Poll: Are video games art?

[The Skip Master]

Video games can be art. They can be used to create a distinct story and atmosphere that can't be properly shown though a movie or book. With the graphic engines we have today, worlds can be created to immerse the player into as though the video game is real. Bioshock is a pretty good example of this even though the actual gameplay wasn't that spetacular. But most video games are more of a way to make some money in a growing industry, which is not exactly art.

 

[Geekmaster K]

Most video games are art. Except crap games like Two Worlds and the completely unplayable Big Rigs Racing (is that the name of the game?). Some video games are more "artsy" than others, but overall, video games in general can be considered art. The only games I don't consider art are the ones that have made or would make my brain implode from sheer stupidity. Like all art forms, video games take time, effort, and heart to make them good. Unfortunately, with what the game industry has become, you don't always get that.

 

[Aimless Flea]

I'd consider them a form of art.

 

[Arcane Azmadi]

Fuck YES already!

One word: ICO.

 

[kingcom]

Overall my definition of art is something with a philosophical meaning behind it. Video games are more like playable James Bond flicks.

Your really saying video games never contain philosophical/ideological meanings behind it? Have you never played things like Planescape Torment or Deus Ex or more recently say...Mass Effect 2? These games all contain these deep unerlying questions in which advanced philosopgical discussion can take place from. Not all games produce this true but then again as your definition of "not everything is art" neither would everything in a single category fill those requirements.

 

[Stephanos]

"What is art?" is a question we've been asking ourselves as a species for at least 5000 years or so now, not really likely that anyone is going to answer that anytime soon. Besides, I can't imagine why anyone would want to have a definite answer to that question.
Games, of course, have the potential to be art. I guess art in games comes in different variaties. The visual aspect alone might be art, or the narrative, the combination of both. But a game has to do more than just look pretty (and that includes art-design) to be art, it has to do more than tell an intelligent story with some very superficial references to philosophy. For me, it's about more than just emotional connection, even though that's very important; it has to say something about our nature as human beings, about what we are and how we live our lives, to be truly considered art (yeah, I know that's not exactly the most intelligent definition of art but it'll do for now).

Maybe designers have to move beyond focussing on traditional art in games ("a deep story", "inspiring visuals") and exploit its unique feauture, interactivity, to create a truly new kind of artform. There's plenty of hope for games. They can be something more than Generic Shooter X (although these type of games will always exist). New generations of artists are growing up, and have grown up, playing videogames and some of them are already using the medium in the creation of their art.

Meh, enough of this rant.

 

[DasAShinyGolash]

Yes, absolutely, unquestionably.

Storytelling is art, and video games are storytelling, thus video games are art. It's simple and obvious, and only ignorance says otherwise.

i think thats over simplifying it though, videogames don't lean to much towards storytelling, more towards a stimuli, not meaning to degrade it.

 

[Zedzero]

They can be, artistcally they all are but since they are beyond paintings and television/movies they must be rated whether to be considered actual "art" or not on a whole different scale. A game like Modern Warfare really isn't but a game like Mirror's Edge or that upcoming one (shit forgot its name, the one with a boy and some giant griffin thing) I would consider my art-sy.

 

[Thaius]

Yes, absolutely, unquestionably.

Storytelling is art, and video games are storytelling, thus video games are art. It's simple and obvious, and only ignorance says otherwise.

i think thats over simplifying it though, videogames don't lean to much towards storytelling, more towards a stimuli, not meaning to degrade it.

That is true, but the fact is that it's true in every form of storytelling. Look at movies, as the prime example. They're widely accepted now as a form of literature, but most of the stuff Hollywood pumps out is about nothing more than special effects and cool action scenes. But that doesn't disrupt their status as a storytelling art, because even the crappiest, most generic action flick tells a story. Just because it sucks doesn't mean it's not art: it's just bad art.

Now there is multiplayer to contend with, but that's when video games become a sport (despite the common association that word has with physical activity, which video games lack). But simply because they can be something else doesn't mean they're not also storytelling. Beyond that, the process of creating the graphic design, the music, even the motion and game mechanics, could easily be considered art. And in any form of art, it is the creation that is truly artistic, not the enjoyment, meaning that even competitive gaming could be considered art.

In short: most games don't tell good stories, or don't tell them well, but neither do most movies or books. That doesn't disqualify them, it simply means that, like all art, they conform to Sturgeon's Law.

 

[DasAShinyGolash]

Yes, absolutely, unquestionably.

Storytelling is art, and video games are storytelling, thus video games are art. It's simple and obvious, and only ignorance says otherwise.

i think thats over simplifying it though, videogames don't lean to much towards storytelling, more towards a stimuli, not meaning to degrade it.

That is true, but the fact is that it's true in every form of storytelling. Look at movies, as the prime example. They're widely accepted now as a form of literature, but most of the stuff Hollywood pumps out is about nothing more than special effects and cool action scenes. But that doesn't disrupt their status as a storytelling art, because even the crappiest, most generic action flick tells a story. Just because it sucks doesn't mean it's not art: it's just bad art.

Now there is multiplayer to contend with, but that's when video games become a sport (despite the common association that word has with physical activity, which video games lack). But simply because they can be something else doesn't mean they're not also storytelling. Beyond that, the process of creating the graphic design, the music, even the motion and game mechanics, could easily be considered art. And in any form of art, it is the creation that is truly artistic, not the enjoyment, meaning that even competitive gaming could be considered art.

In short: most games don't tell good stories, or don't tell them well, but neither do most movies or books. That doesn't disqualify them, it simply means that, like all art, they conform to Sturgeon's Law.

interesting point, movies that all are special effects, however, are rarely considered art, merely entertainment, truly great movies, like citizen kane or the godfather, usually fall inot the art category

 

[Tolerant Fanboy]

Like almost any medium, a video game of sufficient quality can be considered a work of art. But, not all games are art, nor are, say, all photographs. Intent is usually needed for art to take place, and there really aren't that many video game designers who treat art as a top priority.

 

[Jamvaan1992]

Can be.

Some games, like Indigo Phrophecy and Mass Effect, are steps in the right direction for the argument that games can be art but for every one copy of Okami sold it seems like another 2-3 copies of Dead or Alive Beach Volleyball or Postal gets sold and gaming gets pushed back to square one. Gaming can be art if it has a little bit of class but when its just violent, vlugar, or sexy for no really good reason its not going to be even given the time of day. To be fair Games themselves don't need to be art, but classic stories deserve to at least be considered. I've played games with more memorable stories than half of my bookshelf.

 

[Thaius]

Yes, absolutely, unquestionably.

Storytelling is art, and video games are storytelling, thus video games are art. It's simple and obvious, and only ignorance says otherwise.

i think thats over simplifying it though, videogames don't lean to much towards storytelling, more towards a stimuli, not meaning to degrade it.

That is true, but the fact is that it's true in every form of storytelling. Look at movies, as the prime example. They're widely accepted now as a form of literature, but most of the stuff Hollywood pumps out is about nothing more than special effects and cool action scenes. But that doesn't disrupt their status as a storytelling art, because even the crappiest, most generic action flick tells a story. Just because it sucks doesn't mean it's not art: it's just bad art.

Now there is multiplayer to contend with, but that's when video games become a sport (despite the common association that word has with physical activity, which video games lack). But simply because they can be something else doesn't mean they're not also storytelling. Beyond that, the process of creating the graphic design, the music, even the motion and game mechanics, could easily be considered art. And in any form of art, it is the creation that is truly artistic, not the enjoyment, meaning that even competitive gaming could be considered art.

In short: most games don't tell good stories, or don't tell them well, but neither do most movies or books. That doesn't disqualify them, it simply means that, like all art, they conform to Sturgeon's Law.

interesting point, movies that all are special effects, however, are rarely considered art, merely entertainment, truly great movies, like citizen kane or the godfather, usually fall inot the art category

True enough, but the medium of film is, as a whole, considered art. Regardless of the crap that populates much of it. Besides, even the worst movies are still art: just bad art. Somehow there is an idea that something has to be great to be art, but that's just not true. Most people out there have some form of artistic vision: it's just that very few are good at communicating it. It doesn't somehow make it less artistic, just bad art. But still art.