Games are art. Present your case!

[EqualNOpposite]

For games that LOOK Artistic (visuals, atmosphere):

Psychonauts, Beyond Good and Evil, Sam & Max Hit the Road, Bioshock

For games that tell stories (good writing, dialogue)

Mass Effect, Full Throttle, Prey

For games that play brilliantly (innovative gameplay)

Portal, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time

For games that sound beautiful:

Beyond Good and Evil, Total Annihilation, Starcraft

The lists go on...why is anyone doubting this idea anyway?

 

[Vern]

The Dark Eye. Edgar Allen Poe + Videogame works extremely well.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/db/TheDarkEyeButlerPuppetEdit1.png

 

[Dendio]

I believe that video games are art and are equal to other modern mediums(like movies). Games are a legitimate medium and aren't just toys for kids and frat guys. Allow me to present the following hypothetical situation: You are called as a witness to argue on behalf of video games. What games would you use to argue your case and why?

Important note: If everyone picks Half-Life 2, I will be pissed and you all will FEEL MY WRATH!!

The Sims. The game where you can shape mold or destroy a life and then build it back up in your own image. Its playing god with a paintbrush in video game format ;-)

 

[T-Bone24]

Okami, I reckon. It's the whole package, beautiful art and graphics, excellent music, an emotional story and engaging gameplay. I laughed, I cried and it was for all the right reasons, it's a fantastic game. I urge you to play it, and experience it as art.

 

[Deef]

Mass Effect, Heavy Rain, Ico.
Case presented.

 

[Chewster]

Art imparts experience and an interesting perspective and explores the human condition, as does a good video game.

Yep.

 

[Super Toast]

Braid was a beautiful looking and sounding game. And the reveal sent chills down my spine.

 

[Frybird]

Anyone mentioned Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 1+2 yet?

It may be a prettied up version of a standard sub-shoot-em-up genre, yet still the game looks unique and somewhat organic when the screen is filled with enemy waves moving back and forth and there is some artistic value in feeling of synasthesia the game creates.

That said, also Synasthete, where the flow of the game is controlled by the music, not the player or the leveldesign.


However, while i may consider some games art, i still think some...many games are just toys. Just because other forms of art have become indecipherable and over-interpretive (like the "photos of shit" example above), it shouldn't mean that any kind of media gets the free pass in being "art" just because someone really wants that...

 

[Dark Angel Warlord]

Crono Trigger
Final Fantasy 6 and 7 and 8 and 10
God of War

Metal Gear Soild its like an interactive movie than a game

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Allow me to present the following hypothetical situation: You are called as a witness to argue on behalf of video games. What games would you use to argue your case and why?

I wouldn't use any games. I'd probably just assault whoever was sitting in judgement with a copy of Marshall McLuhan's The Medium Is The Message until they relented.

 

[Dexiro]

I'd say every aspect of a game could be considered art - at least in a well made game.

Everything from the graphical designs to the layout and gameplay in a level. It all takes skill and creativity to be done well.

 

[Blindswordmaster]

Wow, lots of lawyers here. I feel as though some here have missed the focus of this thread. In order to make a convincing argument of games as art to the non-believers, we must give them specific examples; we cannot debate the nature of art or break down the artistic values of other mediums. We must make a concrete case. We'll need to play by their rules, not by the musings of philosophers. I'm asking for a concrete case. Having said that, you all have made some excellent points and I thoroughly encourage discussion. Please, keep it coming.

 

[zelda2fanboy]

True Crime: Streets of L.A. for the Nintendo Gamecube. It's merely a copy of a copy borrowing the plot, characters, and actors from Big Trouble in Little China. It renders the entire street layout of Los Angeles. It rips off the gameplay style of Grand Theft Auto. Any work that can steal that much from so many other works and mix them all together has to be considered some form of art. And if that piece of crap can be considered art, any game can.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

In order to make a convincing argument of games as art to the non-believers

I ask "Who are these 'non-believers' and why the hell should we care what they think?"

We'll need to play by their rules

No, that's the last thing 'we' need to do. Emerging artforms make their own rules. Always have, always will. What 'we' need to do is formulate our own rules internally, get solid foundations of theory and history in place. If we approach games as an artform then an artform they will be.

 

[Aptspire]

I'd have to say, Silent Hill 2
good survival horror that encompasses a love story. It was pure brilliance!
also, you may check Yahtzee's XP on the case

 

[Mr.PlanetEater]

Braid; It's simply put the most beautiful indie game out there right now..

Shadow of the Colossus; The Atmosphere is nailed perfectly, and the story and natural sights are all amazingly well made.

Majora's Mask; Once again, atmosphere every character has a schedule and feelings. The tensions are put across almost to the point of eerily real in the final hours of the world, also the music is amazingly well written as each track fits perfectly to the scene.

The Entire Mother trilogy; The story's are well written, and all pertain to the main theme of Love and friendship conquers all.. The Music is extremely emotional and well fitting. My examples of this are;
8 Melodies, and Theme of Love. The characters seem real and relate able, and the emotion is really kicked up in Mother 3 in the final battle.

 

[SilkySkyKitten]

Rez.

The combination of the Tron-meets-Kandinsky visuals and the excellent soundtrack make it hard to not call Rez a work of art. The last level alone is an artistic masterpiece in itself.

 

[SimuLord]

News flash: Roger Ebert is still right. The art fails to qualify as gameplay and the gameplay fails to qualify as art---never the twain shall meet.

Games can have art in them, but it's usually in the form of a cutscene (as in the Metal Gear Solid series) or something that, while interesting and arguably artistic, fails miserably as an actual game (Heavy Rain). Games having art does not mean they are art. The two concepts are, until further notice, mutually exclusive (and thank the gods. I can't stand arthouse-nerd games.)