Just before I explain why video games destroyed the movies last year, I thought I would introduce myself. I'm Sean Hollands from the UK and a new writer for the video games section here at Eye of the Vortex. Right glad I got that sorted, so back to business.

Video Games are now the biggest entertainment product in the world. There is no denying that. You merely need to look at the profit Activision has made from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 to know that video games aren't just beating movies; they are outperforming them in almost every aspect.


The main draw for mainstream film is their stories. If the story is awful then the audience switches off, goes to sleep, does some knitting or otherwise passively passes the time. The same can be said for games these days. The modern console gamer has matured enough to expect a gripping narrative to draw them in, gamers need that next incentive and that rush to keep going. If we look at stories told this year by the two entertainment giants, video games have produced tales that Shakespeare would be proud of. Movies on the other hand, well I think there was a Harry Potter film that wasn’t horrific. I could go on all day about the lore, mythology and story of Skyrim, or the action thrill ride that was Uncharted 3. However instead I'll talk about the one game that shone when it came to its story. This is of course Portal 2.

Portal 2's narrative and gameplay style allowed me to enjoy playing each puzzle, while never ceasing to unveil the next vital bullet point in the story. Not one cut scene and I laughed with joy on every level. The fable unfolded in front of me and the more I searched the more I found out about the potato farm that was Aperture laboratories. When I talk about Portal 2's story, I always start with an excited exhale of breathe followed by subsequent groans of satisfaction during my re-telling. I can't name a film this year that got me that excited about its story.

That said, me going on about just story isn't entirely fair. Games are in their nature, active. Someone wins and someone loses whether that is your friend, that seven year old on COD or just the NPC's in the game. The audiences for a film sit and watch, there isn't that competitive spirit to win, it’s just pure enjoyment. So I would have to argue that games this year were more entertaining to just sit and watch, and as much as I would love to say that, I still think films have the edge there. Even if people only watch the film to drool over Robert Pattinson or Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.



What I can say however, is that video games are more watchable than ever before. I personally sat and watched a friend of mine complete Portal 2 in one sitting and I laughed all the way. I've had friends who don't like games all that much but they have sat and watched me fight dragons, knee people in the nuts as Catwoman and survive a plane crash in Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception. Every time they sit in awe, as they watch it on the screen and realize that I'm the one controlling it. Powerful stuff...

When I think about movies and what my favorite movies are, I always tend to remember my favorite scene. The Joker explaining just how he got those scars from The Dark Knight, the opening scene to the most recent Star Trek film, or the moment the penny drops in Fight Club. Those are moments of supreme acting, unbelievable special effects and moments you just didn't see coming. Here is what happened in 2011...

1. Everyone saw Hangover 2 coming.
2. Transformers was loud. That doesn't make it the best sci-fi film ever.
3. Robert Pattinson was (and is) not a good actor.


Games are the same, in that I remember them by re-calling those special moments that made me stand up and scream, or the times I put down the controller to watch and listen. This year had too many moments, but here are a few.

1. The turret opera at the end of Portal 2.
2. My second dragon in Skyrim landing on top of the College of Winterhold while the music blasts out of my speakers and I shout at it. Literally.
3. That moment with Dom in Gears of War 3. Overplayed? Perhaps. Effective. Yes.
4. The last moments of Batman Arkham City with The Joker.

I will not forget those moments. They are moments that I will use to compare games in the future. There are almost no films this past year that had that same affect on me.

In 2012 I'm awaiting some huge movies and some massive games. I can't say who will come out on top, but if video games perform like they did last year, I know who I'd put my money on.

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