Guillermo del Toro Defends Games as Art

Guillermo del Toro knows art. Pan’s Labyrinth was a visual feast that addressed war through the eyes of a young girl. He also knows games, working on a title he hopes will be published by THQ. So, we shouldn’t be surprised when he says things like this:

“It’s a medium that gains no respect among the intelligentsia. They say, ‘Oh, video games…’ And most people that complain about video games have never f***ing played them.”

True, otherwise how could they call Mass Effect a “virtual porn simulator”?

He goes on to reference the movie and comics codes that limited expression for many years because of morality concerns.

“Like the way they say, ‘Horror movies, they make the kids delinquent! Horror comics, they make the kids criminal!’ Now it’s video games,” he added. “It’s all bulls**t.”

He goes on to cite Shadow of the Colossus, ICO, Gadget: Invention, and Marathon. Can’t argue with that list, though I haven’t really played Gadget: Invention and would probably add a few games such as the recently released Limbo.

Maybe Ebert will listen to del Toro since he does something that Ebert respects as art… Fat chance.

via Gamasutra