About Chris On Videogames
What is Chris on Videogames?
Chris on Videogames is a new type of videogame criticism.
So…what does that mean?
To put it simply, this is a project where I publish essays that attempt to articulate the responses individual games elicit in me.
Why?
I believe that exploring the responses that videogames elicit is the missing link in videogames criticism.
There’s lots of great criticism out there, but almost all of it falls somewhere along a two-dimensional spectrum. At one end are technical reviews of games—“consumer reports”-style reviews that examine whether a game runs well and functions properly. At the other end are cultural analyses that academically examine how videogames reflect larger trends and phenomena around us. Between these two poles are reviews that try to determine whether games are “fun” or “cool” or “good” or “worth your time or money.”
These are all valid ways of examining videogames, but I think what’s missing from that conversation are reviews that discuss the personal responses games generate and how they generate them. This type of criticism is a bit like a new axis on that chart. It dips into those other areas, but is completely its own thing.
Ok, but what does this type of criticism add to the mix? What does it do?
I think these reviews reflect the unacknowledged way that most people actually engage with videogames. Yes, sometimes we look to videogames for mindless entertainment, but sometimes we look to this medium for experiences that enrich us, or challenge us, shift our perspective. And sometimes when we’re looking for the latter we find the former.
That idea isn’t new. What’s new is the idea that we should articulate the way that a game engages with us and explore how it accomplishes that feat. I haven’t found that perspective in the games criticism that I’ve come across, so that’s why I’m doing it here. (And, hey: if you’ve seen something that fits this description that I’ve missed, drop me a line! I’m always happy to acknowledge a blind spot.)
Plus, ultimately, I hope this project might help convince people that videogames are art.
Oh no, not this again.
I know. I know. That’s a sore subject for a lot of people that follow videogames. I get it! I was there during the great Roger Ebert wars of the mid-to-late 2000s. I’ve seen how annoying and endlessly circular that discussion can be.
But I also believe that there’s a disconnect between what videogames are and how we, as a culture, think about them. And I believe that disconnect won’t be resolved until it’s more widely acknowledged that videogames are art—which is simply to say that videogames are creative works that elicit a response in an audience. That’s what all mediums do that are considered art, and these reviews are attempts to explain how videogames fit into that tradition.
The good news is that I’ve quarantined all my thoughts on that subject into one essay that you can read (or not read) right here:
Alright, enough philosophy. What else do we need to know?
Ok, here are the nuts and bolts of this project:
Platforms
All reviews are published on Substack and Medium with video versions posted to YouTube. You can also follow me on Backloggd where I post short snippets and links to each review.
Schedule
This is a hobby project for me. I think of this as my fourth job after familial, professional, and other life responsibilities, so new reviews are posted sporadically whenever I have the time to write them. I aim for at least one new review a month, but often run hot and cold and can go for long stretches without publishing. For now, you can always assume I’ll be back at some point. (I’ll update here if something changes.)
Support
If you enjoy this work, the best way to support it is to subscribe via Substack so I can keep you updated via email. Subscribing on Medium or YouTube is also a huge help. If more folks subscribe, I hope to expand this hobby project, offer additional content, and potentially move this work to a more flexible platform.
Contact
I try to maintain the handle @chrisonvidgames across every major social media platform, but I do not actively monitor the accounts at the moment. If you’d like to follow me, here are the links:
Twitter / X - @chrisonvidgames
Bluesky - @chrisonvidgames
Threads - @chrisonvidgames
Instagram - @chrisonvidgames
Facebook - @chrisonvidgames
If you need to reach me, you can email me at chrisonvidgames@gmail.com
Is that it?
Should I explain why I write videogame as one word instead of two?
Uhhh…
It more accurately reflects the creative maturity of the medium and acknowledges the variety it offers while clearing up any inconsistencies around works that are widely considered “videogames” yet offer little in the way of “video” or “game!”
Ok, we’re done here.
Thanks for your time!
