Will Video Games Replace Film and TV?

LimarcOct 31, 2020, 4:36 AMIn the future, will video games replace film and tv as the main modern source of digital entertainment?

Patrick Lee (Mentor)Oct 31, 2020, 4:36 AMI think both will be equally important. Film & TV is passive. Video games are active.

LimarcOct 31, 2020, 4:36 AM

While I think both will continue to exist in parallel, I actually think video games will supersede films and TV.

Thinking about it from a historical perspective, entertainment is always changing based on technology.

In the middle ages, we saw the growth in popularity of theater plays with Shakespeare.

After the printing press was invented, people enjoyed reading short stories in fiction magazines, as well as novels.

Next we had the era where people would sit in their living room just listening to the radio.

Then finally, we created cinemas and television sets.

While all of these forms of entertainment still exist, each new form superseded the last; more people definitely watch TV than read books.

I think the next step in this evolution of entertainment is video games and virtual reality.

DavidOct 31, 2020, 4:36 AMHmm the active vs. passive distinction is wise. Twitch (aka Amazon) capitalized on the rise on gaming interest (while creating the passive category for gaming) in a remarkable way.

Patrick Lee (Mentor)Oct 31, 2020, 4:36 AMAll the forms of entertainment you mentioned are passive (plays > books > radio > television).

LimarcOct 31, 2020, 4:36 AM

Ah I see what you mean. For sure, but what other forms of active entertainment do we have right now on par or close to on par with video games?

Sports mainly come to mind. Interestingly though, I imagine VR will evolve to the point where many sports can be done in virtual reality. There are already very great apps that simulate boxing. I hope one day VR can innovate far enough to allow other sports to be played indoors in a controlled space.

Patrick Lee (Mentor)Oct 31, 2020, 4:36 AMYeah playing in sports is another good example of active entertainment.

richard-kubinaOct 31, 2020, 4:36 AM

I look forward to VR films. Films you can move around in like a ghost and explore details up close while characters are playing out the scenes.

I could see the sorta "choose your own adventure" gameplay we saw with the release of DVDs expand into this idea where you can inject some input into the story. I imagine AI will play a big part in these sorta interactions, like what we are seeing with AI Dungeon already, but brought into a VR world.

So I can see the film and tv blurring into video games. A sorta-passive, interaction-light experience you can immerse yourself in.

DavidOct 31, 2020, 4:36 AMLimarc do the VR apps that stimulate boxing also stimulate the pain of being punched?

DaneOct 31, 2020, 4:36 AMI like Patrick Lee (Mentor)'s view on active vs passive entertainment. I do believe that active forms of entertainment will grow in popularity and eventually surpass passive entertainment. It is hard to say what percentage of active entertainment video games will represent. Maybe half? Possibly less.

LinhOct 31, 2020, 4:36 AMWhat about meta entertainment like people watching people watch things? Seems like it’s gaining traction.

LinhOct 31, 2020, 4:36 AMWhat about meta entertainment like people watching people watch things? Seems like it’s gaining traction.

DaneOct 31, 2020, 4:36 AMLinh wouldn't meta entertainment be considered a passive form of entertainment?

Patrick Lee (Mentor)Oct 31, 2020, 4:36 AMThere are already reaction videos. Videos where we watch other people react to watching videos.

LinhOct 31, 2020, 4:36 AMAbsolutely, it’s doubling down on the passive. Like I’m not gonna bother watching the thing but I’m curious in your watching the thing

LinhOct 31, 2020, 4:36 AMI think the growth of that kind of entertainment will balance out super active ones like VR

DavidOct 31, 2020, 4:36 AMThe internet has revolutionized people watching, probably not for the best. The phones are optimized for consuming content instead of creating content. It takes conscientious effort to be a creator instead of a consumer. Both are entertaining, but theres just so much inertia to keep doing nothing. Unfortunately, the primary form of entertainment is unlikely to be active. Because video games force people to make so many* choices, I don't think they can overtake immersive forms of entertainment. It's less resistance to just sit and consume.

DaneOct 31, 2020, 4:36 AM

I actually think watching people react is a very emotionally gratifying thing. I vicariously watch squirrels play because I feel like they are so free and I experience that freedom by watching.

Ultimately, I think people should experience both passive and active entertainment to be more balanced and healthy. But I wouldn't necessarily say one is superior to the other.

DaneOct 31, 2020, 4:36 AMEven a lot of forms of active entertainment, like gaming can be arguably unhealthy if overconsumed.

DaneOct 31, 2020, 4:36 AM

It's also interesting to think about the relationship between creating and consuming David. You can't really say "creating is virtuous" and "consuming is a vice". Because is it really virtuous to produce something that degrades people's lives when consumed?

I think there is a little bit of an unfair stigma against consumption. People become more knowledgeable through consumption and are better equipped to create. The relationship between creation and consumption is symbiotic.

LinhOct 31, 2020, 4:36 AMDavid i think you can argue that the proliferation of mobile usage actually boosts both active & passive entertainment. Think about all the time we want to take a quick snapshots of norah and make it into a short & sweet movie. It would have been near impossible or cumbersome to have to use a DHS camera.

LinhOct 31, 2020, 4:36 AMDane i think there has to be a distinction between scrolling (unconscious consumption) that’s 100% dependent on algorithm and habits and intentional watching (pick up a movie/video after careful consideration) when it comes to consumption. The worry here is how easy it is to consume thoughtlessly.

DavidOct 31, 2020, 4:36 AMI love to eat. Therefore, I love consumption.

DaneOct 31, 2020, 4:36 AMI agree that unconscious consumption is terrible. In order for passive consumption to be good, the brain needs to be engaged and active while the body is passive. Otherwise you are just wasting time and waiting to die.