Gaming gets Oscar nods
No, not a real Oscar nod, but a telling couple of mentions. For years now, gamers have talked about how it will simply take time for the generation that grew up with games — and considers them just another part of the modern media landscape — to come into their own and help push aside the notion that games are somehow different. The “bad” different. Every year I see and hear games more often mentioned in other media, just in passing, and in a way that makes them seem pretty normal. Because, you know, they are.
On the red carpet tonight:
• “Up in the Air” director Jason Reitman, who is 32, told Ryan Seacrest he was “playing some Xbox” earlier in the day to chill out and shake off the nerves. No jokes about Pong or Pac-Man were made. Hurrah!
• Jake Gyllenhall, who stars in the upcoming “Prince of Persia” movie said he believes the film will finally prove that video game adaptations are worthwhile. That remains to be seen, but if Jerry Bruckheimer can turn a cheesy ride at Disneyland into a genuinely cool, thrill-ride adventure film, then surely “Prince” has a shot.
I know this is fossilised, but Ben Kingsley apparently likes Angry Birds, which is both slightly cool and intensely horrifying.