I Think Gaming Needs a Renaming....

[Adam Gadal]

Yesterday I had to go to another city to do an assessment for a college I was applying to to try and get into their video game programming class. Since the ride was decently long, I had plenty of time to talk to my mother about how much I love video games, and the video game industry as a whole despite the many flaws that are in the industry.

Anyway after talking for a while, I realized that Video Games as a medium need a renaming. For those of you who watch Extra Credits, you'll remember them bringing this up before. Now I want video games to be as respected by people as films and books are, since they offer a unique way to explore ideas and expand our imagination that neither film nor books can do.

However, after thinking for a while, I realized that gaming as a whole will never be taken seriously as long as we keep our current name. There is so much this medium can do, but as long as we keep the name 'Video Game' there will always be a large amount of people who attribute it to nothing more than a toy.

As such I have been trying to wrap my head around different names we could give to this medium, that can describe what it is the medium does. so far the best I have been able to come up with is Interactive Entertainment. Now people who I have suggested this name to seem to think it fits. But I want to know what the gaming community thinks.

First, do you agree with me that gaming needs a rename in order to be taken seriously like films and novels?

And second, do you like my suggestion for what we could change the mediums name to? If not what would you call it if you could change the name?

 

[vrbtny]

And to dispel the negative stigma towards the word "Gamer" ?

Seriously dude, renaming it wont do that.....

 

[Adam Gadal]

I'm not saying a simple rename will instantly give gaming the respect it deserves. But I think it will help none the less

 

[jovack22]

No. No, no no no no.

We don't need more of this nonsense.

This is why STD is no longer politically correct to say and is replaced with STI.

I will always call it games.

 

[Catalyst6]

The name will never change in the same way that "Graphic Novel" still gets translated into "highbrow comic book" in our minds.

More to the point, the thing that the word describes is more important than the word itself.

 

[Ryengu]

Interactive Virtual Scenario. How's that for hoighty toighty?

 

[ManWithHat]

I agree. I think the medium could use a renaming, at least partially to help show that the medium has progressed since they last knew it. Interactives or Interactive Entertainment both sound like good monikers. You could say that you were "enjoying" or "playing an interactive". These titles should be given to some of the greatest games(or interactives) that represent what art the medium can portray. Once people become curious of the new name and what they are, it might be easier for everyone else to accept it. Just my thoughts.

 

[GrizzlerBorno]

I think I saw a thread like this shortly after that afore-mentioned Extra Credits video, and I don't think they reached a conclusion.

I agree that Games need another name, if they hope to ever be taken seriously. But the thing is, it doesn't really matter if the name makes sense or not. It just has to be Catchy. Like the word "movie" which, once you think about it, is a pretty stupid fucking word.

Interactive Entertainment, while very logical, just isn't catchy. Hence I doubt it will ever "catch on". What we need is a completely new word with no previous connotations that is both Fun to say and makes just enough sense for people to understand what you're talking about. So......any suggestions?

 

[Flailing Escapist]

-> interactive adventures

 

[Zhukov]

Eh, I'll just say the same thing I always say when this comes up:

If movies can get away with being called "move-ies" then "video games" have nothing to worry about.

 

[thenamelessloser]

Don't like using entertainment it is like calling pro wrestling sports entertainment. But I do agree in a sense... I think one of the biggest obstacles at times to more imaginative and "intellectual" games is the fact that many creative and "intellectual" people just see the term game. I guess I would like the term interactive stories but many good video games have stories really.

But it is odd though. Chess is a game and seems highly respected so maybe there is nothing wrong with the term game anyway....

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

No. No, no no no no.

We don't need more of this nonsense.

This is why STD is no longer politically correct to say and is replaced with STI.

I will always call it games.

That's because they aren't diseases - they are infections.

No, they are both. The name was changed because of some BS about "disease" having the connotation of being untreatable, and "infection" having the connotation of being treatable, when in reality, "disease" is probably a better term; how is aids any less of a disease than the common cold, and furthermore, how are either of them not both an infection and a disease?

OT: Games are called games because they're games. Honestly, I don't think they need to be more than that -- you don't see wargamers trying to get their hobby renamed, nor do you see tabletop role players trying to do so. Even "graphic novel" failed to supplant "comic book;" it's only used today to refer to the larger volumes which are usually compiled from the smaller, more frequently published comic books. Attempting to get away from the fact that videogames are games does nothing but make a lot of bad games with some dubious artistic qualities -- anybody remember the "interactive movie" games that were everywhere in the 90's?

 

[Adam Gadal]

@jovack22: This isn't about being politically correct. This is about changing the name of gaming to something that at first glance doesn't look childish.

@Catalyst6: Yes, i agree. I feel this is something that should be looked at for the future, because gaming has come a long way since it started, and with some of the depth into a persons mind games can have these days, I feel in order to properly show this to those who aren't informed about the medium, a change in name my make it easier for them to understand what this medium really is all about.

@Ryengu: A bit wordy, but it is something to consider I guess. Just keep in mind it doesn't need to be 'hoighty toighty' it just has to reflect the new face that video games have these days

@ManWithHat: Interactives in an interesting idea =\

@Grizzler Borno: on the topic of the name only needing to be catchy, that isn't true. In essence 'movie' isn't the real name of the medium. In reality they are called 'motion pictures'. Seriously, go to the dictionary and look up the word movie, the first definition is motion picture. Movie I guess is more of a nickname we gave to this medium that stuck. The same things goes for us calling them games instead of video games. I mean 'games' itself can mean many MANY different things, but we are so used to the nickname we assume when someone says games they are talking about video games. Just some food for thought

 

[Omey]

Great Post!
Was going to do it myself one of these days.But I still haven't come up with any worthwhile name

I would also like to add that since gaming has so many varieties that play in different ways,I think different playing experiences need different names.
For e.g. Text based adventures or in-depth RPGs can be said to create massive fictional worlds of their own-so they can be labelled using words such as interactive fiction.On the other hand Playing Flash games on the internet like diner dash or small management games that really have no story cannot be named something like that.

A shooter with a great story can be labelled as fiction,but another equally good multi-player or arena shooter that by itself is a great game but has no direct combining link between the maps other than the premise (i.e. Counterstrike) cannot be said to be in that category.

Similarly what many people call to be "pretentious" flash games on the internet that lack re-playability or any entertaining game mechanics do not fall into the traditional definition of games primarily because they don't concentrate on being fun in the first place but instead focus on a message.Reading tragic novels isn't fun.But many books are tragic and they are considered art.Likewise for movies.
So should games stop being fun? I think we should just stop calling games as "games" and take out the requirement that all interactive software that involves you controlling a character or a part of its world should necessarily be fun or challenging.
I am not saying we should stop making fun games!!But we also need a separate category for these interactive software that aren't necessarily fun - but are meant to be taken as they are and remembered if you like them.

Or we could go the Comic book route -Keep calling comics what we have now- like the superhero fantasy variety - as "comics" and create a new separate niche for the serious stuff(i.e. Graphic Novels) - like James suggested on Extra credits.

Bottom line-We need Different labels for different types of games.One size doesn't fit all in this.

 

[FalloutJack]

I think gaming and all related topics needs a DE-naming. People are far too quick to categorize everything. Play it loose and free.

 

[GrizzlerBorno]

@Grizzler Borno: on the topic of the name only needing to be catchy, that isn't true. In essence 'movie' isn't the real name of the medium. In reality they are called 'motion pictures'. Seriously, go to the dictionary and look up the word movie, the first definition is motion picture. Movie I guess is more of a nickname we gave to this medium that stuck. The same things goes for us calling them games instead of video games. I mean 'games' itself can mean many MANY different things, but we are so used to the nickname we assume when someone says games they are talking about video games. Just some food for thought

So wait, what are you talking about? Are you talking about changing just the "Official" name of Video Games, but keeping the nickname that we all use intact? I guess that would work. I mean the latter's just among us fans anyway. The problem is then, that changing the Official name is even MORE difficult cause then you need to consider that you have to change, not only public habits and perceptions, but also Written records and Press terminology and a hundred other technical things that are very difficult to change.

 

[Steppin Razor]

However, after thinking for a while, I realized that gaming as a whole will never be taken seriously as long as we keep our current name.

Gaming is already one of, if not the biggest, entertainment industries. Black Ops first 5 days of sale destroyed everything else that had come before it, be it movie, book or game. Dislike the game all you want, but the fact remains that it is a testament to the juggernaut that video gaming has become.

So the question is - why do you care so much if some people don't take gaming seriously? They don't like games, good for them. I'm sure there are lots of people that don't read books or watch movies for the same reasons that some people don't play games, but you don't see anyone trying to change their opinion.

 

[GrizzlerBorno]

Great Post! (I'm talking about your one)

I......completely agree with this, actually. In retrospect I have absolutely NO problem whatsoever with calling Call of Duty or Brink a "Game". That's what they are. They're just virtual sports: Do the same thing in one small area over and over again, but do it WELL, master your skills and gain enjoyment from the sheer ACT of it. That's what a "game" is about....

On the other hand, games like LA Noire or Witcher or Dragon Age or Mass Effect; Those AREN'T virtual sports by any means of the word. Sure they have gameplay that is "fun" and you get enjoyment from it....but that isn't WHY you play those game. You play FOR the rich, fictional world, the fresh engaging story and/or to meet interesting new characters and personalities.

In that sense the "Interactives" moniker doesn't really cut it anymore. What about........"Immersives"? Maybe?

I know we will NEVER be able to find a name that can 100% fit all the many different aspects of gaming, but at the least we should be able to come up with something that shows people that we are a mature medium meant to be appreciated by everyone and through many different subjects. Also, yes I know it would be a ton of work to get this all done.

Please refer to what I have said above. I think we should come to accept and even appreciate that not all games ARE mature works of art. Some games are just...... well, games. And those should be called nothing else but such...