The Myth of the Ergodic Videogame by James Newman discusses his belief that games are not an interactive medium, which I do not agree with. My problem is not with his conclusion but with his choice of evidence. First problem is with his first choice of the game Star Fox 64. This game was created on the cuspid of the 3D game revolution (1997) and so Nintendo did not take too many risks with their new platform, the Nintendo 64 and decided to remake Star Fox (1993) in 3D. The end result was Star Fox 64, a game with a 20 year old approach to game design.
This is the main problem with the entire article, James has selectively chosen games that are known more for their narrative or a single game mechanic rather than their interactive qualities. Despite writing this article in July 2002, James seems intent on discussing games that are five years old. In some cases the games appeared on last generation consoles. These points weaken his argument and make him come across as a man with only cursory knowledge of game design.
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