Video Games: the Movie (documentary) Analysis

Something new that I learned was how after the failure of the Atari, and in particular the catastrophically rushed 5 week ET game on the Atari, the gaming industry took a severe hit that almost ended the industry altogether. Nintendo played a large role in the revival, or “second-chance”, with the video game industry from the gamers. In my opinion, I feel that Nintendo might also have gotten more instant recognition from gamers in the US originally from the novel appearance that Japanese and international products have in general. Having the brand new NES toy from Japan “across seas” seems like an amazing way to show off to your friends at school as an American teenager. Apart from the general appeal, the actual characterization that came with the video games on the Nintendo consoles attracted a new market. To put the situation in an analogy, it’s like how there is a clear difference in the world-building and atmosphere that Disneyland provides versus another amusement park like Six Flags or Knotts Berry Farm. The comparison of these parks can be made from the characterized games found on the NES compared to those that are more bland found on the ATARI.

I wish the movie included more about the rise of the Indie game industry and the implementation of more publicized game engines. The Indie game department introduced a more specific style of characterization that allowed developers to implement a more differentiated style and story from the type that AAA games typically portray. I think this can be attributed to less people working on the game, usually only 1-2 developers, so they have more creative freedom to take their video game wherever they want with it. A good early example of what I mean is the game “Cave Story” where the characters and story were ahead of its time and introduced their own original character race of the Mimiga, a cross species between rabbits and dogs. Of course, I realize the rise in Indie games happened more towards 2016, which is after the date this movie was released.