"This is an apology in the sense of a Greek apologia: the systematic defense of a position or opinion."

These were Loom creator and Worcester Polytechnic Institute professor Brian Moriarty's opening remarks as he took the stage at GDC 2011 to deliver a defense of critic Roger Ebert's industry-stirring sentiment that "video games can never be art." 

Whether or not you agree, Moriarty's thoughtful examination of Ebert's perspective offers useful context and may help you better understand why someone would feel that way. 

While Moriarty never claims video games are art, in this classic talk he discusses ways in which they could be, who could make it so, and the concepts critical to understanding and contributing to the conversation.

It's a talk out of time that still offers useful insight into a thorny topic, as well as some practical context for anyone who got into games after Ebert's famous statement. Now, it's freely available to watch on the official GDC YouTube channel!

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its accompanying YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC or VRDC already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

Gamasutra and GDC are sibling organizations under parent UBM Americas.