games you consider to be art

[Continuity]

All games are art, just like all paintings and all movies. They might not be good, but it's still art.

/thread

I agree 100%, computer games are an artistic medium and thus all games are art.

FOR PEOPLE WHO SAY ALL GAMES ARE ART.
i just created a guessing game using Microsoft visual basic.
you enter a number 1-10
it tells you if the number you guessed is higher, lower, or correct

IS THAT ART?!

Yes it is, "art" is subjective so to be frank anything in an artistic medium is art.

Edit: though I have to say its pretty borderline, there is a difference between art and craft.

 

[Sharalon]

Sometimes I wish there was a consistent definition of art, so we could talk about it without getting stuck discussing semantics.

There is. Everything is art. If there is any artistic value in a work it has to be considered an art. Simple...

Then the word is meaningless.

Yes the word is quite meaningless, but you have to realize that we are talking about what something IS and ISN'T, while observing them from a subjective perspective. It's like trying to define what is or isn't good. It all depends on what you like. For that reason we can't say that this IS bad or that it ISN'T good and in the same way we can't say what is and isn't art.

The only way to settle it in my opinion, is to say that everything is art until we can dismiss it from an objective viewpoint. Since there is no real definition of the word art we can't do that.

Everything is art.

/thread (maybe)

I just don't agree at all with your interpretation of the word. This thread is a discussion about what specific games you consider art. If everything is art, then this thread is useless, and the word has no meaning since it doesn't refer to anything. But the word does have meaning. And it does refer to something specific. Look through this thread, you'll find that the same games pop up more than once. Is that just coincidence? If everything is art, then why do people mention Ico, or Bioshock, or Portal - why no mention of Gears of War? Haze? Drake's Fortune?

Because those games have more depth and thought behind them than games like Gears of War, but without a definition you just can't say that something is more art than something else. There may be more thought, and in the general opinion more artistic value in some games, but you simply can't say that Portal is art and Gears of War is not.

 

[Continuity]

Sometimes I wish there was a consistent definition of art, so we could talk about it without getting stuck discussing semantics.

There is. Everything is art. If there is any artistic value in a work it has to be considered an art. Simple...

Then the word is meaningless.

Yes the word is quite meaningless, but you have to realize that we are talking about what something IS and ISN'T, while observing them from a subjective perspective. It's like trying to define what is or isn't good. It all depends on what you like. For that reason we can't say that this IS bad or that it ISN'T good and in the same way we can't say what is and isn't art.

The only way to settle it in my opinion, is to say that everything is art until we can dismiss it from an objective viewpoint. Since there is no real definition of the word art we can't do that.

Everything is art.

/thread (maybe)

I dont agree that the word art is meaningless, nor do I believe everything is art. We may not have a firm and incontrovertible definition of the word art but all art does share some characteristics:

1) Man made or at least "captured" intentionally by man, e.g. a photograph can be art even if the scene in the picture is just nature.

2) Can be appreciated by man in a human way, i.e. art fulfils more than a purely utilitarian function.

3) Art says something about man or reflects something in the observer, thus it has a human (or any sentient for that matter) element.

 

[Sharalon]

Sometimes I wish there was a consistent definition of art, so we could talk about it without getting stuck discussing semantics.

There is. Everything is art. If there is any artistic value in a work it has to be considered an art. Simple...

Then the word is meaningless.

Yes the word is quite meaningless, but you have to realize that we are talking about what something IS and ISN'T, while observing them from a subjective perspective. It's like trying to define what is or isn't good. It all depends on what you like. For that reason we can't say that this IS bad or that it ISN'T good and in the same way we can't say what is and isn't art.

The only way to settle it in my opinion, is to say that everything is art until we can dismiss it from an objective viewpoint. Since there is no real definition of the word art we can't do that.

Everything is art.

/thread (maybe)

I dont agree that the word art is meaningless, nor do I believe everything is art. We may not have a firm and incontrovertible definition of the word art but all art does share some characteristics:

1) Man made or at least "captured" intentionally by man, e.g. a photograph can be art even if the scene in the picture is just nature.

2) Can be appreciated by man in a human way, i.e. art fulfils more than a purely utilitarian function.

3) Art says something about man or reflects something in the observer, thus it has a human (or any sentient for that matter) element.

The first one I may be able to give to you... Ok, it more or less has to be captured or made by someone (not necessarily man), but that still doesn't eliminate much and absolutely not if you're religious...

Take a look at number two. Please name a few things that does not fulfill that for anyone in any way.

It's kinda like rule 34. There is always someone who appreciate it, and why shouldn't their opinion count as much as anyone else's.

Number three. "reflects something in the observer", again this is something you can say about anything, because you can't say that this or that doesn't mean anything more to someone.

 

[Terminate421]

All of them

these 3 especially:

Bioshock
Portal
Dead Space

 

[norwegian-guy]

All that affect the player in some way similar to the way a painting may affect a viewer, allow me to allaborate. Not all games are art. The ones that bases themselves purly on an entertainment value or the rush can hardly be considered to have an artistic value. But there are those wich leaves an impression. Those games wich you don't have to think to hard about before you find more to it than the imidiate entertainment. Examples are the early Silent Hill-series with its freudian perpective. There's also Portal and not to forget the RPGs that present situations where you have to consider your own persons interests and your characters interests. There are more examples but i hope i gave at least an idea of what I mean when considering games as art.

 

[thiosk]

Bulletstorm!

ALL THE WAY

Also: the transformers game on wii.

 

[Continuity]

Sometimes I wish there was a consistent definition of art, so we could talk about it without getting stuck discussing semantics.

There is. Everything is art. If there is any artistic value in a work it has to be considered an art. Simple...

Then the word is meaningless.

Yes the word is quite meaningless, but you have to realize that we are talking about what something IS and ISN'T, while observing them from a subjective perspective. It's like trying to define what is or isn't good. It all depends on what you like. For that reason we can't say that this IS bad or that it ISN'T good and in the same way we can't say what is and isn't art.

The only way to settle it in my opinion, is to say that everything is art until we can dismiss it from an objective viewpoint. Since there is no real definition of the word art we can't do that.

Everything is art.

/thread (maybe)

I dont agree that the word art is meaningless, nor do I believe everything is art. We may not have a firm and incontrovertible definition of the word art but all art does share some characteristics:

1) Man made or at least "captured" intentionally by man, e.g. a photograph can be art even if the scene in the picture is just nature.

2) Can be appreciated by man in a human way, i.e. art fulfils more than a purely utilitarian function.

3) Art says something about man or reflects something in the observer, thus it has a human (or any sentient for that matter) element.

The first one I may be able to give to you... Ok, it more or less has to be captured or made by someone (not necessarily man), but that still doesn't eliminate much and absolutely not if you're religious...

Take a look at number two. Please name a few things that does not fulfill that for anyone in any way.

It's kinda like rule 34. There is always someone who appreciate it, and why shouldn't their opinion count as much as anyone else's.

Number three. "reflects something in the observer", again this is something you can say about anything, because you can't say that this or that doesn't mean anything more to someone.

Well art is a nebulous concept and so its characteristics will be equally nebulous, however I think the human element is key, and by that I mean human as in the definition on dictionary.com (of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or having the nature of people) people can mean any sentient being.
This is what art is, it is an extract or some sort of element of humanity, and it doesn't have to be the work of art itself that contains that element, the element can be in the observer i.e. the work of art can be art simply by inspiring thought or emotion in the observer.

I would say that art has to objectively fulfil criteria 1, but that the other two criteria are subjective and depend on the observer, hence the old saying "Art is in the eye of the beholder". So basically if it fulfils criteria 1 then it is art... to someone, at least hypothetically, and if for the observer it also fulfils criteria 2 and 3 then it is art for that person.

Just IMO anyway.

 

[Pseudopod]

All games are art, just like all paintings and all movies. They might not be good, but it's still art.

Bingo.

Now, if I try to think of what games I consider to be the most impressive from an artistic standpoint, here's my list:

Portal/Portal 2
Shadow of the Colossus
Ico
Everyday Shooter
Okami
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Rez
Space Channel 5 Part 2
Ace Attorney series
World of Goo
The Witcher (for the writing, visually it has some issues)
We Love Katamari
Brutal Legend

 

[Sharalon]

Sometimes I wish there was a consistent definition of art, so we could talk about it without getting stuck discussing semantics.

There is. Everything is art. If there is any artistic value in a work it has to be considered an art. Simple...

Then the word is meaningless.

Yes the word is quite meaningless, but you have to realize that we are talking about what something IS and ISN'T, while observing them from a subjective perspective. It's like trying to define what is or isn't good. It all depends on what you like. For that reason we can't say that this IS bad or that it ISN'T good and in the same way we can't say what is and isn't art.

The only way to settle it in my opinion, is to say that everything is art until we can dismiss it from an objective viewpoint. Since there is no real definition of the word art we can't do that.

Everything is art.

/thread (maybe)

I dont agree that the word art is meaningless, nor do I believe everything is art. We may not have a firm and incontrovertible definition of the word art but all art does share some characteristics:

1) Man made or at least "captured" intentionally by man, e.g. a photograph can be art even if the scene in the picture is just nature.

2) Can be appreciated by man in a human way, i.e. art fulfils more than a purely utilitarian function.

3) Art says something about man or reflects something in the observer, thus it has a human (or any sentient for that matter) element.

The first one I may be able to give to you... Ok, it more or less has to be captured or made by someone (not necessarily man), but that still doesn't eliminate much and absolutely not if you're religious...

Take a look at number two. Please name a few things that does not fulfill that for anyone in any way.

It's kinda like rule 34. There is always someone who appreciate it, and why shouldn't their opinion count as much as anyone else's.

Number three. "reflects something in the observer", again this is something you can say about anything, because you can't say that this or that doesn't mean anything more to someone.

Dude, sorry to but in, but art is the creative process of humans to convey emotions,capture something beautiful or make an observation of life. (A philisophical one often).

Books,Paintings,Movies,Poetry,Music(Dunno about games) They all gots something to say about life, they all express something.

But the creative process is like taking control of visuals, sounds and speech to go for an aesthetic and perhaps express something. But it is also a problem solving skill. Anyways when someone creates something to express emotion or philosophical observation of the world, then its art art.

So whoever said the word "art" is meaningless is wrong.

I'm not arguing that, but I want you to say something that doesn't have anything to say about life or that doesn't express anything. I'm willing to change my opinion, just show me some proof

I'm saying that the word art is meaningless, because it can refer to almost anything. I just can't believe how you can say that someones work is more art than someone else's, when you don't really have any way of defining art or even less measuring it.

 

[iniudan]

Since no one mentioned it yet.

Aquaria:

The music, monologue, esthetic are all exceptional.

 

[GiantRaven]

None. The design behind it maybe, but the game itself isnt. Saying everything is art is retarded and is why we have the kind of bullshit modern art crap we have now. If that is the case then i can sell 10 beers for £20k just because i label it "The Alcoholics Dream." There has to be a limit somewhere. We all like things that others dont, thats fair enough. Is why some like collecting stamps while others see stamps as a way to post a letter....the letter part being more important. But just because i see something as being art and hang it on my wall, doesnt mean it is art....just means that i like it.

If that is the case (in regard to your beer idea) then do it. Prove to us how utterly worthless modern art. That being said, if it was that easy - why haven't you done it already?

Anyhow, on topic, whilst I consider every game to be a piece of art my personal favourite game of considerable artistic vision is Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.

I see a lot of examples that are based around one specific aspect of gaming but do not artistically represent the entire medium of gaming. I feel MGS 2 succeeds spectacularly in that regard.

Edit: it's already been mentioned but Bioshock is another artistically rich game.

 

[Racecarlock]

X-wing Alliance. You're not playing as luke skywalker. You're not playing as han solo. You're not even playing as wedge antilles. You're some kid that ended up in the rebel alliance starfighter ranks by chance and because you don't like the empire either. You're virtually unknown until you make yourself known by wrecking the empires' shit. It makes you feel like you ARE a part of the star wars universe, rather than just taking the form of some famous character. This is what makes it great, and what makes any game great.

 

[Jakub324]

Metro 2033, at least the sections where you're on the surface.

 

[Faux Furry]

All of them.
If the works of Tom of Finland, Justin Beiber and Modern Art splatter paintings (even the mechanically produced ones) are all considered art, even Custer's Revenge, Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad and 24: the game are art.

Whether it's High Art or Low Art (or even low-grade gift shop souvenir level art) is up to the standards of the viewer, however.

 

[Valdez]

Okami, Braid, Limbo, Ico or Shadow of the Colossus.

 

[LessThanV]

I'm going to suggest something a bit less obvious, but games I consider more to be 'art' than most console games. That is online flash games like Today I Die, The Company of Myself, Don't Look Back, Little Wheel etc. For me their artistic value lies in their simplicity and charm, there is just something really fulfilling about them when you reach the end, despite them all being really short.

If I had to pick something from a console it'd most likely be World of Goo, and if that doesn't count then probably Muramasa: The Demon Blade just for being so gorgeous.