PBS Idea Channel

Are Videogames About Their Mechanics? (3x29)

Air date: Oct 15, 2014

Are videogames actually about their mechanics? As we play games over and over again, we spend a lot of time getting pretty darn good at the mechanics and gameplay. Each shot fired and potion consumed engrosses us more and more, but does that engrossing nature work against the STORY, the NARRATIVE, and maybe the bigger picture of what the game is (supposedly) about? Do we care more about what we do, instead of what happens? And SHOULD the interaction be more important than the message?