Why do video games need to be art?

[I forgot]

It's already art. The real question is do games need to be "deep" and full of "meaning" like pretentious games such as braid or flower, which is what people seem to be wondering lately.

The answer to that is no. Games need to be games first and have interesting messages or stories second. If you want meaning in your games, then you don't want to play a game. Flower and Braid can't even be considered a game by definition because there's no win/lose, just finish.

 

[ProfessorLayton]

See, I don't disagree with Ebert because he said they weren't art. He could have said anything he wanted and I still would have been upset because he knows absolutely nothing about video games. If you don't know anything about video games, then don't talk about them.

Also, art - the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects. By definition, it's art.

 

[Traumaward313]

Because we now live in a world of pretentious know alls where everyone is an expert on everything and nothing and as such we must seek out pseudo-intellectualism in any modern form of mainstream media to show we can al be elitist as eashother.


Fashion destroys everything. Thats whats up.


Games have truly lost something in recent years. The fun factor has been taken apart by want of realism etc etc. The ironic thing being, what does anyone know about realism when we live in a world of such fanciful crap? Example: Conversations between pre-teens involving wether or not certain weapons are genuine in MW2. As an explosive and military ordnance maintenance supervisor I can tell you that most people's opinions on things like this are completely made up and passed off as fact. It's becoming more and more apparent and it's the sole reason games are coming to the point where they cant be fun and stupid anymore.


We all think we are so clever.

 

[AdamRBi]

They have to be considered Art; When you stop to think about all the artists who devoted time and energy in to making something surely they would want it to be considered Art.

If I was to spend a year planning and constructing any form of media, I'd want it to be considered Art.

The only issue with this whole argument is that most people jump to the conclusion that Art=Museum. They stretch their understanding of "Fine Art;" like Paintings and sculpture, to a definition that all Art needs to fit. That's just not the case.

 

[LC Wynter]

Because the hoisty-clad snubnoses won't let us enjoy them if they're not.

 

[killereddy]

ask yourself this, what is a common and least fun thing in the world? an art museum. games are supposed to be fun so if they focus on making the game art it isn't fun but if they focus on making it fun and it turns into art, who cares it has fullfilled its purpose of being FUN.

 

[Traumaward313]

No, videogames need to be considered a normal form of media. Just like books. Just like movies. Just like TV.

They can be art later.

Which are all forms of art and artistic expression. Art is the something made through creative and expressive input - they portray feelings, images, tell stories etc which is exactly what games do thus by their nature they are artistic. Art is not just pictures.

Art is open to interpretation and can mean the world to one persona nd be a series of squiggles to the next. Games, like movies, have a much more direct effect and as such should maximize this in the best way possible. They need to be what they are and not so much open to our interpretation. Afterall, you don't by a game to fuel your own imaination. You buy one to experience someone else's.

 

[squidbuddy99]

I think that we as gamers want video games to be taken seriously as a medium like movies or music. For a long time games were more of a hobby than a medium. Now, games can be just as artistic or intelligent as a film, and that needs to be identified if we want people to stop bashing on gamers.

 

[OceanRunner]

Games can be great as art (Okami, Shadow Of The Colossus, Ico, LIMBO, Flower), but when being artistic is a main focal point, then there is a great risk of the gameplay suffering because of it. No game is fun if it doesn't play well and if an "Arty" game is like that, then it's only pretentious.