[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:03.77,0:00:06.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Computer): "Program complete. You may enter when ready."
Dialogue: 0,0:00:06.84,0:00:10.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This video series primarily focuses on film\Nand television.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:10.98,0:00:15.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But every once in a while,\NI like to check in on the world of video games.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:16.08,0:00:19.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And there's no better place to get a sense\Nof what's happening in gaming
Dialogue: 0,0:00:19.54,0:00:23.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,than the Electronic Entertainment Expo,\Nor E3 for short.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:24.39,0:00:29.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Every summer, the entire video game industry\Ndescends on the convention center in downtown
Dialogue: 0,0:00:29.67,0:00:34.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Los Angeles for an extravagant week of video\Ngame announcements and demonstrations.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.20,0:00:39.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The highlight of the expo are the press\Nconferences, which are put on by each
Dialogue: 0,0:00:39.100,0:00:45.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of the major video game publishers, during which\Nthey showcase all their latest and greatest titles.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:54.09,0:00:58.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Dozens of fantastically rendered, breathtaking\Nworlds are on display.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:01.42,0:01:07.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And yet somehow, I always walk away from\NE3 with a profound sense of disappointment.\N
Dialogue: 0,0:01:08.84,0:01:14.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And that's because for all the talented developers,\Nall the hardware innovation, all the technological
Dialogue: 0,0:01:14.90,0:01:22.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,advancements, and all the new games,\NE3 can still feel remarkably uncreative.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:24.23,0:01:30.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Year after year, the gaming industry seems\Nto fall back on one underlying theme:
Dialogue: 0,0:01:31.94,0:01:33.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,kill or be killed.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:42.52,0:01:48.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,After a few dozen trailers that all seem to\Nfeature essentially the same style of game play,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:48.02,0:01:55.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the whole event can turn into a blur of flying\Nbullets, swinging swords, and fiery explosions.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:56.51,0:02:00.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And that makes it hard not to feel a little\Nlike Captain Picard on the holodeck.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:02.70,0:02:07.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Picard): "What are you here to do. Ask for a refund?" \N(Slade): "Nah, I'm here to kill you!"
Dialogue: 0,0:02:07.47,0:02:13.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Picard): "Computer, freeze program.\NComputer, this isn't what I wanted at all."
Dialogue: 0,0:02:15.10,0:02:19.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Picard): "It's much too violent. I'm here to\Nrelax, not to dodge bullets. Reconfigure."
Dialogue: 0,0:02:21.70,0:02:27.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Gaming is now a 100 billion dollar a year\Nindustry. And that's billion with a B.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:28.62,0:02:33.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And in many ways, E3 represents the face\Nthat industry shows to the public.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:34.41,0:02:40.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As such, the event provides an ideal setting to\Nanalyze overarching patterns in the gaming world.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:42.75,0:02:46.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So this year, I did a quick statistical\Nbreakdown of all the games featured at
Dialogue: 0,0:02:46.65,0:02:48.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the major E3 press conferences.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:49.31,0:02:51.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Let's see what we've got."
Dialogue: 0,0:02:52.54,0:02:55.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A total of 133 games were shown during\Nthese events.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:56.69,0:03:00.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Only 20 of those games didn't include\Ncombat mechanics.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:00.98,0:03:03.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And 10 of those were sports or racing games.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:04.62,0:03:11.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A detailed breakdown looks like this:\N82% combat, 3% minimal or incidental combat,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:11.92,0:03:22.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,5% sports, 3% racing, 1% for dancing, with\Njust 7% left over for all other non-combat games.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:24.77,0:03:30.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The fact that 82% of the games featured\Nat E3 are combat-focused illustrates a
Dialogue: 0,0:03:30.50,0:03:32.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,pretty serious lack of imagination.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:34.37,0:03:39.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,To see if that ratio holds up over time, I went back\Nand compared these stats to the numbers from
Dialogue: 0,0:03:39.80,0:03:44.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,previous E3 events, and I found similar results.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:47.74,0:03:53.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Initially, I had intended to include separate\Nstats for narrative games, adventure games,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:53.45,0:03:58.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,puzzle games, city building games, and\Nexploration games.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:59.33,0:04:04.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But there just weren't enough titles in any of\Nthese genres to justify their own category.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:05.64,0:04:08.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A couple quick notes about these numbers.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:08.02,0:04:12.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For these calculations, I focused on combat\Nrather than on the presence of violence.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:12.92,0:04:17.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So games in the non-combat category aren't\Nnecessarily non-violent.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:18.68,0:04:24.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In fact, three of the ten games in that category\Nare rather violent survival horror experiences.\N
Dialogue: 0,0:04:27.97,0:04:31.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I make the distinction between combat and\Nviolence because with combat,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:32.00,0:04:35.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the player is the one doing the violence.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:37.73,0:04:41.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Violence is unfortunately part of our\Nshared human history.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:41.96,0:04:44.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so it makes sense that some games\Nwould include it.\N
Dialogue: 0,0:04:45.25,0:04:52.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,However, when combat is the game's central\Nfocus, it tends to celebrate that violence
Dialogue: 0,0:04:52.07,0:04:55.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,rather than frame it as a tragic last resort.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:56.36,0:05:03.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Narrator): "One such perk will award the \Nplayer with a tactical nuke following a 25\Nplayer kill streak."
Dialogue: 0,0:05:05.33,0:05:08.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Narrator): "This match will get red-hot.\NIt's on!"
Dialogue: 0,0:05:10.46,0:05:13.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Of course, not all forms of combat are equal.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:13.20,0:05:17.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So just out of curiosity, I further broke the stats down by type.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:17.86,0:05:26.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Of the 108 games focusing on combat in 2017,\N20 of them could be classified as cartoon violence.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:27.47,0:05:33.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For these titles, it's less 'kill or be killed' and more\N'squish or be squashed.'
Dialogue: 0,0:05:34.08,0:05:39.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The violence may be cute, sometimes downright\Nadorable, but the focus on combat mechanics
Dialogue: 0,0:05:39.62,0:05:45.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,still sets up a hostile game environment\Nin which players are forced into an antagonistic
Dialogue: 0,0:05:45.34,0:05:47.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,relationship with the game world.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:47.73,0:05:53.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The interactions may be a lot less bloody,\Nbut the gameplay is still largely restricted
Dialogue: 0,0:05:53.10,0:05:57.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to some form of 'get them before they get you.'
Dialogue: 0,0:05:58.26,0:06:01.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In many ways, the gaming industry has backed\Nitself into this corner.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:02.11,0:06:07.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For decades, game studios have focused on\Ncombat to such a degree that for many gamers,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:07.14,0:06:13.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,developers, and even publishers, combat has\Nnow become synonymous with game play itself.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:13.82,0:06:18.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The president of Nintendo of America echoed\Nthis sentiment at E3 this year.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:20.08,0:06:25.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Reggie Fils-Aime): "The game is fun.\NThe game is a battle."
Dialogue: 0,0:06:25.35,0:06:30.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Reggie Fils-Aime): "If it's not fun, why\Nbother. If it's not a battle, where's the fun?"
Dialogue: 0,0:06:31.50,0:06:35.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's an extremely narrow definition\Nof what constitutes a game and frankly,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:35.95,0:06:38.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,an even narrower definition of fun.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:40.04,0:06:45.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'd argue that this obsession with violent\Ncombat mechanics is holding the gaming\Nindustry back.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:46.01,0:06:48.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Let me quickly explain why I say that.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:49.35,0:06:55.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Game play mechanics are the underlying rules\Nand methods for engagement within a game.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:55.58,0:07:00.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Think of mechanics as a set of tools that\Nplayers are given with which to interact
Dialogue: 0,0:07:00.23,0:07:03.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with the game world, its characters, and\Nother players.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:06.31,0:07:11.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In many of the games we've been talking about,\Ncombat is the only way to solve problems,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:11.12,0:07:14.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to resolve conflict, or to overcome obstacles.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:15.94,0:07:21.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That old saying that 'If all you have is a hammer,\Neverything looks like a nail' is apropos.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:23.00,0:07:27.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Except video games are made so that nearly\Neverything in your path is specifically
Dialogue: 0,0:07:27.72,0:07:30.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,designed to actually BE a nail.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:31.69,0:07:36.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And if you're given a machine gun as your\Nprimary tool for engagement, that's going
Dialogue: 0,0:07:36.64,0:07:39.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to determine how you approach the world\Nand practically everything in it.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:42.35,0:07:46.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Cayde-6) This one dude is all "Rah!" so I shot\Nhim PEW and then I shot this other one PEW.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:46.74,0:07:49.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Cayde-6) Shot a couple extra guys just to\Nbe safe. PEW DUSH DUSH.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:50.04,0:07:54.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Cayde-6) I did a lot of shooting if I'm\Nbeing totally honest.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:55.42,0:07:59.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When games focus so heavily on combat\Nmechanics, it severely restricts the
Dialogue: 0,0:07:59.57,0:08:04.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,options for both emotional interaction\Nand creative conflict resolution.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:07.03,0:08:11.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Don't get me wrong, conflict is, of course, an\Nimportant part of story telling.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:12.19,0:08:16.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But there are many forms of conflict, \Nfrom the interpersonal to the intergalactic.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:17.67,0:08:20.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Likewise, there are many forms of\Nconflict resolution.\N
Dialogue: 0,0:08:21.05,0:08:24.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And most of them don't leave behind a\Npile of bodies.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:27.19,0:08:32.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I should mention that there do exist a small\Nhandful of games that include diplomatic tactics.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:33.47,0:08:38.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Players can talk their way out of every\Nsituation in the retro-indie game Undertale.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:38.22,0:08:41.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But that's a rare exception to the rule.\N
Dialogue: 0,0:08:43.51,0:08:48.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Some genres like role playing games\Nhave players doing more than just fighting.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:48.64,0:08:54.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But most of the other forms of interaction\Nexist to support the combat.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:54.98,0:09:01.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You might talk to other characters who\Nwill give you quests: quests which\Ninevitably involve killing stuff.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:02.45,0:09:08.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You might buy, sell, or craft new items: \Nitems that will help you in killing stuff.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:08.92,0:09:13.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Narrator): "A few days out in the wasteland,\Nand it's time to kick back at home. My home."
Dialogue: 0,0:09:14.22,0:09:18.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You might even be able to build a house:\Na house which you'll have to defend
Dialogue: 0,0:09:18.38,0:09:21.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by killing even more stuff.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:21.50,0:09:27.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Todd Howard): "Cuz you do want to build \Ndefenses, uh, because your settlements can\Nand will get attacked, uh, by raiders."
Dialogue: 0,0:09:28.31,0:09:31.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,All the other options available to players still
Dialogue: 0,0:09:31.21,0:09:35.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,ultimately revolve around that core combat mechanic.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:36.83,0:09:41.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This topic is of special concern to me because\Nmy work primarily focuses on the representations
Dialogue: 0,0:09:41.85,0:09:44.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of men and masculinity in entertainment.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:45.08,0:09:49.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Everywhere we look in pop culture, we see \Nmodels of manhood that are linked to
Dialogue: 0,0:09:49.28,0:09:52.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,confrontation, aggression, and violence.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:52.75,0:09:58.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And that's especially true in video games\Nwhere male characters are rarely depicted
Dialogue: 0,0:09:58.39,0:10:01.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,solving problems based on deescalation\Nor compassion.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:03.95,0:10:08.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Kratos): "To be effective in combat, a\Nwarrior must not feel for his enemy."
Dialogue: 0,0:10:08.26,0:10:15.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Things like diplomacy, deescalation, \Nnegotiation, and compromise all take\Na back seat to blunt force trauma.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:17.32,0:10:23.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And that in turn dramatically limits\Nthe kinds of stories that can be told.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:24.32,0:10:27.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now whenever I make these kinds of\Nobservations on social media, someone
Dialogue: 0,0:10:27.60,0:10:32.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,will inevitably respond with a snarky quip\Nabout defeating monsters with hugs\N
Dialogue: 0,0:10:32.19,0:10:35.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or dancing or by serving tea and cupcakes.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:35.69,0:10:40.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They no doubt think these are devastating\Nburns, but actually those are pretty good
Dialogue: 0,0:10:40.80,0:10:42.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,ideas for innovative mechanics.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:43.38,0:10:48.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'd play those games. And I'm willing to bet that\Na whole hell of a lot of other people would too.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:49.90,0:10:56.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Interactive media has an incredible, almost\Nunlimited, potential to deliver a wide range
Dialogue: 0,0:10:56.31,0:11:02.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of emotional, deeply human experiences\Nthat deal with love and connection and empathy.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:04.17,0:11:09.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Imagine an open world game where you take\Non the role of an EMT, or a firefighter,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:09.54,0:11:14.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or a field medic, or a climate activist,\Nor an intergalactic veterinarian.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:15.07,0:11:19.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Or how about a farmer who grows food on an\Nintergenerational space ship.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:19.73,0:11:22.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Or imagine a game in a post-apocalyptic future...
Dialogue: 0,0:11:22.51,0:11:27.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(because every other game I saw at E3 \Nwas set in a post-apocalyptic future)
Dialogue: 0,0:11:27.38,0:11:33.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,...but instead of fighting over the scraps,\Nplayers cooperate to rebuild a better society.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:37.22,0:11:42.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Imagine all the stories we're missing out on\Nbecause game developers insist on building
Dialogue: 0,0:11:42.30,0:11:48.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,virtual worlds that we experience from behind\Nthe barrel of a gun or the blade of a sword.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:49.92,0:11:53.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Remember that 7% of non-combat \Nfocused games?
Dialogue: 0,0:11:53.62,0:11:58.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, every year E3 does play host to a few \Nsmall games that break the mold and \N
Dialogue: 0,0:11:58.94,0:12:01.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,give us a glimpse into the medium's potential. \N
Dialogue: 0,0:12:02.91,0:12:08.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,TACOMA is one such example. You play as an \Ninvestigator using augmented reality to solve
Dialogue: 0,0:12:08.87,0:12:11.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a mystery of a missing crew aboard a space station.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:13.72,0:12:19.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's these small innovative titles that are blazing\Na path forward for interactive storytelling.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:20.42,0:12:23.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We just need a whole lot more of them.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:25.59,0:12:30.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If you'd like to see more of these long-form\Nvideo essays about the intersections of manhood,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:30.68,0:12:36.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,politics, and entertainment, then please go over to\NPatreon and help fund this project.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:36.19,0:12:39.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Every little bit helps me keep making more videos.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:39.37,0:12:44.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Next month's video will be about geeky sexism\Nand The Big Bang Theory.