“Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter” is a very enjoyable and well-written book. It has its moments of high appreciation, fastidious observations of popular video games and also highly personal moments from Tom Bissell. Definitely recommended!
TITLE: Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter
BY: Tom Bissell
PUBLISHER: Pantheon Books
PAGE COUNT: 240
RELEASED: June 8, 2010
Tom Bissell is a prizewinning writer who published three widely acclaimed books before the age of thirty-four. He is also an obsessive gamer who has spent untold hours in front of his various video game consoles, playing titles such as Far Cry 2, Left 4 Dead, BioShock, and Oblivion for, literally, days. If you are reading this flap copy, the same thing can probably be said of you, or of someone you know.
Until recently, Bissell was somewhat reluctant to admit to his passion for games. In this, he is not alone. Millions of adults spend hours every week playing video games, and the industry itself now reliably outearns Hollywood. But the wider culture seems to regard video games as, at best, well designed if mindless entertainment.
Extra Lives is an impassioned defense of this assailed and misunderstood art form. Bissell argues that we are in a golden age of gaming—but he also believes games could be even better. He offers a fascinating and often hilarious critique of the ways video games dazzle and, just as often, frustrate. Along the way, we get firsthand portraits of some of the best minds (Jonathan Blow, Clint Hocking, Cliff Bleszinski, Peter Molyneux) at work in video game design today, as well as a shattering and deeply moving final chapter that describes, in searing detail, Bissell’s descent into the world of Grand Theft Auto IV, a game whose themes mirror his own increasingly self-destructive compulsions.
Blending memoir, criticism, and first-rate reportage, Extra Lives is like no other book on the subject ever published. Whether you love video games, loathe video games, or are merely curious about why they are becoming the dominant popular art form of our time, Extra Lives is required reading.
The art of video games? Do video games matter?
I have to admit that I was a bit caustic before reading “Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter” by Tom Bissell.  Not because of Bissell’s work, as he is an intelligent and thorough writer (who was a contributing editor for “Harper’s Magazine” and the “Viginia Quarterly Review”). But part of being critical is that many people that I know who are playing video games no longer read books, their hours spent on video gaming is almost like a second job (but much more satisfaction and paid with fervor) but you can easily take part in a game, especially on XBOX Live and the words that go through that headset, you wonder if many of the people playing have become brain dead Troglodytes that have mastered the art of profanity and quick kills.
But knowing there are a few writers who have focused on video game writing and are serious about their work, see video games as more than what people read from “Game Informer”, “IGN” or other print and online publications. Video games are more than what is typed in a capsule review and so, I look forward to reading what Tom Bissell had to write about.
In some ways, “Extra Lies: Why Video Games Matter” is almost like a dawn of a new era… yes, I know it is a bit specious to say that but when you read about what Bissell is writing about, it’s almost like the great film critic Andrew Sarris when he wrote about “The Auteur Theory” for his book “American Cinema”. Over 50 years ago, people had this mindset that movies weren’t works of art, they were just something to enjoy.
For many, video games are just an expensive form of entertainment and while its true that certain companies have rehashed gameplay and concepts for the sake of financial gain, it’s no different from movies. But then there was an appreciation of cinema and I use the comparison because Bissell also brings up movies and video games for comparison in this book. And I see where he is going and it does makes sense.
Where the Francois Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Sam Fuller, Ingmar Bergman, Roberto Rosselini, Federico Fellini and many other talents would separate from the mainstream and create cinema that may not have been created for financial gain but to create a film they believe in with an artistic drive and not part of mainstream kitsch, “Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter” for me, was a book about a new dawn when it comes to video games. A new appreciation and a new way to look at video games. And possibly the need to deviate from the mainstream and do something much different as the those in film have done decades ago. Bu this time with video games.
The focus on this book are console based games but there is no doubt that where we are headed is in territory that will lead to more meaningful gaming on one’s cell phone, social media site, portable gaming, etc. We are seeing independent developers creating incredible games on XBOX LIVE and hopefully we will see how things develop overtime…may it be on an iPhone or Facebook. The thing is, more people are becoming addicted to them and enjoying them.
There are creators/developers who believe in being unique, being different and changing the mindset of today’s video gamers who were just complacent of whatever was being released.
Almost like what German Expressionism or Nouvelle Vague did for cinema, Bissell’s “Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter” shows us that there are developers who want to getaway from the usual trend. Untethered from the restraints and paradigms of today’s big corporate video game companies. And this book goes further than that. The book also shows us that there are video game writers who will review titles but no longer giving the trite capsule reviews or articles that read like a press release, are going towards video game writing in a different level.
And this is what made me so excited for this book because like the years of cinema writing from Andrew Sarris, Pauline Kael, Jonathan Rosenbaum and many others who would take a movie, dissect it, find its layers and show us why such a film was art or just trash, there are writers today who do the same for video games.
Bissell writes “In many ways, a video game can be viewed as a pure text in the same manner one views a film or work of literature. There is, however, at least one important difference. Films and works of literature are composed of signs and signifiers that share some basic similarities with their counterparts in the observable world.”
From “Call of Duty 4”, “Gears of War”, “Braid”, “Mass Effect”, “Far Cry 2”, “Grand Theft Auto IV” and many other titles, Bissell writes with such fervor, a paean of thorough and detailed writing and yes, the use of words that will make readers underline and search the definition but may I emphasize that this is a book that is not too cerebral nor will it turn off the reader.
Like what many film critics and even the auteurs who saw more in cinema as being an art form, Tom Bissell and a few others who see video games as much more today and show us why they matter. But as most of the chapters were entertaining, I admit that by its final chapter, I didn’t know what to think but…perhaps he should of ended with chapter 8 – “Far Cries”.
But the book also goes through Bissell’s journey and mindset when playing these video games. Especially when he discusses “Grand Theft Auto IV” for the chapter “Grand Thefts”. I have to admit that this chapter was a bit jarring and probably the most personal for the writer as he talks about his life is literally video games. Morning, throughout the day and night and I have to admit, this chapter was like the roller coaster that came off the hill and just headed down the tracks and you just hoped the ride would end soon.
From this chapter we learn that Bissell is possibly a video game addict. Barely sleeping and playing video games, he paints this life of an addict that can’t have enough and what a great introduction for “Grand Theft Auto IV” but somehow, the chapter starts going into cocaine and I couldn’t help but scratch my head and wonder if the writer had bouts with sleep deprivation but the more you read, you get to know that an addict comes in different forms and Bissell who was addicted to video games was writing about his addiction to cocaine. And by this chapter, what I enjoyed from the previous chapters, I felt more of wanting to tell the writer, “get some help, get into a program and get clean and stay clean”. If anything, I hope the chapter was about self-realization but if anything, it does give us a perspective of someone who was hooked on cocaine and “Grand Theft Auto IV” at the same time. Fortunately, the book doesn’t end on a down note as the appendix features an interview with “Fable” creator Sir Peter Molyneux.
Overall, “Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter” is a very enjoyable and well-written book. It has its moments of high appreciation, fastidious observations of popular video games and also highly personal moments which may seem out of place at first but the more I think about it now, I can see why Bissell wrote about those moments, especially for someone who is experiencing similar situations as the writer. And I’m sure among the most determined, most intelligent to those who have shown signs of australopithecine tendencies (and yes, I know, not all on XBOX Live show those tendencies), there is something special about this book that they can enjoy and appreciate.
Video games is a big part of our lives these days… may it be on the console, on your cell phone, on Facebook and more. It’s a big part of our lives and its very refreshing to have a skilled writer such as Bissell writing about video games. His written work almost reminds of film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum and his approach to film and his well-written essays. And it’s great to see Bissell do the same for video games (and also introducing us to other similar writers in this book). There are people who believe in the art of video games and respect the writers who want to bring more to the foray of video game writing with so much fervor, with deeper meaning and aren’t afraid of a little polemicizing.
I definitely recommend “Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter” and if you are a fan of video games and also good writing, this book is definitely recommended!
It is important to note that the book I am reviewing is a pre-release that may have changes when it is released on June 2010.