Lord_Fornelius
Rookie
For this forum, i would like people to describe whether they think Video Games are or aren't artistic. I think they are because there is creativity in a portion of games, and I find creativity to be the key for art.
Games as Art debate forum
- Thread starter Lord_Fornelius
- Start date
NjNakedSnake
Rookie
I consider games like Shadow of the Colossus or ICO to be art forms. Other than rather silent games like those two, it's hard to make an argument with the violence and the language of today's games.
UrbanMasque
Everyone Wears a Mask
violence and language shoulndt be a negative factor... how many painting or picture out there would be considered crude or objectionable, yet they are still considered art.
Art is determined by the creator. if I spit on a canvas, and say that it is the way i express myself - i dont care what you see, or think about it... technically - its art.
and yes, any and ALLLL video games are art. [except maybe pong.]
Art is determined by the creator. if I spit on a canvas, and say that it is the way i express myself - i dont care what you see, or think about it... technically - its art.
and yes, any and ALLLL video games are art. [except maybe pong.]
NjNakedSnake
Rookie
Good point I guess...
But some games aren't art, a LOT aren't art.
But some games aren't art, a LOT aren't art.
Lord_Fornelius
Rookie
...You know, to try to liven up the forum, i want to mention how one of my cousins said that video games cannot and will not be an art form saying that they "are just games". Want to comment on that?
LinksOcarina
Rookie
If you go by that standard, then they are not lifeless, and have no stories or souls, in the sense of something that occurs when playing. Most games today now have detailed stories, almost like movies, jaw dropping visual prowless, and you, as the player, are witnissing this all as either the spectator from 3rd person, or the first person point of view.
Just because you have control over something, doesn't mean it is not alive. Yes you maniuplate it, but watching the interactions between the game events with your characters, the story progessing, the flavor of the graphics or the artwork around you, is what make almost all games have "souls" and have that breath of richness that is found in art.
I will give more examples later if you need to, but digest that for a bit, what goes on in the game, and what you see in the game, is what make's it art, and seperate from a lifeless game.
Just because you have control over something, doesn't mean it is not alive. Yes you maniuplate it, but watching the interactions between the game events with your characters, the story progessing, the flavor of the graphics or the artwork around you, is what make almost all games have "souls" and have that breath of richness that is found in art.
I will give more examples later if you need to, but digest that for a bit, what goes on in the game, and what you see in the game, is what make's it art, and seperate from a lifeless game.
UrbanMasque
Everyone Wears a Mask
Lord_Fornelius said:
comment.... your cousin is a culture less idiot.
....no offense of course.
Nick_Tan
Rookie
Well, defining art is very shady subjet, especially because 'art' is always defined differently in history and by different people. For instance, a painting with a large black circle is considered a masterpiece while a children's fingerpainting, which could be more artistic, is considered a low form of art. In fact, movies were not considered an 'art' until it held more prestige during the 1920's or so, so in many ways, video games are battling up the ladder in much the same manner as movies did way back when.
However, I believe a craft is an art, and that design is an art. Game design, much like fashion design or architectural design, is about functional art. It may seem as though it's meant purely for profit, but there's a lot to be said about artistic vision and molding the mechanics of a game so that fit in with the aesthetics that both the developer and publisher believe the gaming audience will respond to.
Truly, if art is a personal expression, then you can find that in games. It's not spoken about a lot because individual auteurism is trumped by company auteurism in the game industry, but there is a difference between games developed by Miyamoto and those made by Cliffy B. Of course, like animated movies, companies can become the artists themselves - Pixar, Disney, Studio Ghibli, Industrial Light and Magic. So video games, which are digital by nature, can be seen that way as well. There is an artistic difference between RPGs made by SquareEnix and Level 5.
For video games, art is found by how the mechanics of the game blend together to create the desired expression by the developer, as a company or as a group of individual human beings. How do the rules of the game effect its dynamics in real-time (or turn-based time)? And how does the "style" of the game add to the mechanics to create the "aesthetics" of the game?
These questions cannot be ignored by game designers - and as these are questions are the foundation of a craft, video games are an artform.
However, I believe a craft is an art, and that design is an art. Game design, much like fashion design or architectural design, is about functional art. It may seem as though it's meant purely for profit, but there's a lot to be said about artistic vision and molding the mechanics of a game so that fit in with the aesthetics that both the developer and publisher believe the gaming audience will respond to.
Truly, if art is a personal expression, then you can find that in games. It's not spoken about a lot because individual auteurism is trumped by company auteurism in the game industry, but there is a difference between games developed by Miyamoto and those made by Cliffy B. Of course, like animated movies, companies can become the artists themselves - Pixar, Disney, Studio Ghibli, Industrial Light and Magic. So video games, which are digital by nature, can be seen that way as well. There is an artistic difference between RPGs made by SquareEnix and Level 5.
For video games, art is found by how the mechanics of the game blend together to create the desired expression by the developer, as a company or as a group of individual human beings. How do the rules of the game effect its dynamics in real-time (or turn-based time)? And how does the "style" of the game add to the mechanics to create the "aesthetics" of the game?
These questions cannot be ignored by game designers - and as these are questions are the foundation of a craft, video games are an artform.
UrbanMasque
Everyone Wears a Mask
draqq said:
well said... never though of it that way.
