The Full Experience Points - Richard “Kirby Kid” Hakim Terrell
The question of what constitutes a “complete” (or even “thorough”) experience of an artwork has always been challenging to pin down. How many minutes, hours, days, are enough time looking at a painting to have a valid opinion? Does it require external supplements like books of biography and criticism? Does it require reproducing the work? Who is entitled to have and share opinions publicly? What does “knowing” even mean in the context of an artwork? These questions are tough enough to answer (and have a culturally situated context that is often in close relationship to institutional power). But when it comes to video games, there is a massive amount of cultural baggage that comes with the idea of “completing” a game. One of the most common statements that prevents folks in the art world from experiencing videogames is the statement, “I’m not good at games.” In “The Full Experience Points” Richard Terrell deconstructs the history of video game culture’s fetishization of mastery and completion, with skill and technology, and relocates completion within the capacity of the individual viewer to articulate. By reorienting the value we get from the experience of a video game, Terrell’s essay is a critical building block for bridging the gap between video games and art.
Eron tldr: Yes, it is totally fine (and in many cases an improvement) to use outside resources, such as searching Google for guides, YouTube walkthroughs, or introductory “Let’s Plays” if you think that helps enrich, or even start, your experience with a game! Video games can be an incredibly opaque media if you haven’t learned the many conventions and physical skill sets!
Author: Richard “Kirby Kid” Hakim Terrell
Link: http://critical-gaming.com/blog/2013/2/11/the-full-experience-points.html
Connections:
John Berger - Ways of Seeing
Rosalind E. Krauss - The Originality of the Avant-Guard
Seth Price - Dispersion