Remediation in any Direction
After “reading” an electronic text-based game, it occurred to me that I’ve been exposed to electronic texts my entire life, as I’ve bee playing video games from an early age. In all the games I’ve played, there have been plenty without a narrative or anything remotely resembling one, but for each of those there have been countless other than blend a beautiful plot with detailed atmospheres, creating an experience unlike any book. One game that stands out to me is the original Resident Evil, particularly because it began as a video game, and was remediated into movies and even books.
Sven Birkerts isn’t alone in thinking forms of media other than books are “the devil”, and I’ve have to agree that the idea of electronic media replacing print text is a terrifying thought, but I have a hard time believing that electronic texts oppose books at all. Video games are merely an alternative to books, not a force that aims to destroy them. In some cases, a particular medium works better to make a point. Those who have read the Resident Evil novelizations and seen the Resident evil films may find them enjoyable, but one can argue that remediating them into books is just likely to change the meaning as adapting any book into a film or game. As with any medium, there are pros and cons to video games.
The necessity for a console or a program to play a video game is one major disadvantage, but the console or program allows a more interactive experience with the narrative. The “reader” has a vested interest in the progression of the story, as the reader becomes an integral part of the text. The reader has choices, and the reader influences how much or how little of the story to experience, due to optional texts within the game.
