Are video games "art"?

[Hanamaru Kunikida]

For years, within many articles this debate has existed, many favored that it could be considered art as many opposed to the statement.

In my opinion, it can be considered art indeed. You see, video games aren't just something that you smash as win as some people view it as, as a matter of fact, anything that you can have visual contact with could be consider a piece of art. Not to mention in video games, we always have beautiful scenery in many games especially nowadays. Now we have characters, both 3D model ones and sprites such as great ones as Uncharted 2 or sprite 2D Fighter BlazBlue, or better yet..Final Fantasy XIII? How can these beautiful made games cannot be consider art? CGI are consider one, but why not video games? Only differences are is that you control the characters. People are forgetting that video games also include music, and mixed with the particular scenario it could end up being a masterpiece, and with a nice story it could transcend that. If a film could be consider an art, so should video games.

What are your thoughts on this topic, why can video games be considered art or why can they not be art?

[Bulf]

The word "Art" is too big of a term to really classify something as complex as a video game. But in my opinion, I say they're not art. While they include art in them (their textures and stuff), I see still images as art. Video, Flash, and other complicated multi-frame things don't really count to me. Don't ask me why, I have no clue. At the same time, I think it should be considered art because it has pretty much everything that counts as art; 3D models, images/textures, concept, etc. Also to support the second idea, whatever the creator says is art is art. So if the creators of video games say it's art, then it's art.

I'm very indecisive on this particular subject...you should've seen the 12 page research paper I had to write >_>.

[Exodus__]

I would define Art as any technical and effective method of doing good.
or, any technical or practical method of doing or presenting well to others.

"Doing good" here should be observed in a special degree of universal consensus, as "to do" is an action, and "good" means doing anything that is good, to do.

Because defining Art has been something very problematic during the ages, this definition i created, completely excludes the usual tendency to classify things such as war, cursing, etc, and many other evil systematic activities, and they are no longer classified as Art.

Art, as a philosophical and scientific issue, must remain as Art.

Art is, like many other universal phenomena, susceptible to corruption, and might be structured or projected not to do good.



Informal Art

Art presented as information consists of correct movies, good music, etc. The vision of many might be actually limited to this little or great aspect of Art, seen how concrete art are the technical and practical methods, to be applied in reality's vast situations, to do good.


Concrete Art

Similar to its main definition, Concrete Art is any technical or practical method of doing. Examples of concrete artists are: Correct and Good Loving Housewife/Spouse; Non-corrupt Professional Worker; Well behaved and dedicated Student; etc.)



Art in Universal Perspective

The process of creating Universal Harmony.
* Harmony is the key to perspect Art universally. Being every possible act of creation of harmony.


---
Well, with all that said. Not all video games are art, of course.
Video games which are mostly art are sports games.
But even many sports games promote total destruction, so they are not Art.
But there are some video games where objectives are good and cohesive,
and the aim for integrity is for sure certain.




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---------- Post added at 05:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:39 AM ----------

By the way, i shall remark how to define Art is one of the greatest problems of contemporary society.
Elements such as soul have been forgotten, and elementarily perplex definitions
are simply attempted.
So, my definition might somehow be less accepted, to the ones who are more
fanatical of such sects.

[ShySenpai]

Of course video games are art!

First of all it are the graphics. You see pictures of them and people consider it art. Why wouldn't moving images be art then? To be more accurate, I think they're even more artistic when it moves.

Second, video games have a story plot in it. I think stories are all pieces of art. So the story in the video game is art, making the game itself art.

[Eris]

It really depends on the game. There are definitely games that are art (The Void springs to mind), but a lot of games that it would really be stretching the definition to call art.

[jimmyzen]

I don't know if it's legend or fact but I recall reading when John Lennon first met Yoko Ono at an art exhibition she was charging money for patrons to drive an imaginary nail into a piece of wood. I think it was called Virgin Wood or something. True or not, I think it captues the essence of art. Art is anything intended to produce an emotion and/or feeling in another. Or it represents a way to express or shows expression of an emotion or perception. Or none of those things.

I view attempts to quantify or define art as pointless. In the beginning of the Tao Te Ching it says "The Tao that can be named is not the true Tao." With art, you either get it or you don't.

I have seen many of Maplethorpe's pictures. I do feel like I get some of them but I find others gross and some seem pointless. But other people may and do have opinions 180 degrees away from mine. The Nazis displayed what they considered "degenerate art" in hopes it would be perceived as a freak show and that everybody who viewed the works would have the same opinions of them as the party line. The shows were wildly successful but not for the reasons the Nazis wanted.

So are video games art? It depends on what art means to you. I remember a video game I bought many years ago that was some kind of war game set in Vietnam. The entire game was you as a figure on a hill with an automatic weapon fighting off endless waves of enemies coming up the hill. The graphics weren't all that good and your character couldn't move anywhere. He was just stuck there on top of that hill with a gun that never ran out of ammunition and enemies that never stopped coming.

As a game it was pretty sorry and got old really quickly.

But, add some symbolism to it- the futility of war: it never stops. There is never any shortage of ammunition to kill our foes. Foes will continuously arise and appear and attack no matter how many die before them. Nothing ever changes. One side must go up the hill to die and the one at the top must continuously fight off those who come up the hill. There's nothing up there you can see worth defending or dying for in such numbers. As you play you go through the anticipation, you start out feeling overwhelmed but soon adapt to the situation. Then you become mechanical and methodical and take out the enemy as mindlessly as an automaton. Wave after wave, hundreds and hundreds. Gradually the excitement ebbs and boredom creeps in and you begin to make mistakes. You finally end it and never want to go back and do it over again.

Maybe it is art.

Let's reach a little further- maybe the it's a metaphor for life and the soldier guarding the hill is really just a human trying to hold his place in the world. Maybe the NVA aren't really soldiers charging up the hill but things like bills, responsibilities, health issure, loss of family and friends, a flat tire during rush hour in a constuction zone, old age.....

Is it art? Did it make you feel? Did it make you think? Did it make you go through something? Is it symbolic? Is it metaphor or simile?

Yes! Absolutely!
Or, No- maybe not.

[Xeyuzio]

Short post: I would say no because arts are more visual and still but that's just my opinion. o_O;;

[blueangel06661]

Well you do have to go to an art school to take game art & design.

So yes it is a form of art. Seeing as how you have to draw out the characters and setting. Then you have to use the creative writing method to write out the plot.

All games are is just animation you get to interact with. If you don't call games an art you can't call animation an art. So anime and cartoons can't be art. You do the same thing as video games. Draw out the characters and draw out the setting and write the story.

The only difference between the animation process and the video game process is that. You get to control movements on one and not the other. For the video game you get to play it. For the animation you only get to watch it. This debate is pointless.

[nrL]

No, but they can contain art.

[FluffyDango]

Some games is art.

The game Flower is art.
FlOw too, same producer.

[╬Karami Mew~Meow]

I'd say yes because almost anything created is art to me.

[LunaticMara]

Basically, art is something made by human. Art is a huge term, and it could mean many things. The chair you are sitting on right now is an art. The glass where you drink from is an art. The bed where you sleep is an art. Almost everything can be ethically beautiful. Video games are not an exception. Video games ARE an art, but developers may think different. Some developers are trying to make art, but some developers are just hunting for money and not trying at all.

[niKopol]

Both yes and no. As some games can be art and sometimes not art and just an attempt to get your money.

Ask yourself should I really put Farmville into the same category as say Metal Gear Solid 4?
If I heard someone say Shadow of Colossus is worse than Superman 64 I'd kill them.

[Elukien]

To one eyes, anything can be considered art. Personally, I think that video games are art. Not just in visual effect and concept art but also in music, character design and storyline. Plus with new advanced games coming out every few years, video games will be considered as Art.

[Masakisu]

Whilst I dislike terms such as 'art games', video games, like other media (literature and film, for instance), are arts - not 'art' as in 'Pretty picture!'. If we take into account several of Wiktionary's definitions of 'art' -

Noun art (countable and uncountable; plural arts)

1. (uncountable) Human effort to imitate, supplement, alter, or counteract the work of nature.
2. (uncountable) The conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colours, forms, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty, specifically the production of the beautiful in a graphic or plastic medium. There is a debate as to whether graffiti is art or vandalism.
3. (uncountable) Activity intended to make something special.
4. (countable) A field or category of art, such as painting, sculpture, music, ballet, or literature.
5. (countable) A nonscientific branch of learning; one of the liberal arts.
6. (countable) Skill that is attained by study, practice, or observation.

Now, if we take into account these particular definitions, it should be quite clear that video games, as by these definitions, are an 'art form'.

Certainly, some games are more 'artistic' than others, though I see not why these games should be considered any more of an art than any other.

[AnmA]

difficult to answer... in my opinion yes some video games can be Art. Shadow of the Colossus definitely art the simplicity and beauty of environment and the epic feel of Colossi is worth of an art show (how cool would that be... a gallery that showed gaming exhibitions) even big games like Mass Effect or Fable I would call Art because it takes into account the hero culture that has been passed down from antiquity the time and detail that is put into these games is remarkable but some would say since it was made by many people and is so massively consumed it can't be art... not true. many great artists had workshops and factories with teams of artists pumping out work for sale with their name on it Rubens and Warhol for example It really depends on the game like Madden is not Art

[KillerDragonX]

Yes i do believe that video games are considered art, for both the maker and the player.

For the developer, putting your ideas, your visions, your thoughts onto paper as stories to me would be considered art, along with the task of bringing the characters in the story along with the setting and plot to life, giving the story feeling and thought to interact with would again be considered art.

As for the player, even though they are limited to what they can do to the game, the game itself can also be inspiration to the player to create something wonderful with their imagination, giving birth to limitless forms of art.

[Velvet_Nightmare]

I would say yes, simply because they use so many different forms of art to make a new product:

Drawing
Animation
Sound, Acting, and Music
Cinematography
Editing
Programming
etc

[MistaCloudStrife]

Yes it is. If a person(s) works hard on something, putting thought and preparation into it and it turns out beautiful, I would say it's art.

Could be food.
Could be a painting.
Could be choreography and dancing.
Could be photography.
Could be video games.