Are Video Games a form of art?

[Primum non nocere]

Beyond the shrill, politicized rhetoric heard in some state capitols, where, in 2006, we've been treated to such gems as "This video game is not even speech. It is a device" and "yes, games are speech, but worthless, disgusting speech", a quiet debate has been emerging on a related front.

Can video games be considered art?

Art is in the eye of beholder much like any beauty.

To me it is any form of expressing one's self. Its your ability to tell a story, be it in this world's timeline or a created other's. Art also has the potential and ability to change the way we look at the world.

On Wikipedia, art is defined as such:

"Art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music and literature. The meaning of art is explored in a branch of philosophy known as Aesthetics."

I praise many video games for deep and engaging stories and the interactive gameplay that makes you feel like a major part in this world that developers have created. My favorites ones being those that are perticularly philosophically charged like the 2007 game Bioshock. I say video games are capable of rivaling the best of film, paintings, and literature.

Alexa Moses and Elicia Murray of the Sydney Morning Herald examined the issue recently. The journalists found those who hold that games are not art include influential movie critic Roger Ebert.

The "not art" argument typically centers around the interactive nature of games. Following criticism for dismissing games as an art form, for example, Ebert explained why he considers the game medium inferior to film and literature:

"There is a structural reason for that: video games by their nature require player choices, which is the opposite of the strategy of serious film and literature, which requires authorial control.".

Some game designers, such as Brisbane studio Krome's co-founder Steve Stamatiadis, agree with Ebert. Although Stamatiadis believes games have the potential to become recognized as an art form in the future, they're not there yet.

On the flip side, Australia's John De Margheriti numbers among those who argue that games do represent a new type of art. De Margheriti is the foudner of Aussie development studio Micro Forte and considered a leader of the video game industry Down Under.

While De Margheriti acknowledges the interactivity argument, he insists that the video game experience is indeed controlled by the creative process.

"The author of the game has written some grand plot line, has created the races, the pretext of the stories... He's constrained you in a series of quests you must do, missions you must complete, objects you have to collect. There is a structure, but it's a structure that's interactive."

[crimethinker]

What is art? I asked Google to define it, and I got this:

the products of human creativity; works of art collectively; "an art exhibition"; "a fine collection of art"

the creation of beautiful or significant things; "art does not need to be innovative to be good"; "I was never any good at art"; "he said that architecture is the art of wasting space beautifully"

Video games can obviously be manifestations of both of these. A video game can be a beautiful, significant, artful product of one's creativity. So, hrm, I don't see how it doesn't qualify as art -- perhaps not in the strict, intellectual, whatever sense, but I don't care much for that.

By the way, who said "games are speech, but worthless, disgusting speech"? Generalizing "games" in such a way is disgusting itself. You might as well characterize books as worthless and disgusting as well.

[Praxius]

Since this is right up my alley:

Video Games are indeed a form of art, much like a movie, a story, a song..... they are forms of human creativity and imagination.

To understand how a video game is art, you have to understand the work that goes into a video game..... which indeed includes a crap load of sketches, drawings, storyboards, character concepts...... a lot of thinking and a lot of work goes into the making of a video game.

The art of a video game is not just the message and storyline, but the overall feel and flow of the game and its involvement of the player and audience.

Proof of art?

Play the new Prince of Persia game and tell me there's no art to that:

YouTube - Prince of Persia (Game Trailer)

Or better yet:



^ If this can be considered "Art" ~ Or Modern Art as they call it..... then anything can be art.

But indeed.... video games are not just art.... it's currently the most advanced form of art today, not just do to it's visual/audio appeal, but it's interaction level that no other form of art.... besides dancing, can match.

[Sonart]

.

I'm an artist by profession, and computer games are definitely art.

Thing is, like all art -- visual, literature, cinema, photography, dance, music, whatever -- some is very good, but the vast majority is schlock!

.

[grandpa]

I'm an artist by profession, and computer games are definitely
art.
Thing is, like all art -- visual, literature, cinema, photography, dance,
music, whatever -- some is very good, but the vast majority
is schlock!

But the negative side of it can make it appealing! I enjoy the occasional "schlock" side of art.

Grandpa h.

[Dan_77]

In light of what, say, "museum-style" art has become over the past 50 years, I would say to call video games "Art" is an insult to video games.

[Walrus]

With video games you are interacting with visual media at a very personal level ... I don't see why they shouldn't be considered an art-form.

I'm fascinated by computer generated imagery and can visualise a time when we can experience digitally created worlds in full 3d from the inside.

[thebuescherman]

Yes, the games certainly can be an art. Good choice with Prince of Persia Praxius. If you haven't already, you should try Bethesda's Morrowind and Oblivion from the Elder Scrolls series. Man I'm a geek. ;-p

[Praxius]

I owned Morrowind Elder Scrolls III a while back.... was pretty interesting and nice over all.... just a tad confusing at the start and a little slow going sometimes..... never did get very far.

I'll have to give it another try someday..... or the new one.

For those wondering about Elder Scrolls:





And for those not all that up for being re-directed to YouTube above for Prince of Persia:


^ In Game Graphics with cartoon cell shading.


^ Another example of P of P.

Now if anybody can call any of that, "Not Art" there's something wrong.

[Dan_77]

Now if anybody can call any of that, "Not Art" there's something wrong.

Well, it's not even the aesthetic beauty of it, although that is the part.

In the case of the best games, P of P being one, the creativity and abstract thinking required to create the story, graphics, and gameplay certainly are on a par with the best traditional artwork of the time.

[Walrus]

I'll admit that I'm not that knowledgeable about computer graphics but I do find a lot of it lacks individuality. With paintings you can usually tell who the artist is but not so with many of the computer created images, there is a sameness about them, they could all have been created by the same person. I think this is down to the software used, as you move towards higher end of the market things become better, particularly film graphics, Gollum from Lord of the Rings for example.

[Praxius]

Well, it's not even the aesthetic beauty of it, although that is the part.

In the case of the best games, P of P being one, the creativity and abstract thinking required to create the story, graphics, and gameplay certainly are on a par with the best traditional artwork of the time.

Oh I agree.... but it's sometimes hard to visually show what you described in a forum.

But what I meant towards those images in regards to art, was just as they currently are.... Images. Images created from the imagination and created very well I might add.

That alone, not including storyboards, animation, audio, soundtrack, etc. makes them art.