As I played through each game assigned for next week, I found myself the most interested in “I made this you play this. We are enemies.” At first glance, the game seemed like a complete joke; totally sloppy, loud and obnoxious, complete definition of nonsense. I tried reading everything on the page in an attempt to make sense of the abomination happening on my computer screen. Yet, as I kept playing, the game began to develop a theme. Each level’s design is based around a website or franchise. When I got to level 3, I began to understand that Nelson was attempting to send a message to the gamer.
I view Jason Nelson’s creation as a work of art first, and a video game second. Like most works of contemporary concept art, I would assume that the average person would spend roughly one minute playing through “I made this you play this” before getting a headache and moving on to another website. However, those who brave the next few levels should notice the real concept of this game. I believe Nelson has created an abstract contemporary work of art, not unlike works by Jackson Pollack and Marcel Duchamp.
Galloway states in his text that countergaming has few game rules and replaces play with aesthetics. Though this game’s aesthetics are not particularly attractive, I support the assumption that Nelson has “dumbed the design down” purposely to further support his views of franchises and society’s materialistic nature.
I agree that most of Jason Nelson’s work constitutes as art. I liked Koster’s definition of art, which I think applies to this game. “Media is information. Entertainment is comforting, simplistic information. Art is challenging complex information.” I think this game is challenging mostly through its aesthetics and the way it presents it message, which is hard to follow and even harder to articulate.
I’m glad you brought up Koster’s definition of art. It really is a good one, and can help us frame Nelson’s work in a meaningful way.