Video games: Action and academia

I like being asked what I plan to do after graduation. “Drugs!, and lots of ’em,” I scream abrasively. Syke, that’s all silly sauce. My default response to those I first meet is almost always, “Get a job and make money.” This is true, obviously, but for people closer to me, my answer is far more sincere:

“Be a video game journalist.”

 “So, you would like to get to play video games and stuff, right?” To answer yours and everyone else’s instant follow-up question, yes, I would. But it’s much more than what you assume it to be.

Like any journalist, I would deliver the news of a particular field. And like any critic, I would examine the value — or lack thereof — of a product and how it contributes to the culture in which it resides. If you can’t see this being done with video games, then I suggest you take a lesson from the ’90s pop sensation Ace of Base and “open your eyes” to the see the signs. Also, stop listening to Ace of Base, immediately.

Because of this and other responses from those aware of my passion for video games and video game journalism, I find it necessary to ask why video games are generally perceived as an inferior form of entertainment compared to movies, music and literature. Sure, video games are a relatively new form of media, but most people at some point have played one. This alone should be enough to merit video games as a prominent form of entertainment in our society, and furthermore, a discourse of study.

Here at the university level, students are able to study music, film or literature, and yet there is only one course that incorporates video games — PSYC445: Psychology of Video Games and Entertainment, which was offered last semester. Why is this? Is academia too afraid of embracing video games as a discussion of artistic expression and social narrative? If anything, video games combine the best of what film, music and literature have to offer, just with an interactive twist. For instance, Bioshock, one of my favorite games of 2007, is loosely based on themes present in Ayn Rand’s literature. Maybe I’m teasing myself, but I smell a course on the objectivist philosophy of video games brewing here.

Having said that, I feel prompted to mention there are vocational schools designed with video games in mind. Full Sail University offers degrees in computer animation, web development and video game marketing. I try not to pass judgment on schools like this, but there is something about going to class in an office complex that irks the hell out of me. I prefer my school to have history and a sense of pride, not to mention global recognition.

While Full Sail is a viable option for students looking to break into the gaming industry, this type of schooling focuses mainly on the production, rather than the cultural and academic analysis of video games — something I believe fully accredited, not-for-profit universities will begin showcasing in the not too distant future. Mark my words, this will happen, and when it does, I’ll bring back a signed issue of this paper saying, “I told you so.”

Jason Kramer is a junior American studies major. He can be reached at kramer at umdbk dot com.