The Metagame: Nick vs. Ana!

Metagamin' it up! Even on Sunday! No one can stop the Metagame Train, y'all.

In today's episode, we catch Tested video producer Ana Hurka-Robles in a rare on-camera appearance as she Metagame-battles me. Who will come out victorious in this contest of video game artistry? There's only one way to find out, and it's by watching that video up there! So, like, click it, duders!

Also, let us know who you think had the better argument (and why) in the comments! We totes value your input, you guys. Totes.

Metagamin' it up! Even on Sunday! No one can stop the Metagame Train, y'all.

In today's episode, we catch Tested video producer Ana Hurka-Robles in a rare on-camera appearance as she Metagame-battles me. Who will come out victorious in this contest of video game artistry? There's only one way to find out, and it's by watching that video up there! So, like, click it, duders!

Also, let us know who you think had the better argument (and why) in the comments! We totes value your input, you guys. Totes.

Ana doesn't know Jet Grind Radio?!  Travesty!  It would have been close to an instant win for this question.

Edit: After hearing the arguments, I think Guitar Hero takes it.  There's something about music that in general speaks to me much more than the sort of pseudo-cinematic experience you have in Heavy Rain.

I am loving this Meta-game stuff I would not be upset to see this on the Bombcast!

The "Games as Art" debate continues to be awkward as hell. Tough break on the Qs.

I did like that because of the game cards chosen this argument basically became Film vs Music as the superior artform, as both games really only have a perfunctory amount of interaction (as they both deliberately attempt to be more like film/music than they do actual games.) You argued your points equally well, so it really comes down to the viewer's preference between film and music (or between Nick and Ana, I guess.)

@Babylonian said:

Ana Hurka-Robles in a rare on-camera appearance

It's unfortunate too that these appearances don't happen more often.

Will somebody ever post all the cards so us forumites can try this out?

Please use the macro

That exclamation mark after Ana's name is unfortunate.

Wow. Ana had a great argument. Makes perfect sense, and I hadn't really thought of it like that before. Ana wins hands down. Also, want more Ana!

I think Ana wins. Both were good arguments, though.

Jet Grind Radio was probably the best "art" game in that card draw. Also the last decent output from Sega.

As much as I liked Ana's argument, I gotta go with Nick. Probably more because of what Heavy Rain is and tried to achieve.

But as a guitarist, I'm sort of biased because I saw Guitar Hero purely as a fun game. It did very little for me as far as feeling like I'm playing actual songs, or as a way to experience the type of expression music allows.. Probably not the case for a non-musician, but that's what I got out of it!

Nick wins easily. Guitar Hero isn't art, it's simple entertainment. It's popular because music is universal, that doesn't make it art.

<3 Metagame, but for god's sake hold the camera still.

Going to have to go with Heavy Rain.

Ana made Whiskeyquest.

She wins.

Ana destroyed him.

@MrKlorox said:

That exclamation mark after Ana's name is unfortunate.

It really does look unfortunate, especially from a slight distance.

@MrKlorox said:

That exclamation mark after Ana's name is unfortunate.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed this. ):

Ana wins by both presenting a stronger case and stating it more coherently.

Ana made a better case, but the phrasing of the question is stupid. Something can't be "more of a work of art" than something else. Either it is or it isn't.

Ana made better points about why something is art, but Nick more eloquent.

the phrasing of the question is stupid. Something can't be "more of a work of art" than something else. Either it is or it isn't.

the metagame with anal^^

This was a very good question for these two games as they both express different artforms (music and movies) as video games to mixed success. Purely on the strength of the arguments in the video I would side with Guitar Hero, but on my own I am seeing them as fairly balanced on these terms, which is surprising because I never thought of Guitar Hero as art, and for all intent I never thought much of Heavy Rain at all.

I can't see what the cards are. Blurry and bright and out of focus.

"Trying to make art" being the operative phrase with Heavy Rain. 

Good arguments but...Heavy Rain is kinda awful bro' so you kinda lose by default. Uh-hmm? Also, SimCity would've been a good choice but alas, Guitar Hero was seemed inevitable really.

I don't know who nick and anal are, but I;m going to side with anal. 

They were both really great, but I'm going to give it to Nick.

I have a request. Metagame Scrub League

@MrKlorox said:

That exclamation mark after Ana's name is unfortunate.

A. Greed.

@eroticfishcake said:

Good arguments but...Heavy Rain is kinda awful bro' so you kinda lose by default. Uh-hmm? Also, SimCity would've been a good choice but alas, Guitar Hero was seemed inevitable really.

Heavy Rain is awful but that doesn't invalidate Nick's argument (as he himself stated he didn't like it). You don't have to like something to consider it artistic. I have to give my vote to Nick, especially for arguing for Heavy Rain despite his feelings on it. I'd say the part where he mentions having to make the fatherly choice spoke to me more of an artistic game than Guitar Hero.

Ana wins. Even though I would think heavy Rain should win, her argument was a lot better then nicks, imo.

@Video_Game_King said:

Will somebody ever post all the cards so us forumites can try this out?

The Metagame is a product that is going to be sold by a group named Local No.12, so I doubt it. On the bright side, it's sounding like you'll be able buy your own deck within a month or two.

Both made great arguement but I think Ana won. Who knew there was so much to say about the art in Guitar Hero...

Close call on this one. Nick could have hit it out of the park with Heavy Rain, but didn't. Don't know who wins the argument.

Also, Ben is a terrible camera man. You should make the guys watch at least 5 minutes of shaky as fuck Zi8 video in full screen before you hand them the camera, to let them know what not to do.

There is a reason the producers are choosing what game is more a work of art.  Next time you interns face one I seriously suggest you toss that card or you might as well argue about why you are going to lose.  Anna Wins.
 
PS: People in the thread get it wrong, you pick which argument is better, not which game you think is the better pick.