TV CRITIC "Games are better than TV"

[Mentok]

FULL ARTICLE...

http://technology.guardian.co.uk/games/story/0,,1947550,00.html

After all, speaking in my guise as a so-called TV critic, I can confi dently state that games are markedly better than television. They're more immersive. Consistently more spectacular and surprising. The storylines and scripts are almost always utter rubbish, but that's part of their charm.

Furthermore, as a medium, TV encourages you to switch off your brain and slowly coagulate on the sofa. Video games force you to stay alert. Furthermore, you control them. They start and stop when you like. There's no continuity announcer jabbering over the credits. Your intelligence is rarely insulted, but regularly challenged. There's more invention (and sheer joy) in a single level of any Super Mario platformer you care to mention than most TV series manage in their entire lifespan. PC shooter Half-Life 2 is a sci-fi action thriller; it's 10 times more exciting than the best episode of 24 (which I love).

WORD. Seriously

I stopped watching most TV (I still watch the news and 2 or 3 things a week) a few years ago. Its just not worth it with all the crap. Its especially not worth it here in Australia since you have ******ed TV Programmers that insult you by CONSTANTLY ****ing up a show by repeating old episodes, taking the show off for a week or two to play a repeat of some other show or just removing the show all together for no real reason.

Honestly, this guy is totally on the money.

 

[A.J.Rimmer(BSC)]

Thats pretty much true

 

[November Rain]

meh, just because there are more interactive and take the viewer/player deeper into those worlds, do not make them necessarily better.

there are other things people get from tv, humour and documentaries as well as the voyeurism factor that you can't quite translate across in games.

not to mention it's impossible to keep tension for long periods of time with a game once its turned off, with advertising on tv you can keep pressure on something for months and months while once you are fed up with a game, there are no further opportunities to get back into it.

just like anything, good games can be better than tv, but i think vice versa is also applicable.

 

[A.J.Rimmer(BSC)]

Too bad there's hardly any good TV anymore.

 

[Fenrir]

I don't even watch TV.

 

[Horrorfan]

I dont see why we have to compare them...gaming is my number one passion, but I couldn't live without television, movies and comics. What makes them great is how they compliment each other.

Movie and tv universes can be expanded with comics and videogames or even vice versa. If I watch sleeper cell or 24 and feel like I wish I could be one of those bad ass characters, I play splinter cell or the 24 game. I watch supernatural and feel like kicking supernatural ass, so I put on FEAR or something. It doesn't have to be whats better, they can co-exist perfectly.


I feel you about the advertisements though...it's pretty much why I buy television shows on dvd instead of watching on tv. I can watch it at my pace, no ads and no week breaks or crap like that, or dodgy scheduling.

There have been some GREAT tv shows over the past few years especially.....Angel, Buffy, Supernatural, Arrested Development, Dead Like Me, the shield, etc.

 

[XwolverineX]

I don't know, I like TV and Games.

I watch Lost, Prison Break, Heroes, The Office, House, Desperate Housewives, and recently Day Break. And I really need them, I couldn't stop watching Prison Break.

 

[Horrorfan]

I really really hate lost. the only thing I like is evangaline lilly.

 

[블라스]

Alias!
I can't wait to have my Rambaldi box

 

[A.J.Rimmer(BSC)]

I really really hate lost. the only thing I like is evangaline lilly.