Video: Brian Moriarty's 'Apology for Roger Ebert'

Beyond Zork and Loom creator and Worcester Polytechnic Institute professor Brian Moriarty delivers a defense of Roger Ebert's industry-stirring sentiment that "video games can never be art," given in this newly free video lecture from GDC 2011 courtesy of the GDC Vault. "This is an apology in the sense of a Greek apologia, the systematic defense of a position or opinion," explains Moriarty as he begins to share the context of Ebert's industry-stirring statements from 2005. The debates that followed had mostly subsided until a later TEDx lecture by Kellee Santiago, then co-founder and president of thatgamecompany, "Stop the Debate: Video Games are Art, So What's Next?" Santiago had offered examples Waco Resurrection, Braid and Flower, all of which Ebert later dismissed in a critique with the infamous headline "Video games can never be art." Although Moriarty never says video games are art, he explains in this lecture ways in which they could be, who could make it so, and the concepts critical to understanding the debate. Brian Moriarty's 'An Apology for Roger Ebert' can be viewed above and can be read here. Session Name: An Apology for Roger Ebert Speaker(s): Brian Moriarty Company Name(s): Worcester Polytechnic Institute Track / Format: Game Design

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent GDC events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers. Those who purchased All Access passes to events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC China already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscriptions via a GDC Vault inquiry form. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company. More information on this option is available via an online demonstration, and interested parties can find out more here. In addition, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault admins. Be sure to keep an eye on GDC Vault for even more new content, as GDC organizers will also archive videos, audio, and slides from other events like GDC China and GDC 2013. To stay abreast of all the latest updates to GDC Vault, be sure to check out the news feed on the official GDC website, or subscribe to updates via Twitter, Facebook, or RSS. Gamasutra and GDC are sibling organizations under parent UBM Tech.