The French cultural magazine Chronic'art interviewed me for the supplementary web portion of their review of Capcom's 2005 release Killer7. The reviewer (Cyril Lener) and I had corresponded for a while after he had contacted me regarding my Plot Analysis document.
Cyril presented the interview questions in English. I answered in English, and he subsequently translated my answers into French for its actual publication. You may access the published French version here: Chronic'art : Le Mag.
You may access Cyril's review of Killer7 (also in French) here: Chronic'art : Cyber - Jeux
Some of my opinions stated in the interview have changed as time has passed, of course. However, I still hold many of the opinions therein stated. For the benefit of English readers, I present my English language answers on this web page.
Click here to download a copy of this interview in Adobe PDF format.
Chronic'art : What did make you want to analyse Killer7 in the first place? Did you analyse other games or other pieces of work (movie, music, painting, etc . . . ) before?
James
Clinton Howell : As everyone else was, I think, I was very confused by the
ending of Killer7. Most people were concerned about what happened in the
game's story. My confusion was different, though. I was very affected,
emotionally, by a particular scene in the game that involves the complete
annihilation of a man's family. I had to take a break from the game, because of
how stressful that scene was. As I took a break from it, I thought about whether
or not I would continue playing. I did not want to play a game that introduced
me to emotionally stressful scenes, if that emotional stress was not redeemed
somehow.
In
life, we can't be sure of having emotional stress redeemed; in media, though, we
should expect creators to have enough artistic and psychological compassion to
turn the emotions created by a stressful experience into a more profound
emotional response.
I
do not want to spoil the game, so I will simply say that I did not think that
the ending (as it first came across to me) gave enough justification for the
emotional stress that I felt. I took a break from the game for a week. Part of
my personal character, though, does not like to ignore unresolved tension. I
went onto a few online message boards to discuss the game, in order to make some
more sense out of my own confusion.
I
saw that most of the conversations on the game had reached dead-ends. Some
people provided unique perspectives on the game, but I mostly saw the same ideas
coming out of different people. None of these ideas explained the entire game;
each idea only explained a certain part of the game, and ignored the rest.
Here,
my experience with artistic interpretation became useful. I have a Bachelor of
Arts degree in English Literature, and I have won important awards for my poems
and photographs. Naturally, because of my interests, I cultivated relationships
with professors who shared my interests. One of my most influential professors
of poetry, Doctor Stephen Gardner, once told his poetry class that he believed
that all writing was communication, and that all communication has meaning. He
said that he believed that serious writers write to communicate a meaning, and
that when we read a poem we are trying to understand the meaning that exists
within the writing.
With
this background, I have written many papers analysing poems and novels. I find
that I particularly enjoy analyzing poems, because I enjoy the intuition
required to understand the meaning behind images, as well as the relationships
between images. These methods of reading are useful with respect to film
criticism, because film offers a visual embodiment of images, as language offers
an imagined embodiment. Consequently, these methods are also useful with respect
to video games, since they are so close to film in many of their story-telling
techniques.
With
this history in mind, I would like return attention to the beginnings of my
analysis. When I conversed online with people about the game, I used the methods
of understanding that I used in literature. I discovered a great deal of
antagonism toward my methods, and I quickly found that I spent more time
defending my methods instead of writing about the game! I do not entirely
understand the reasons behind the gainsayers' aggression, but I became
frustrated nonetheless.
As
a gamer, I enjoy games with detailed plots; consequently, I have enjoyed good
writing on those games, like the Silent Hill series, the Resident Evil
series, and the Metal Gear Solid series. I remember many happy hours
reading the Plot Analysis documents for games in those series, by Dan Birlew and
Thomas Wilde. I knew that many players would have questions about Killer7,
when they finished the game. I wanted to write a plot analysis that would
justify both the emotional stress created by certain scenes within the game, as
well as give one single unified understanding to the events of the game.
Chronic'art : What kind of obstacles did you meet before getting 'the big picture' behind Killer7?
James
Clinton Howell : The three main obstacles that I met were antagonism from
other players who disagreed with me, my own lack of knowledge regarding Japanese
political history, and access to information within the game.
As
I wrote in my response to the first question, I received a lot of antagonism
from some people because of my ideas. I do not understand the source of the
antagonism, other than some people saying that I thought I was smarter than
them, or saying that I made things up. I became sidetracked dealing with the
intellectual content of their criticisms: I had to formulate a critical
philosophy that explained why I used the history of Japanese-American relations
as a relevant tool, and that also explained why I believed that certain images
and ideas in the game could be interpreted as symbols. Forming a philosophy of
criticism was the single largest obstacle, to prevent myself from wasting time
answering responses from angry people.
The
second biggest obstacle was my own ignorance. Before writing this document, I
knew next to nothing about Japanese political history, Japanese-American
relations, or the Pacific battles during World War II. I steadily read Herbert
Bix's biography, and I used my university's library services to research
academic writing on the ideas that I discovered in Bix's book. After a few weeks
of intense research and reading, I developed a basic understanding of the issues
involved with the history; afterward, writing the plot analysis became much
easier.
Finally,
I became frustrated because I discovered that it was difficult to access
information from the game, without playing through it all over again. For
instance, if I wanted to cite a piece of dialogue from the game to give greater
credibility to an idea in my plot analysis, I would have to turn on the Gamecube
and play until I arrived at the specific scene. Since the parts of my mind that
play games and write are different, I would have to refocus and remember my
purpose in turning on the video game. So, I recorded all of the cutscenes in the
game, in MP3 format, and I labeled the files according to their order in the
game. I was then able to access information in the game, without becoming too
distracted by playing the game.
Chronic'art : Without spoiling those who didn't finished the game, we can assume that Killer7's plot and gameplay figure a very critical, cultural, historical and passionate relationship between Japan and the U. S. A. Would you tell us more of your thought about that?
James
Clinton Howell : America and Japan have a strange, complicated relationship.
I think that our nations' relationship is a wonderful example of a modern
exchange of culture and ideas, much like one would have seen in old Europe when
a certain tribe discovered another tribe by crossing a mountain range for the
first time. We meet each other; we are mystified; and we change because we know
each other.
Killer7
draws attention to the ways in which our cultures have influenced each
other. Japan has progressed economically as a result of America's investment,
post-World War II, in rebuilding Japan; we Westernized them. Likewise, though,
they Easternized us, to a certain extent. Greater scholarly access to Eastern
philosophies and religions created changes in American spiritual awareness, such
as increased knowledge of Taoism and Buddhism. More recently, though, America
has seen an influx of Japanese pop culture. This influx of Japanese pop culture
is mainly what Killer7 uses to communicate its message.
Even
though pop culture is "lower art," it can't be denied that pop culture
embodies certain values that a given culture accepts as true. Starting in the
1980's, America became fascinated with Japanese pop culture; in many ways, I
think, American became fascinated with Japanese pop culture because those values
are the opposite of our own culture's. I think that Killer7 raises the
question: "What happens when the young generation of American culture is
raised on Japanese pop culture, which contains an implicit acceptance of
Japanese cultural values?"
Chronic'art
: A book called "Hands on Killer7" was released by Capcom to Japan in
order to fill the blank left by the game's script. However, strangely, your plot
analysis seems to offer more unified, logical, and accurate thoughts than the
"official" explanation does. How do you explain that?
James
Clinton Howell : Believe me, I have asked myself the same question many
times.
When
I learned about the existence of the book, I felt skeptical. I would love for
video games to mature, as a medium of communication. When a video game is
released, and then a book is released to clarify the video game, I think that
this cheapens the video game. As an artist myself, I know that I would not
create an imaginative work and then expect people to buy a book I later
published about it, to get the "full idea." In art, I think that the
questions raised by the work are just as important as the answers given;
sometimes, the questions are more important. The tendency of video game
companies to release a game with a difficult plot (like Killer7 or any of
the Silent Hill games), and then release a book explaining everything,
undermines the game as a story-telling medium.
In
the end, I must regard the story in the book and the story in the game as two
different stories, set in the same universe. In other words, both the game and
the book use the same characters, environment, and political history--yet, they
tell two different stories using the same materials. I think that the book
describes the original intentions of the game designers, before they were faced
with financial and technological limitations. In order to bring to story to a
size that would fit their resources, the needed to change it.
Ultimately,
my plot analysis addresses the game, while the book addresses the designers'
original intentions. Since the book records the original intentions before they
were shaved to fit into the game, the book does not have a problem contradicting
the game's facts. However, because my plot analysis directly addresses the game
alone, without revising the contents of the game to fit my ideas, I think that
it seems more cogent.
Chronic'art
: After all the work done upon the signs of the in game and in the CG of Killer7,
what is your final opinion on the game? How do you understand its poor sales?
James
Clinton Howell : I think that Killer7's poor sales are a sign of the
contradictions in today's gaming culture. (By "gaming culture," I mean
the total combination of ideas and practices of all game players, game reviewing
magazines, and even opponents to video games.)
Many
of the reviews on popular web sites game Killer7 very low scores; and I
can guarantee you that almost every single critic who disliked the game used the
word "pretentious" at least once in their review. Current game culture
is aware that most games today are recycled conventions, in plot, gameplay, and
characterization. Because no one really likes this stagnation, we hear cries
that the days of originality in video games are over.
Then,
when a game like Killer7 shows up, gamers panic. It is easier to complain
about lack of originality, than to accept something original. The same thing
happened with Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, another game the
suffered similarly. Gamers and reviewers complained: "Its plot was
confusing; it didn't deliver precisely what gamers expected; it was
'pretentious'."
In
the end, I think that Killer7 is masterful. Very few games have engaged
me, as this game has.
Chronic'art
:
There are a lot of books based on a thematical aspect of videogames (for
example, "Trigger Happy" makes an apology for virtual killing).
Besides that, very few books focus on one single game. How do you explain that?
What future do you figure for the essay genre focused on a particular game?
James
Clinton Howell : A number of obstacles to serious writing on games exists.
Mainly, I think that they are: (1) the close relationship between video games
and corporate needs; (2) the generational gap between established intellectual
authorities and the gaming audience; and (3) the prevalence of
pseudo-intellectual responses to games. I will explain my thoughts on each of
these aspects, in order.
Most
imaginative creations that are the locus for critical writing bear the marks of
personal vision. All drama, poetry, painting, and film that receives important
critical attention are works that bear the imprint of the creator's character.
Because video games are currently very intertwined with corporate needs--mainly,
the needs to make money and the ensure the future existence of a purchasing
fanbase--they do not reflect as much of the creators' idiosyncrasies as they
might. Killer7 is a fine example of the difficulty that arises in this
respect; because of the low reviews the game received, and because of the
resulting drop in game sales, Capcom is less likely to risk the money involved
to make another game with the idiosyncratic qualities of Killer7. If a
group of independent game developers were the only people involved, then we
might see more titles like this arise, since artists are more dedicated to
creation and communication of ideas than corporate executives.
I
bring up the point, because I think that serious writing on games can only exist
if more games are published that warrant such writing. As it stands, the more
games like HALO, Splinter Cell, and suchlike titles exist, the
less video games will seem worth writing intelligently about.
Secondly,
video games are part of what might be called "youth culture." By most
adults, they are seen as little more than toys--and expensive toys, at that.
Authority figures in universities and public schools regard video games with
suspicion; because of their resistance to recognizing video games as legitimate
subjects of critical writing, it is less likely that serious writing on games
will be published for circulation.
These
two points combine to create the larger obstacle. With scandals like the
"Hot Coffee" mod in Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
getting publicity, authority figures are less likely to accept games as anything
more than sensational pabulum. Sadly, the overwhelming bulk of video games
supports the prejudices of the older generation toward the medium.
Another
obstacle within the gaming culture exists: pseudo-intellectual responses to
games. By "pseudo-intellectual response," I mean a piece of writing
about a video game that tries more to flaunt its own vocabulary than it tries to
address the ideas of the game. I should explain upfront that I tend to hold more
conservative views on criticism and art than many people would agree with, so my
reactions to such critics are informed by cultural ideas that not everyone will
agree with.
There
are two types of pseudo-intellectual responses to games: the first is the type
that tries too hard to justify video games as "art," and the second is
the type that pretends to "see through" an intelligent game and
dismisses it as "pretentious." The second type of pseudo-intellectual
response is by far the larger obstacle, though both are problematic.
In
the first, many writers make the video game essay look bad because of a
predisposition toward post-modern critical theories. Their writing reveals that
they are preoccupied strongly with individual responses to games, rather than
meaning within the game that can be perceived by multiple individuals. In my
experience writing my plot analysis document for Killer7, in fact, I
encountered these attitudes many times. The frequency of these encounters
resulted in my formulation of a philosophy of criticism. In order to write
effectively about any creative work--video game, poem, or painting--the essayist
must communicate private experience publicly, and give public experience the
dignity of private experience. My correlation between events in Killer7 with
Japanese post-World War II history was a private experience; yet, I communicated
it publicly so that it could be shared in other gamers' private experiences. (I
am pleased to think that I have succeeded, considering the number of eMails I
have received from readers who thank me for enhancing their playthroughs of Killer7,
after having read my document.) Most serious writing on video games, that I have
read, is too self-conscious and too aware of subjectivity to try to convey these
private experiences publicly.
In
the second type, a writer (most often a game reviewer) places himself
intellectually above the game and describes it as "pretentious." Since
these writers have a larger base of readers than the first type, they
accidentally inspire self-consciousness on behalf of would-be essayists. (After
all, if the subject of writing is "pretentious," does this not connote
that any writing about the subject is "pretentious," too?) The result
is that a potential video game essay is silenced before it can be written,
because of pressure within the gaming culture to avoid intellectual hot air.
I
would like very much to see the video game essay arise in popularity. I think
that it will take some time, though, for current standards and practices within
the gaming culture to change, before the video game essay becomes more
prevalent.
Chronic'art
: Is
there another game you'd like to work on soon?
James
Clinton Howell
: I would like to devote writing to the Metal Gear Solid games. Their
political focus intrigues me. However, I think that I would like a break from
writing about video games. I have other interests that I would like to dedicate
more time toward, such as genealogical research, poetry, and my application to
graduate school.
Web design for Adilegian copyrighted 2006 James Clinton Howell.