Wise words from Roger Ebert: “Some opinions are best kept to yourself.”
The celebrated movie critic and prolific blogger and tweeter, wrote an article on his long held viewpoint that video games weren’t, and never would be, Art. Since writing that article he has received more than 4500 comments, with the vast (vast!) majority disagreeing with him.
In a rare example of the power of anonymous Internet commenting (when done en masse, that is), Ebert has written another article admitting that he was wrong to have made the original argument, as he doesn’t know enough about video games.
Hold the victory dance for now though, gamers.
He still maintains that at this point in video game history and according to his definition of art, video games just don’t cut it. And while he does admit that perhaps for some, video games can be art (though, he seems doubtful of this) he isn’t willing to spend enough time playing them to come around to that view for himself.
While this stance isn’t likely to calm the commenting storm on his blog, at least he claims to have learned a lesson. You can read the whole argument (and maybe even add to it yourself) here at Roger Ebert’s Journal.