Videogames are art. (Personal Opinion).

[DELTA]

I would like to say something about videogames:

I believe videogames are pure art. Videogames are more than just entertainment, for me, videogames are a new way to express what a person feels. If we analize them from a more profound side, I think we might discover that videogames are more than what meets the eye.

For example: Movies. A movie is a way for the artist to tell stories, stories about ANYTHING the artist wants. Movies are the window to the artist's world, where that world is portrayed, is viewed, is composed exactly the same way the artists sees it, hears it, imagines it. It doesn't matter whether that uiverse the artist created is an abstract, dark, crazy, violent, gory, sad, happy... is, or a realist, funny, tender...one. Thanks to the "magic" of the movies we (audience) are capable of experiencing it exactly the same way the artist wants us to do.

In that way, we can say that the universe that belongs to the artist is passed on to us to live the artist's vision of the world, moment, love, hate...etc.

However.

Videogames, compared to movies, greater. How? Well, videogames are exaclty the same way movies are, except, for one big difference: COntrol. Let me put it this way: Movies, books, comics... tell us stories, stories about anything the artist want's us to know, but theese stories are limited to only what the artist is capable of creating. Theese stories begin with a/some main character(s) and end up with whatever the artist wants to.

Let's say: In Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. What if instead of Luke running away from te Death Star, he'd rather say: "Heck¡ It's now or never, Bring it on Vader, let's see what you are made of¡"? (Ok, maybe my dialogues suck, but you get the idea). Well, we'll never know, since George Lucas never wanted the main character(Luke Skywalker) to do that, so we can speculate: What would have happened?

Videogames have that flexibility. In videogames we actually have the chance, not ony to view and feel the universe/world te way the artist wants us to do, but, to acutally live in it. We do not only get along with the characters and/or elements of the story line, but, we actually experience it, actually live the story.

Also we have the possibility of making that world of the artist, that is given to us by the artist, ours. We have the chance of changing the actual story line, the chance of choosing what to do, where to go.

In that way artists create a unique world of fantasy, but, instead of just giving us the oportunity of viewing it, we are capable of changing it, of shaping it the way we want to.

We have, as videogamers, true masterpieces of art: Zelda, Mario, GTA, MGS, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Shadow of the Colossus, Chrono Trigger, Pokémon, Mortal Kombat, Killer Instinct, Earthbound (Mother), Fire Emblem, Halo, Golden Sun, God of War, Metroid... And many more¡.

So in that way I am proud of being a videogamer, cause videogames are more than just a mere industry, a "Way of life" (F#cking otakus), a cliché...etc. Videogames are pure art. Vodeogames are a wider expression of a person's imagination and a new way to experience different worlds/universes.

This an opinion, I will update this later, I have more things I would like you to read.

 

[DELTA]

Please post your opinions. What do you think (Am I an idiot?), comment, post your opinons.

 

[Goldberg]

You are not an idiot, I really like your views on this and cannot add many things because this is one of the few "spot-on" posts I've seen recently.

A lot of people complain about videogames not being what they want them to be, when in reality most games are simply the outcome of the vision that game designers and developers have, motivated by innovation, fun, controversy, etc., with the worst case being just making games for profit.

Just like art.

 

[lumberheartwood]

I agree that video game design is an art and an expression for one's reflection. However, this doesn't necessarily mean its universal. Most game designers do what they do for compensation and companies do it for money. Its as simple as that. There are rare companies who do games with the visions of designers and allow to them create their masterpiece and pay for their fantasy to become accesible to the public. However this isn't true for most. If anyone has read the interview with a chief member working on The Conduit, they would find out that most publishers ruin games perfectly imagined and in the end they become shovelware. That's why luckily, there are such things as Indie devolopers and the companies like Nintendo and Frontier who believe in capturing a vision and making them into life. Plus, it doesn't hurt to create a brand with profit after one's art has become reality. After all, getting paid for what you love is one can really ask for in this field. :D

 

[Amide]

You're right. That's why it ticks me off when some people think it's completely alright to watch a show like American Idol, but it's a crime to play a videogame. Videogames aren't just art. They're interactive art.

 

[Virgilijus]

Here's an article from 1UP.com of an interview with Harry Gregson-Williams, the man who does the compositional work for MGS as well as numerous movies and is probably considered one of the greatest movie composers of our day.

"1UP: Lastly, it's a topic that's sort of been beaten to death over the last couple years, but since you've had such extensive experience both working on movies and on games, I'm curious about what your thoughts are on the whole games-as-art debate. Do you consider them already as an artistic medium, or if not, do you think they're capable of achieving that status?

HGW: I dunno. I mean...there's an awful lot of crap out there in movie theaters, for god's sake. I think to say movies are art and games are not is such a huge generalization, isn't it? A Stanley Kubrick film, you could say is art, but some of the nonsense you see at your local Cineplex, you couldn't call art. I think it's similar with games. I honestly think that Hideo is an artist and a bit of a visionary. I think he expects anybody that's working with him to treat his games as though they are art, and give them the respect that they should have.

But, in general, I really don't know. There's so much in gaming that I have no idea about what it is or who plays it. I can only tell you from my point of view, which is pretty limited -- it's only the three Metal Gears that I've done and Call of Duty, but, yeah, definitely there's an artist at work there.

1UP: And it just so happens those are some of the best games to have come out in recent years.

HGW: I think that's why I can't really comment on it. I've been fortunate to at least have had a look at the top end of this thing. I'm sure there's a lot of drivel out there as well, as with everything. It's a little bit of standing on your high horse, isn't it? I mean, I can imagine some people have a really compelling argument for and against that question, but I'm afraid I can't enlighten you any further. [Laughs]

1UP: And maybe that on its own is enough to say it is art, that you can formulate that kind of debate around it?

HGW: Yeah, absolutely -- we care enough to want to think about it."

Have to agree with him on this; gaming can truly be art, but it can also be pure crap. We can generalize it either way, if we want to.

 

[Hiemie]

Very VERY few video games qualify as art. Sometimes I think people attempt this argument because they want to put deeper meaning into their hobbies. Generally, Video games are fun time wasters.

Also, in all technicalities, Mario Paint and Game Boy Camera are games as art.

And, just to make it fair, I'll list some games I consider to be more artistic games: Killer 7, Silent Hill 2, Katamari Damacy, Professor Layton, Jet Set Radio Futures (Just for the sake of create your grafitti, the look, and the music), The Wind Waker, Viewtiful Joe, Okami (A little too much cel shading in there...) I might list No More Heroes as well. But, I kinda simply like Suda 51's work. I haven't played hotel Dusk, but things are looking up for it. OH, Electroplankton IS, not even beating around the bush, an art Game. Fatal Frame, as well, it's like going through a funhouse. The game is barely there, really.

I mean, some games can be visually beautiful... or some people can consider them beautiful. For example, I don't consider Halo to be art. Of course, that's simply my distaste for pesudorealism attempted in video games just because people just seem to naturally be drawn to realism. I hope no one considers Smash to be art, because it isn't. Generally, most commercially released games aren't art, they're a product.

I actually consider NES games more artistic than modern games, simply for how they approached their limitations visually. Here's the thing, video games are a culmination of visuals, storytelling, and immersion. Yes, some might qualify as art, but maybe not as much as we'd like.

Still, you could also look at it all like this. They're just games as well. It's all a matter of thinking you sound pretentions or not.

Yet again, you're asking about something as abstract and difficult to define AS art. Arts just one of those feel it out wibbly wobbly things.

Wow, I'm not good at arranging a point of discussion.

Edit: I want to say this again, people who are into hobbies that in general are not artistic, like to say that they are. Because art is a very powerful and abstract thing. Everyone wants to be an artist in some way.

Edit 2: My buddy summed it up pretty well. 99% no, not art. 1% Yeah.

 

[BrawlBro]

I agree.
Metal gear solid cut scenes. nuff said.

 

[SilverSonic101]

I pretty much agree with Hiemie. I don't own many video games but I've had enough time playing them. Video games aren't exactly art but in a way to me the designers are artists. They're expressing their "visions" if they have any. But usually other things give them ideas or bases for their "visions". I consider art an expression created entirely by the artist. It could be of something like landscape or modern art.

I probably am not making any sense so I'll stop now.

 

[Plazma]

video games are a type of art. just like paintings, music, and movies. all different forms ofart