I guess they met in college and hit it off.

This whole video is art.

I don't think he ever said he hated videogames, he just stated that he didn't believe they were art. And apparently everyone needs to validate every one of the Internet's interests or else they've made a lifelong, greasy enemy.

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19900330 /REVIEWS/3300302/1023

Ebert reviews the NES Ninja Turtles game here.

hahaha yeah dude that's gonna happen any day now

It's not that I think there's anything special about video games, but in general it's pretty dumb to point at one arbitrary shuffling of sights and sounds and say "art's possible there" and then point at another and say "art's not possible there." Goldsworthy is probably making art with bear shit as we speak.

Some games are art.

"Ebert is simply filling a role played out by art critics throughout history. There was the newspaper headline back in 1959 with regards to Jackson Pollock’s work that said “This is not art — it’s a joke in bad taste.” It’s a funny line but time has proven it was also completely wrong. Ebert has thrown his hat in with the rest of the short sighted critics who would rather debate what is or isn’t art, rather than simply enjoy the work of artists."

To his credit, Ebert eventually took what he said back, admitting that games can be art but that he doesn't play and review games.