Video Games at Public Libraries?
Dean Siren
information - books, audiotape, music CDs, VHS, DVD movies, newspapers,
magazines, microfiche - but not video games. I feel that video games are an art
form as legitimate as any other, but wondered if video games were too violent
for the library, so I looked at their movies. Among them were Schindler's List,
Saving Private Ryan and Silence of the Lambs, which are more violent than many
video games. So I'm going to go back and ask further.
I think the main reason libraries don't carry video games is because librarians
don't know much about video games, and most gamers don't go to the library. If
the two would meet, I think they'd find much in common. Also, all video games
require proprietary hardware or software, and some great video games run on
obsolete hardware, which the library would somehow have to buy and lend, or work
out a ROM emulator agreement with the publisher.
And finally, video games just aren't as diverse as other art forms. There's a
book and movie for every taste, but, in all honesty, most video games do nothing
but teach boys how to kill. There is no such thing as an interactive romantic
comedy or interactive drama; there are only killing games that contain
un-interactive romantic comedies and un-interactive dramas. There's a reason why
the world wide web took only six years to become mainstream, while video games
have had 40 years and still aren't there; video game developers have all of the
dotcom bravado without any of the dotcom courage.
Still, I think reality is better than the social stigma. There are some great
video games that should be in every library: Teris, Puyo Puyo, The Sims, Sim
City 3000, maybe Ico (I haven't played I, so I won't judge), most games from
Nintendo, Sonic Team, EA Sports, and Hideo Kojima (the Metal Gears have some
good gameplay despite the violence and un-interactive story). In fact,
Civilization 3 and the Gran Turismos could easily pass as educational games, and
Chessmaster should gain approval from chess-loving old folks, even if they hate
computers. And online games can, in a way, promote socialization. So I think
video games belong in public libraries. Do you?
Dean Siren
Imad
> Public libraries carry web browsers and almost every sort of recorded
> information - books, audiotape, music CDs, VHS, DVD movies, newspapers,
> magazines, microfiche - but not video games. I feel that video games are an art
> form as legitimate as any other, but wondered if video games were too violent
> for the library, so I looked at their movies. Among them were Schindler's List,
> Saving Private Ryan and Silence of the Lambs, which are more violent than many
> video games. So I'm going to go back and ask further.
>
> I think the main reason libraries don't carry video games is because librarians
> don't know much about video games, and most gamers don't go to the library. If
> the two would meet, I think they'd find much in common. Also, all video games
> require proprietary hardware or software, and some great video games run on
> obsolete hardware, which the library would somehow have to buy and lend, or work
> out a ROM emulator agreement with the publisher.
>
> And finally, video games just aren't as diverse as other art forms. There's a
> book and movie for every taste, but, in all honesty, most video games do nothing
> but teach boys how to kill. There is no such thing as an interactive romantic
> comedy or interactive drama;
Uh... yes there are. Plenty, in fact. Of course, given Americans are
the most violent people on earth, it's no small wonder that the more
pacifistic games are rarely brought over to the good ol' US of A.
> there are only killing games that contain
> un-interactive romantic comedies and un-interactive dramas. There's a reason why
> the world wide web took only six years to become mainstream, while video games
> have had 40 years and still aren't there; video game developers have all of the
> dotcom bravado without any of the dotcom courage.
The WWW grew out of pornography, just as the home video industry did.
No licensed console games have gone through that territory. Is that good
or bad?
> Still, I think reality is better than the social stigma. There are some great
> video games that should be in every library: Teris, Puyo Puyo, The Sims, Sim
> City 3000, maybe Ico (I haven't played I, so I won't judge), most games from
> Nintendo, Sonic Team, EA Sports, and Hideo Kojima (the Metal Gears have some
> good gameplay despite the violence and un-interactive story).
Debatable.
> In fact,
> Civilization 3 and the Gran Turismos could easily pass as educational games,
Only if Disney's The Lion King could pass as an educational movie.
> and
> Chessmaster should gain approval from chess-loving old folks, even if they hate
> computers. And online games can, in a way, promote socialization.
Among computer geeks, perhaps. Most other people have lives that involve
going outside into this place known as the real world.
> So I think
> video games belong in public libraries. Do you?
No. I don't think movies or audio recordings belong in public libraries
either. That said, my local library does stock a small number of PC
games, including Railroad Tycoon, Myst, Alpha Centauri, and Populus
(the Win95+ one)..
Public libraries are, were, and should be for books.
Best,
--Imad "(e)magius" Hussain
_____________________________________________________________________
"I object to you. I object to intellect without discipline. I object
to power without constructive purpose."
-- Spock to Trelane, "The Squire of Gothos"
______________________________________________________________________
Dean Siren
>> video games belong in public libraries. Do you?
>
> No. I don't think movies or audio recordings belong in public libraries
> either. That said, my local library does stock a small number of PC
> games, including Railroad Tycoon, Myst, Alpha Centauri, and Populus
> (the Win95+ one)..
>
> Public libraries are, were, and should be for books.
Good arguments.