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Dan S. commented on The Last of Us, and other video games that leave absolutely nothing to the imagination

The reaction of the crowd at the end of the "The Last of Us" demo was pretty shocking to me too, but this article seems to be critiquing the wrappers around a very select few games (I don't mean to be crass, but this is one of the most common mistakes film critics make when they talk about games), rather than acknowledging the diversity that exists in the medium. I wish games would stop needing to engage in shock and awe promotional strategies, but much like stupefyingly popular blockbuster films, this strategy has turned huge profits (and losses, depending if a game failed to catch enough attention). Much like the migration to "smart" TV series that you speak of for passive visual media, games also have a burgeoning independent scene with a wide range of virtual activities. The issue with reliance on ultra-violence is an issue to be taken up with the full gamut of visual media culture, not merely games since it seems to be an infection of popular culture at large.

Posted on June 23rd, 2012 4:39pm