This week I should really be talking about my dalliances with Assassin's Creed II, but if you'll indulge me dear play chums, I'd like to return to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for one last time. In a week when the focus fell on marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall, I was more than surprised to see BBC's Newsnight Review end with a discussion of MW2. It was, of course, less than satisfactory and leads us back to the old debate of games as art and their merits as a means of expression of anything more than just mindless repetition and violence.
Newsnight Review is a round table arts discussion programme and a regular on my BBC iPlayer download list. This is the Beeb at its most highbrow, bringing together the likes of Germaine Greer, playwrights, academics and journalists to discuss the latest art, literature, theatre and the cultural impact of events such as the global recession.
Last week the panel discussed German culture since the fall of the Berlin Wall. They looked at the role pop music played, as well as films such as Goodbye Lenin and the new black and white, German language piece, The White Ribbon, which focuses on the repressed upbringing of children before the First World War. And from this light-hearted look at the rise of fascism, it's one small step to reviewing MW2"or not.
They chose MW2 because it broke sales records, not because of its artistic merit, so it's no surprise that it didn't stand up to the lofty ambitions of the other works discussed. It would be rather like reviewing Transformers 2 because it was the hit of the summer and then being surprised that it was generic, vacuous and full of barely fleshed out characters, played by the latest generation of insipid pretty people. The obvious difference is that Transformers 2 is a bad movie, even in the world of mindless, popcorn blockbusters, while MW2 is a well-crafted game.
Critic Paul Morley called the game ‘decadent' in comparison to the topics previously discussed and condemned MW2 as "too primitive, too connected to violence" and simply "crude" and "shooting at targets." Of course he's right, but he's also missed the point that it's fun, immersive and "thrilling," as journalist and critic, Peter Millar described the game. Unfortunately, Millar was the only voice in favour of MW2.
It was disappointing to see that the two female panellists almost completely ducked out of the discussion. This illustrates the barrier that games present. The fact that you have to ‘do' a game makes it less accessible for critics that aren't that way inclined. They can watch Transformers 2 because it doesn't involve learning new skills and a new set of rules, but the interactivity of games makes them a challenge for non-gamers. Until it's just a question of slipping on a pair of VR goggles, maybe critics will always be divided into those who ‘can' and those who ‘cannot.'
Needless to say, the two men were left battling it out as either "blood thirsty and obscene" or "brilliant" and "enthralling." Morley expressed frustration at games being primitive, comparing them to silent movies and exhibiting just a fraction of what they will be capable of in years to come.
In some respects I'm in Morley's camp. He dismisses them as toys that have the potential to become something more meaningful and I have to agree. At the moment, games don't really have anything more to say than, have fun. And that's fine, but it doesn't really have any artistic merit.
No matter how good the graphics are or how much ‘plot' we think a game has, in the real world, it's not going to wash. There is still a fundamental chasm to be bridged. Games only seem to be able to get a fair hearing, when it comes to critics, among games specialists. Most arts critics have no point of reference when faced with the latest game because they haven't played what's come before. But when they go to the theatre, they do have a sense of Brecht or the Aenid and Pinter, making it a richer experience for them. And until they have a fuller sense of games and where they've come from, critics won't really be able to appreciate how far they've come.
I have to say, well done Newsnight Review for trying. The games industry needs to hear these external voices and hopefully take note. They are fun, enthralling and exciting, but one day I hope some games will offers us something deeper than that.
Most played: Assassin's Creed II
Most wanted: Mass Effect 2
Editor's Note: If you want to listen to a review of Modern Warfare 2 by gaming experts, tune into our audio review of the game on The GiN Lounge show. Click on the Podcasts link at the top of the page, or go here: http://www.gameindustry.com/podcast/item.asp?id=44