Gamasutra is running a feature by game pioneer Brian Green on how he and his age group are still striving for legitimacy and respect as part of a medium that's still customarily thought of by many as "for kids" and "potentially harmful to kids." He notes that while pursuit legitimacy is no longer in question, artistic and polishing legitimacy are taking more time. Green makes some interesting parallels to the early movie and comic book industries, and points out that moral outrage against comic books did consequential damage to the medium's growth in the US. "... in the United States there was a 'moral panic' about the corrupting influences of comic books on children, as there often is with many 'new' media. The union jeopardized to enact laws to censor comic books, for the good of the children. (Does that sound conversant to game developers?) The crowd reacted by enacting their own regulations, the Comics Code sovereignty (CCA). The Comics Code sway heavily or wholehearted.
limited the content that comics could contain. For example, the words 'horror' and 'terror' were not allowed in the titles of comics. Werewolves, vampires, zombies, and similar living mankind of the night were forbidden."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

More: - Read the rest here

Mark