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[Ian Henry]

Long time no see ya'll! I came across an interesting article that caught my attention. The writer made unique points about how the word "masterpiece" is now a word for "I personally love this game"

In Addition, the writer discusses how the games listed as "masterpieces" are all similar and how they don't truly provide any innovation. Seems to believe that modern video games are way too focused on being acknowledged by hollywood. The writer goes further into saying that games are following the leader and not bringing their own flair to the game.

Not trying to summarize, so it's best to read yourself. Do you guys think that the word "masterpiece" has become warped in this era. Let me know what you guys think.

Full Article:
https://www.thegamer.com/the-word-masterpiece-has-lost-all-meaning-in-modern-gaming/

 

[Yoshichan]

Yes.

"Masterpieces" today are not FFVII, MGS, UT99, Diablo 2, Morrowind, KotOR, HL2 and SotC.

10s of today are early 2000's 8s.

Try and make sense out of that. If it doesn't make any sense then you're either too young or too dumb.

 

[Mister Wolf]

No, I don't think so. Xenoblade 2 is a masterpiece.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

Nope.

We are allowed to have plenty of them.

And everyone is free to choose which game they think it is.

 

[SHA]

I'm still picky , not the kind of what metacritics doing , I use my guts skills I usually use and it doesn't have to be verbal or meaningful.

 

[Represent.]

Yes.

Theres levels to this shit. Good article. In regards to TLOU 1 and 2, I like what he wrote:

Both are considered masterpieces, and to some extent earn that merit, but to see all the others who replicate its formula treated with similar reverence proves that we have a lot of growing up to do. Days Gone isn’t and will never be a masterpiece, and I will fight anyone to the death who considers it one. I know that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and all that jazz, but you’re wrong.

Levels. Ive legit seen people say Days Gone is a masterpiece, you need to have your opinions silenced.

 

[HTK]

Absolutely not.

 

[Punished Miku]

People can have bad taste. But the word means what it always has. I feel like time passing is still the best way to weed out excessively inflated praise. After all the hype and warring dies off, most of the time people are able to settle on a more realistic consensus.

The word still means what it always has, but now its often clouded by louder and more persistent social media / online noise that distorts reality for months. Overrated games usually get acknowledged as overrated eventually. But there's always going to be some disagreement and different opinions which is fine.

AAA games being Hollywood bore fests a lot of the time is kind of a secondary and separate topic in my opinion. Those games have a place but among AAA games it can feel like they're more common than ever some times. More experimentation in the AAA space is always welcome but cinematic games will always have a place to exist too

 

[Xeaker]

Yes.
Golden Age is gone.

 

[Represent.]

Nope.

We are allowed to have plenty of them.

And everyone is free to choose which game they think it is.

wrong. If there are plenty of masterpieces then how are any of them masters? Masterpieces are games that stand tall above other games. Stand the test of time, are game changers, elevate the medium. They are Rare. They dont blend in.
It's like saying theres tons of "generational talent" in sports, an oxymoron. And another overused term in the sports world.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Yeah. Too much overhyped mediocre products out there, so the term has been overabused to death and today it doesn't mean anything.

 

[ADiTAR]

Today everything is either OMG MASTERPIECE or GARBAGE. There's no in between.

But everything is subjective. I still see people who say BOTW is garbage.

 

[Ian Henry]

It's like saying theres tons of "generational talent" in sports, an oxymoron. And another overused term in the sports world.

The best way I can say it is if there is parity in the gaming industry. Which means that there is ton of talent and competition in terms of quality. However, that could be tough considering how gamers tend to be a hivemind when it comes to a style of videogames that they love(Ex. Third Person Cinematic games)

 

[Fart Knight]

Resident Evil 4 will be another masterpiece.

 

[SHA]

Yes.

"Masterpieces" today are not FFVII, MGS, UT99, Diablo 2, Morrowind, KotOR, HL2 and SotC.

10s of today are early 2000's 8s.

Try and make sense out of that. If it doesn't make any sense then you're either too young or too dumb.

I was there , Atari guys will make it 6 and I'm not exaggerating , it's a different time , they have their reasons for quitting as we do.

 

[nial]

The term "masterpiece" can only be used in an actual artistic medium.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

wrong. If there are plenty of masterpieces then how are any of them masters? Masterpieces are games that stand tall above other games. Stand the test of time, are game changers, elevate the medium. They are Rare. They dont blend in.
It's like saying theres tons of "generational talent" in sports, an oxymoron. And another overused term in the sports world.

Can't say I agree.

Example, Prey (2017) is masterpiece for me.

It's metascore is 79 and doesn't qualify as per your definition.

But it's still a masterpiece in my books.

It does stuff that's been done before, but it's impact is like nothing else.

 

[Ian Henry]

The term "masterpiece" can only be used in an actual artistic medium.

Do you believe that the gaming industry as constructed now could possibly evolve into an artistic medium?

 

[WoJ]

Yes.

Theres levels to this shit. Good article. In regards to TLOU 1 and 2, I like what he wrote:



Levels. Ive legit seen people say Days Gone is a masterpiece, you need to have your opinions silenced.

Totally. I love Days Gone, but it's not a masterpiece.

It isn't as much that people say things are masterpieces too much as it is people are more sucked into recency bias thinking every new game is the best ever.

 

[Punished Miku]

Totally. I love Days Gone, but it's not a masterpiece.

I've never heard anyone call it one honestly. And I liked it.

 

[Yumi]

It’s easy to throw around words that get a lot of attention but don’t have any accountability. Like “all natural” turkey breast.

I am way more interested in why someone loves a game, than how a game stands against a critical standard.

“Masterpieces” in all mediums aren’t always the most interesting pieces in my experience. They serve better for reference points, or refinements to an idea of time.

If Elden Ring is the last game in the “Souls” formula I’d call it a masterpiece. But I think Demon’s and Dark souls are the more important and interesting games.

I don’t think anyone could convince me that any one game is the best game of all time, but I’d love to hear why they they feel it’s the best game of all time for them.

 

[Thirty7ven]

Sounds like the kind of stuff an old fart would say.

 

[nightmare-slain]

of course, when games like GoW are a "masterpiece" the word has lost all meaning.

The term "masterpiece" can only be used in an actual artistic medium.

bullshit.

1. games can be art
2. masterpiece can be used for non-art mediums.

 

[RoboFu]

People tend to get more giddy when a pretty game with ass gameplay comes out nowadays than they did during the golden days. I guess because cutscenes were not really a big deal beyond jrpgs at that time.

 

[20cent]

GOTY of the month

 

[nightmare-slain]

People tend to get more giddy when a pretty game with ass gameplay comes out nowadays than they did during the golden days. I guess because cutscenes were not really a big deal beyond jrpgs at that time.

totally agree. pretty graphics woo people but the games are usually bang average or straight up trash. the hilarious thing is that it's mostly console games that are stuck at 30fps or can hardly manage 60fps.

 

[nial]

Do you believe that the gaming industry as constructed now could possibly evolve into an artistic medium?

I don't think so, the thing about gaming is that it's still mostly an activity, you have choices, goals and everything, you're taking control of the supposed art. Art is a creative showcase meant to be experienced, not controlled/played with. Either way "artsy" games like Flower can still exist, it's silly to think they can't, but I hate this obsession gamers have for their favorite medium to have this high level validation, they're just games, that's all.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

Yes, it's now called "Dragon's Dogma"

 

[deriks]

Yes, we don't have a really great game since Mario Odyssey

I blame VideoGameDunkey for this

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Depends who says it. For example if you say a game I hate is a masterpiece , then yes.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

A masterpiece should be a game that forces every developer in the industry to sit down, play it and take notes. It should be a game whose impact reverberates through the whole medium, influencing a vast number of games and possibly establishing standards for the future. The term is definitely abused these days.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

A masterpiece should be a game that forces every developer in the industry to sit down, play it and take notes. It should be a game whose impact reverberates through the whole medium, influencing a vast number of games and possibly establishing standards for the future. The term is definitely abused these days.

Yep. Like Flappy Bird

 

[nial]

masterpiece can be used for non-art mediums.

"masterpiece" within its own medium? yeah, sure, doesn't mean that much and when most people use it, it often comes across as pretentious bullshit, much like those giving 10/10 to a product they liked so much

 

[FoxMcChief]

The word has lost meaning in general with how most throw it around. Myself included.

 

[Ian Henry]

A masterpiece should be a game that forces every developer in the industry to sit down, play it and take notes. It should be a game whose impact reverberates through the whole medium, influencing a vast number of games and possibly establishing standards for the future. The term is definitely abused these days.

There is a selection of games that I believe fit this definition. However, it might be small.

 

[Vick]

of course, when games like GoW are a "masterpiece" the word has lost all meaning.

Wonder what kind of game would you consider a Masterpiece in this industry, after picking GoW of all games as the negative example.

 

[midnightAI]

I don't think so, the thing about gaming is that it's still mostly an activity, you have choices, goals and everything, you're taking control of the supposed art. Art is a creative showcase meant to be experienced, not controlled/played with. Either way "artsy" games like Flower can still exist, it's silly to think they can't, but I hate this obsession gamers have for their favorite medium to have this high level validation, they're just games, that's all.

who says though? there is interactive art which can be played with.

Art changes definition all of the time (and over time) and I don't ever think I've seen a definition that says that it is to be experienced but not controlled/played with (certainly not with modern ideologies). Art in itself is subjective, one persons definition of art can differ from anothers definition of art, similarly that one persons definition of masterpiece is different to another persons definition of it.

Anyway, games are a mishmash of art, whether that is the textures, 3d models, 2d sprites/other graphics, music or story, so why can't a game (any game) as a whole not be classed as art?

(many complain that Sony's first party games are just interactive movies and if movies are art so why then aren't those games )

 

[HerpDerpstreit]

The use of the word has most certainly diluted the word. The nordic GoW games are both phenomenal but I wouldn't call either a masterpiece, very good for sure but not something I would want to experience once a year like I have with some other games.

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (probably going to get fucked up in the remake)
Grim Fandango
Final Fantasy 6
Super Metroid
Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Half-Life 2
Resident Evil 4 (already getting fucked up in the remake)
Shadow of the Colossus

these are timeless masterpieces in my book.

 

[CeeJay]

The term "masterpiece" can only be used in an actual artistic medium.

And are games not an artistic medium? I suppose it all depends on how you want to pigeon hole art really. For me I would say it's a creative expression where any number of people can follow a particular path and get a unique result especially if only they can replicate their own work but no one else can. The higher the level of skill, talent and originality the better the piece. For example I think someone like Danny McCaskill produces art with his bike whereas someone changing the fuse in a plug is not no matter how good you are at it, you get the same result as anyone else. Art can also be produced by a collective and many famous artists have had teams of people working with them, in performance art it is common such as dance or musical art.

Are there development teams that can do things that no one else can? If the answer is yes then how is it not art? And if it is art then the very best games should be considered masterpieces.

 

[Bragr]

Yes, like a diamond is rarer than a pebble, yet people will claim it's all subjective.

 

[bender]

Days Gone is a masterpiece.

 

[Fuz]

Not just gaming. Any art or entertainment product.

 

[Vick]

Days Gone is a masterpiece.

For sure more deserving of such title than The Last of Us Part II.

Represent. deal with it.

 

[Topher]

Yes, like a diamond is rarer than a pebble, yet people will claim it's all subjective.

An opinion is subjective. A diamond being rarer than a pebble isn't an opinion.

 

[MadPanda]

Shadow of the Colossus

Why do you consider this game to be a masterpiece?

 

[daveonezero]

No. It’s just over used by hyperbolic gaming forums and reviewers.

Nintendo still makes them. A few other games are up there.

 

[bender]

Your opinion is subjective. A diamond being rarer than a pebble isn't an opinion.

There are planets in our universe with mantles comprised solely of diamonds with nary a pebble in sight. Free your mind of the limitations of your immediate surroundings and you'll soon recognize that Balan Wonderworld is a masterpiece and that Yuji Naka arrest for insider trading is merely a coverup because he dared transcend the multiverse to delivered a game so profound that it will take decades for mere mortals to comprehend.

 

[Topher]

There are planets in our universe with mantles comprised solely of diamonds with nary a pebble in sight. Free your mind of the limitations of your immediate surroundings and you'll soon recognize that Balan Wonderworld is a masterpiece and that Yuji Naka arrest for insider trading is merely a coverup because he dared transcend the multiverse to delivered a game so profound that it will take decades for mere mortals to comprehend.

 

[Majukun]

masterpieces have always been subjective

 

[PixelatedBeast]

GOWR not a masterpiece.....