AN APOLOGY FOR ROGER EBERT

			    Brian Moriarty
			Professor of Practice
	  WPI Interactive Media and Game Development Program

In November of 2005, internationally renowned film critic Roger Ebert
unleashed a firestorm of criticism with a blog entry claiming that the
nature of the medium [video games] prevents it from moving beyond
craftsmanship to the stature of art. 4+ years and thousands of angry
comments later, Ebert wearily admits that he was a fool for ever
mentioning video games in the first place, but will not retract his
opinion that games can never be art. Who is this Roger Ebert guy? Is
he right? Does his opinion matter? Why should we even care whether or
not games are art? Just what is this art thing, anyway?

Professor Brian Moriarty, 29-year gaming veteran and renowned lecturer
and teacher, was the first (in a 1998 GDC address) to hail computer
games as the defining art form of the 21st century. He has pondered
long and hard on these questions, and finds himself reluctantly siding
with ... Ebert! In this ill-advised lecture, he foolishly dares to
enter the belly of the beast, offering a passionate defense of the
beleaguered film critic at the game industry's most prestigious
event. He will reveal his own eye-opening definition of art, explain
why current game designs don't aspire to it, and argue that it's both
practically and spiritually essential to pursue it anyway. Has the
Professor finally lost his mind? Will you bring tomatoes, or rotten
eggs? Prepare to have your mind bent and your soul seared in one of
the Professor's legendary presentations, his first GDC appearance
since 2002.