Checkpoint charlie

Posted on 6 Nov 2009 at 14:15

 

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There's a wide range of political opinion represented here at Shopper - we don't share it with you though, because we're IT journalists and not political commentators.

Despite our varied leanings, however, we do generally tend to agree that Charlie Brooker, a regular columnist for the Guardian, is a man worth listening to.

If you never read the Guardian, then you may have encountered his Screenwipe series on BBC2 or his Channel 4 'Big Brother with zombies' mini-series, Dead Set. Most of Brooker's latest content has concentrated on explaining and analysing the production methods of TV, but he started his career as a games journalist. This means it came as no surprise when he presented a one-off show called Gameswipe as part of BBC Four's excellent Electric Revolution season (more details at www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour).

I won't go into too much detail of what Brooker discusses on the show, as you can watch it for yourself on iPlayer. However, it did seem at times a little unsure of its target audience. Was it aimed at those who already play games, who wouldn't need the basic explanations of genre; or to educate those who know little about them, and possibly hold the kind of preconceptions that Brooker rallies against? Brooker explains that TV has always given games a hard time, but he never attributes part of this rough treatment to the fact that they are a simple competitor for our time spent in front of the gogglebox.

The show has short pieces on many of Brooker's favourite old games, and longer pieces about newer releases. It's nearly identical to Screenwipe in both tone and content, so those who don't like his rather angry and unflinching commentary won't be won over. This I felt was a missed opportunity, as Brooker's bare-faced honestly about the violent nature of many games will simply support the blinkered opinions of many as to the gaming sector as a whole.

The show did have its high points. It was great to see Brooker lamenting and celebrating our own gaming past, with 1980s classics such as Manic Miner discussed as well as global superstars such as Mario and Sonic. It would also have been positive to note the ongoing strength of the UK's thriving games industry.

Sadly, there simply wasn't enough time to cover that, and many other important issues surrounding games, the media and the UK. Gameswipe's broad sweep did prove one thing, though - that a regular series of in-depth discussions into gaming is needed. There have been plenty of good programmes on film, architecture, art and literature on BBC Four, which is the best use of the extra broadcasting space allowed by digital TV. Now I'd like to see a season of programmes, some by Brooker and some not, to cover this ever-burgeoning and important area - as a leisure activity, industry and, dare I say it, art form.

Author: Seth Barton