How long can I go without sleeping, and without not being hung over? Apparently at least five days.  A great GDC, if only for all the cool the people I met and hung out with - I’m a little bummed about the folks I wanted to hang out with more and didn’t get to, though. The one week of the year I turn into a fricking social butterfly, I am no doubt constrained by my limited experience at it, and of course my sloth-like txt-ing speed.
But meanwhile, the debate started by Steve Gaynor has raged on with lots of folks weighing in (and has since settled, though N’Gai Croal never got to his response on my point on realism that he promised at the end of this post – just as well since I’ll have a follow up on that point soon).
One counterpoint I see often in the various threads, is that games are already culturally relevant. By my definition, and obviously Gaynors, they are not.
The counter argument goes, well, people talk about and love the games that entertain them, therefore they must be culturally relevant.
We also, in the course of casual conversation, often talk about the weather.
That does not make the weather culturally relevant.
The weather, and the games mentioned in those arguments, do not talk about us.