Weigh In On The Games As Art Debate

[Earnest Cavalli]

Weigh In On The Games As Art Debate

Are videogames art? Your opinion is needed.

This morning we cracked open the Escapist mailbag to a polite missive from Public Insight Journalism intern Gabriel Garbowit. He writes:

Hello Escapist!
I am Gabriel Garbowit, an intern at Public Insight Journalism which is apart of American Public Media. We noticed that the Smithsonian is doing an exhibit on the art of video games and we intend to make that into a story. We also have created a survey for anyone who has the time to fill out about their opinion on video games as art. Since we would like to hear the opinions of avid intelligent gamers, we thought your site would be a good way to get the message out.

Truth be told, we get emails like this all the time, but Mr. Garbowit's message is different for one key reason: he name-dropped American Public Media. That would be the same group that produces A Prairie Home Companion.

And who are we to say no to anyone even tangentially affiliated with Garrison Keillor?

Thus, I bid you all click through to Public Insight Journalism's short survey [https://www.publicinsightnetwork.org/preview/form/american-public-media/bee5f56c5e7f/are-video-games-art]. We know you people have opinions, some of which are even valid, so now here's your chance to thrust your mindshare into the ethereal public consciousness via the highbrow efforts of Mr. Garbowit and his colleagues.

Y'know, while we're here, we may as well use the below comments section for something, right? I know I asked you to contribute your thoughts to the above survey, but if any of you have anything else to say on the topic of games as art, please, do so in the comments.

Do you think games are art due to their being a form of self-expression via the use of symbology and novel communication methods within a medium constructed to express thought? Or do you refute this idea simply because Marcel Duchamp never stunned the Parisian bourgeoisie with a Super Nintendo?

The comments section is below. Do your thing.

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[LTK_70]

An online survey is probably the worst place to debate video games as an art.

 

[Atmos Duality]

An entirely subjective argument over what is ALREADY, by definition, a subjective description?
That's like two-layers of pointless and stupid.

I think the word art is so nebulous as to be incapable of NOT contaning games.

"Nebulous"...what a perfect description of the definition of "art".

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

I thought that the survey was very good, particularly the short answer sections.

 

[Earnest Cavalli]

An online survey is probably the worst place to debate video games as an art.

That's why you don't debate in the survey. You debate here. The survey just wants your thoughts.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

An online survey is probably the worst place to debate video games as an art.

That's why you don't debate in the survey. You debate here. The survey just wants your thoughts.

You expect me to discuss things on an online discussion board? What madness is this?

 

[Dango]

I still have no idea why anyone thinks games have to be art.

 

[LordOrin]

To quote Penny Arcade: "If a hundred artists create art for five years, how could the result not be art?"

 

[StriderShinryu]

Thank you for bringing this to our attention, I was more than happy to fill out the survey. I also think those deriding this as just another online survey are being a little shortsighted. Yes, there are a few survey style questions, but there are also several short answer style questions plus the possibility that the information seeker will contact you for even more details on your opinions. A simple "Are Games Art? Yes/No" this is not.

As for the question itself, yes games are very clearly art. Certainly not every game is "art" but neither is every movie, painting, book, piece of music, etc. No one says that a movie can't be art simply because The Transformers films exist, and no one says that just because movies can be art The Trsnsformers films should not be allowde to exist.

 

[jurnag12]

I'll simply cite a quote I once read on a forum somewhere:
"If dozens of artists put their blood, sweat and tears into something for months or years at a time, how can it not be considered art?"

 

[Dango]

I still have no idea why anyone thinks games have to be art.

You meant other then to try and justify spending sixty hours a week playing video games?

And why exactly would anyone feel the need to justify this?

 

[Lordmarkus]

I think may have gone overboard. I just wrote out a full essay on why Shadow of the Colossus is art.

I'm with you mate. First why Led Zeppelin IV the greatest album ever and then why Half-Life 2 and Portal is the supreme examples of "Showing vs Telling" in games. Back to something useful.