Proof that video games can be art

[Ninjat_126]

http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/539211

I'd like you all to play through this game here. Once you're done, click the spoiler.

It's called Loved, and it's a free Flash browser game you can finish in about ten minutes at the absolute most.

Spoiler

Alright. You've played through once, you've made your choices and you reached one ending. Now, play through again, doing the opposite of what you just did. So if you obeyed the voice on your last playthrough, disobey it this time. Click on the spoiler when you're done.

Spoiler

Right, you've seen both endings.

Now what was your first reaction to the voice?
Did you obey, did you disobey, did you just do what you wanted?
What did you click when it asked you a question?
Why did you do it? Why was one choice preferable to another?

Ask yourself those questions, then open the spoiler tag.

Spoiler

Who was the voice? Who did it represent to you? What did it represent to you?

Spoiler

Could this have been made into a book, film, song, painting or any form of entertainment aside from a video game?

Please, don't just click the spoiler tags. Follow the instructions.

"Here is a great example of the potential in games for genuine artistic merit". Or "You see sceptics, this is real art in its infancy. If we nurture it and allow it to grow, the entire medium will benefit and it can finally shed its 'toy' image in the eyes its detractors."

What this guy said.

 

[johnstamos]

by definition art is subjective, so i don't really know why people still think there is an argument to bad about "games being art".

 

[Ninjat_126]

by definition art is subjective, so i don't really know why people still think there is an argument to bad about "games being art".

I'm thinking about linking this game to people who say games aren't art and watching them try to justify their beliefs.

I haven't clicked the link yet, but I'm going to wager it's leads to a download of "The Stanley Parable"?
Great game; Really makes you think in a fun way.

However, that sort of non-argument does more harm than good I think...

Do not say "This game is art, therefore games are art". That's stupid (and a fallacy).
Instead say "Here is a great example of the potential in games for genuine artistic merit". Or "You see sceptics, this is real art in its infancy. If we nurture it and allow it to grow, the entire medium will benefit and it can finally shed its 'toy' image in the eyes its detractors."

I'll clarify that now.

 

[AdeptaSororitas]

Very very insightful game. At first I tried to stay true to myself by rebelling but when I reached the end the final statment kinda hit me in a weird way. I played through again and I found myself trying much harder during some of the instructions because I wanted the voice to be happy. It's really trippy and definatly not something that can be explored outside an interactive media such as video games.

Edit: I wonder how many people actually followed your directions before posting, sheesh.

 

[Vicarious Reality]

Why would anyone need proof that games are art? What would you do with this so called proof?
***** about which artpiece is wrong and which artstyle is right?

 

[Ninjat_126]

Why would anyone need proof that games are art? What would you do with this so called proof?
***** about which artpiece is wrong and which artstyle is right?

No, talk to people who just assume that video games are toys and show them a piece of art that could not express its meaning through any other medium. (Whatever the meaning is, it's kind of vague.)

 

[Bobic]

You're right, this is a fine example of art. Using the definition of art as silly pretentious garbage that thinks it is much more intelligent and thoughtful than it actually is.

 

[El Luck]

I played it part of the way through because it was boring.

The concept of that game can be (and probably has been) made in to another form of entertainment, because its based on positive and negative reinforcement.

 

[shadow_Fox81]

Here's a fun argument, art is boring, games are fun, if a game is art, then it no longer qualifies as a game, and vice versa. I actually saw someone make this argument and then realized that I personally hate art, and I'm tired of this stupid argument, games are games, who cares about what other section of anything they fall into other than "horror, RTS, RPG, FPS ect."

ok so youre bored by art.

ok, I'm not.

but i am tired of this arguement.

and art is always a game its just mostly more taxing on a cerebral level than most conventional games.


EDIT; on a side note why not simply Portal, if you need proof (yes "you" not us or nongamers because otherwise we wouldn't be converseing you're the one who wants proof, because i certainly don't need it) games are a viable artistic medium.

 

[Zack Alklazaris]

Spoiler

Now what was your first reaction to the voice?

I laughed, I was surprised and enjoyed its dominating nature.

Spoiler

Did you obey, did you disobey, did you just do what you wanted?

I completely obeyed, but then again I'm pretty submissive as long as I don't feel treated unfairly.

Spoiler

What did you click when it asked you a question?

Usually the ones the strengthens its hold,

Spoiler

I did pick mind

Spoiler

Why did you do it? Why was one choice preferable to another?

I was curious and at the same time I felt as if I needed to prove myself to this "voice"

Spoiler

Who was the voice? Who did it represent to you? What did it represent to you?

For some reason I heard my wife's voice after it started making its approving [/spoiler]Good "Girl" and I love you (s)[/spoiler]

I liked it, it was different and definitely had an effect on me despite being just a little flash game. The last time I played a flash game like that was some puzzle adventure game where you play an escaped clone and that game was hours long. (never could remember the name, and I never played the finished version) This was just 10 minutes.

Awesome find.

 

[Elsarild]

Looking for art in games isn't a question of finding a few games that you can hold up and say "art!".

It's about acceptence, if you look around newgrounds there are alot of games I'd call art, or artsy, right below Loved, the game "Depict 1" is listen, try that out, it's just as much art as the next one.

Art is subject to opinion, I didn't find Loved to be any more like art than many other games, it seems more like a thin veiled attept at being art.

 

[Capt. Crankypants]

champ, you should probably learn spoiler tags =P , you're missing a few /'s there mate, not to mention the ='s.

Spoiler: My own little thought

The question that really got to me was 'who was the voice?'. When asked that, I had quite some trouble determining it. On first playthrough, I straightaway found myself at odds with 'the voice' when I told it I was a Man and it disagreeingly mocked me, so for most of the playthrough, I found myself disregarding it's every 'command' or 'instruction'. I could go into more depth, but the rest of me, I think, I will keep to myself =)

 

[TheGreekGeekPrick]

Hey, look, the proof that now even video games can be pretentious! Yeah, interesting little project, but it I was still bored out of my mind by the time the controls got me to hit the same spike for the 50th freaking time.

Games can be art and this is a fine example. But let's not get caught up on the idea. They have to be a hell of a lot more things first.

 

[Zack Alklazaris]

champ, you should probably learn spoiler tags =P , you're missing a few /'s there mate, not to mention the ='s.

Spoiler: My own little thought

The question that really got to me was 'who was the voice?'. When asked that, I had quite some trouble determining it. On first playthrough, I straightaway found myself at odds with 'the voice' when I told it I was a Man and it disagreeingly mocked me, so for most of the playthrough, I found myself disregarding it's every 'command' or 'instruction'. I could go into more depth, but the rest of me, I think, I will keep to myself =)

Oops I forgot, thats what I get for copy/paste.

lol and yes I understand perfectly.

 

[Don Savik]

I can glue some spoons together and call it art.
"artists" or at least the ones who decide these things like to be hipsters. Adding gaming to their paintings and bullshit freeform poetry is to mainstream, yo.

 

[TheBelgianGuy]

Hey, look, the proof that now even video games can be pretentious! Yeah, interesting little project, but it I was still bored out of my mind by the time the controls got me to hit the same spike for the 50th freaking time.

Games can be art and this is a fine example. But let's not get caught up on the idea. They have to be a hell of a lot more things first.

Pretentious, exactly my thoughts. Yeah we're at the 'insecure people need recognition from others' again.