It’s hard to believe that the video game industry as it is right now has only been around for roughly 30 years. When compared to other major entertainment industries like music and film, the gaming industry is still fairly young. Yet, in spite of its relative youth, the industry has gone through the entire spectrum of failures and successes, but appears to be on a trajectory that will ensure it will continue to grow alongside the other staples of entertainment. Video Games: The Movie is a documentary that attempts to not only serve as a primer for gaming’s history, but also sheds light on the culture surrounding the industry, the creation of video games, and the future of the industry.
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Video Games: The Movie
Director: Jeremy Snead
Rating: NR
Release Date: July 15, 2014 (VOD); July 18, 2014 (Theaters)
Like all documentaries, the subject matter is reliant on reporting the facts as entertainingly and informative as possible. Director Jeremy Snead doesn’t cover every major release or news bit over the course of gaming’s history, but he chose the most pivotal events, including the rise and fall of Atari, Nintendo’s success serving as the rebirth of gaming, the growth of the industry alongside technology, and much more. At the same time, he also covers more than just history, as I pointed out in the introduction.
Snead was also able to amass a large cast of talent to interview for Video Games: The Movie covering many aspects of the industry from game developers and publishers to actors and entertainment personalities. His choice of interviewees are actually able to add strong input to the documentary outside of the typical “Video games are awesome!” Some of the major names of gaming like Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Aime and Atari’s Nolan Bushnell are included, but also other notable names like Chronicle writer Max Landis and Scrubs stars Donald Faison and Zach Braff are also asked for their insight. The Goonies‘ Sean Astin also provides narration for the documentary.
However, there wasn’t much insight from general gaming fans. Obviously, as a director intending to create a comprehensive documentary, the major names in gaming take priority over everyday fans. At the same time, a section could have been dedicated to regular fans sharing their input and experience. There are a few snippets here and there (with more scenes running during the credits), but a fan section would have been a great addition. At the same time, there’s a lacking presence when it comes to conventions, both industry-run (E3) and more fan-driven (PAX). The omission doesn’t hurt the documentary overall, but it’s certainly a side to things that could have only helped bolster and shape the documentary a bit more.
Outside of the somewhat lacking fan input found directly in the documentary, Video Games: The Movie accomplishes a set goal Snead set out to achieve: create a comprehensive product illustrating all aspects of gaming that isn’t solely entertainment. The industry, after all, is a business, but games themselves also serve as collective works of art from those working on the games to those actually playing them. Snead’s documentary was successful in not only addressing the stuff beyond surface level, but also illustrating how gaming has grown from a small fandom looked down upon by the bigger heads in entertainment to a widely-successful and accepted medium.
I’m obviously biased when it comes to video games, having been a gamer for more than 20 years. In saying that, I’ve seen my fair share of video game documentaries, read articles and essays detailing the growth of the industry. However, Video Games: The Movie is the one project that was successful by encompassing what makes video games so fun and entertaining, but also sharing more about the culture surrounding games beyond the business and technical elements.