neither should he.

What he does do is say plainly that he "was a fool for mentioning video games in the first place" and that "some opinions are best kept to yourself". On some level I'm inclined to say he's correct. He admits that he would not express an opinion on a movie he had not seen. So it stands to reason that he should not express an opinion on video games if he is unwilling to play them. Ebert went on to explain that his posts on video games not being art have drawn in some 4500+ comments, 300 of which supported his position, and the remainder being "mostly" intelligent, well-written, and correct in their assertion that he "should not have written that entry without being more familiar with the actual experience of video games".

Beyond just comments were offers to help introduce him to video games that might serve to change his mind. Kellee Santiago, whose speech at the TED he had attacked, offered to send him a selection of games. Steve Prokopy, a fellow Chicago movie critic, offered to attain a PS3 for him via a contact at Sony and to return the PS3 after they were done so it could not be considered a gift/bribe. Prokopy also offered to bring over Chicago's Tribeca/Flashpoint Academy chair of Games and Interactive Media, Simeon Peebler, to set up the system and brief Ebert on the games. Ebert then confessed to ducking, diving, and dodging the offers as he was "too damned bull headed", "had no desire to spend 20 to 40 hours (or less) playing a video game", and would remain in a lose-lose situation whether "admired [the game] or not".

Rogert Ebert does not refute that, given accepted definitions of the word, some gamers experience video games in a way that, for them, is "Art". And where he still does not understand how we relate to the medium, he is prepared to concede that posting his opinion on the matter was ill conceived.

Source: Roger Ebert's Journal at the Chicago Sun Times [ more info ]

07-05-2010
Woody Owner/Artist GU Admin Join Date: Sep 2003 Fwang: 9,786"	Roger Ebert Regrets Broaching Video Game Subject Famed movie critic explains "I was a fool for mentioning video games in the first place". A lot of gaming news sites have been quick to call Roger Eberts admitted regret over saying "video games can never be art" an apology. It simply is not. Mr. Ebert never offers anything resembling an apology for expressing his opinion. And neither should he. What he does do is say plainly that he "was a fool for mentioning video games in the first place" and that "some opinions are best kept to yourself". On some level I'm inclined to say he's correct. He admits that he would not express an opinion on a movie he had not seen. So it stands to reason that he should not express an opinion on video games if he is unwilling to play them. Ebert went on to explain that his posts on video games not being art have drawn in some 4500+ comments, 300 of which supported his position, and the remainder being "mostly" intelligent, well-written, and correct in their assertion that he "should not have written that entry without being more familiar with the actual experience of video games". Beyond just comments were offers to help introduce him to video games that might serve to change his mind. Kellee Santiago, whose speech at the TED he had attacked, offered to send him a selection of games. Steve Prokopy, a fellow Chicago movie critic, offered to attain a PS3 for him via a contact at Sony and to return the PS3 after they were done so it could not be considered a gift/bribe. Prokopy also offered to bring over Chicago's Tribeca/Flashpoint Academy chair of Games and Interactive Media, Simeon Peebler, to set up the system and brief Ebert on the games. Ebert then confessed to ducking, diving, and dodging the offers as he was "too damned bull headed", "had no desire to spend 20 to 40 hours (or less) playing a video game", and would remain in a lose-lose situation whether "admired [the game] or not". Rogert Ebert does not refute that, given accepted definitions of the word, some gamers experience video games in a way that, for them, is "Art". And where he still does not understand how we relate to the medium, he is prepared to concede that posting his opinion on the matter was ill conceived. Source: Roger Ebert's Journal at the Chicago Sun Times [ more info ]

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