The Video Game: Text or Paratext? - Maximilian Eyle

The relationship between interrelated video games and movies is a complex one. For most media, the quality of the product only dictates whether it is, for example, a “good” movie or a “bad” movie. The Resident Evil movies are prime examples, because while they are often criticized as being terrible cinematic imitations of the original video game series, they are still considered their own text. When the relationship is reversed and a video game is emulating a past movie, it is usually considered a paratext. I disagree with such a generalization, and suggest that whether it is truly is a paratext or not depends upon two things: 1. the quality of the video game, and 2) the format of the video game.

            The line between text and paratext can be a hazy one. For the purposes of our investigation, the paratext is defined as a supporting medium, such as a poster, article, etc, that is centered on a main text. However, when the text is reproduced in the form of another medium – such as a movie version of a novel – the new version should be considered its own text as it is a new imagining of the original and will likely generate a whole new set of its own paratexts. This brings us to the peculiar nature of the video game. It is the most technologically complex of mainstream mediums, and it takes longer to “view” in its entirety than any other mainstream medium. But even with these noteworthy attributes, academia turns its nose up at it and pop culture only enjoys it as a guilty pleasure devoid of any intellectual integrity or class. Like most things, the world of video games contains products ranging from the divine to the fecal in quality. To avoid a hopelessly lengthy commentary, let’s limit our look to the video games that are related to movies in one way or another.

            The first problem is that the term video games is so broad that it practically holds no meaning, at least not without further description. Take the most basic form of popular video game – the flash game. They are typically non-downloadable, two dimensional, have minimal controls, and poorly animated graphics. However, their simplicity makes them easy to learn, and ensures their playability on any half decent computer. We encounter them as paratexts only, when in connection to a movie or television show. They don’t have close to enough content to be a valid textual form in and of themselves, but can still entertain a fan for a shocking amount of time. Check out South Park’s page for a look at their flash games right here.

            When we take the leap into the complex world the PC or consol games, things change. A well developed video game has the potential to have as complex a storyline as its cinematic counterpart, but with the added bonus of being malleable and immersive. You experience the narrative as a character rather than a voyeur. Because of this phenomenon you can also adjust your experience as you play to make the game especially satisfying to your individual preferences. Look at my next post about the Godfather series to see an example of this broken down and explained.