Poll: Are Games Art?

[Hazy]

I have a few friends that when they see me playing a dated game, they automatically say something like "Oh those graphics are terrible" or "God that is some horrible draw distance" and nothing more. For example: Shadow of the Colossus, Dated but beautiful. Anyway, are you the type of person that believes games are an art form and should be treated as such, despite lack of technology? Or do you see games as nothing more than a machine that generates audio and visual enviornments? With recent games like BioShock and Braid, the line between art and video games is becoming even more dim and unrecognizeable in my humble opinion. Let me know what you think, and if you want to, list some games that you think are Art.

 

[Stevato]

I see literature as an art, story's, plays etc
If a game has a storyline then i consider it to be art, it is essentially a novel which places you in the protaganist's boots

 

[IndieRocker]

This all depends on your definition of art. I personally put books, films and games under entertainment not art

 

[Krakyn]

This has been done before...very recently even. There was an entire issue of the Escapist dedicated to this subject within the past two months.

 

[fix-the-spade]

There was an entire issue of the Escapist dedicated to this subject within the past two months.

Also, yes.

 

[Hazy]

This has been done before...very recently even. There was an entire issue of the Escapist dedicated to this subject within the past two months.

My appologies then. I'm not traveling the forums constantly, So I am not up to date on everything that goes around. I do, however, check the forums before posting a Topic.

 

[SuperFelix]

It depends on the game, I wouldn't class Halo or Haze as art, they're far too generic. If they were films they'd be described as blockbusters instead of arty flicks. Games that have cerebral plots or a distinctive art style, such as Bioshock, Braid, Ico, Shadow of the Colossus are considered by myself to be art, but I suppose you could call any media art.

 

[Jarc42]

This has been done before...very recently even. There was an entire issue of the Escapist dedicated to this subject within the past two months.

Thank you for pointing that out. This has been done before; many, many, many times.

 

[J-Man]

Depends upon what you classify as art.

 

[veloper]

Games are better than art. Games are entertainment.

A game can contain art.

 

[Yegargeburble]

I do indeed see them as art. Bioshock = great art. Resident Evil = not so good art (Story-wise, I see those games as the equivalent of the doodles of birds that I'll draw in class).

 

[Fenring]

I think the use of the search button is art...

OT: Yeah, of course it is. If you can call a book art because it has an original story or has a great plot, I don't see why the same can't be said for games.

 

[AkJay]

http://www.cracked.com/blog/defending-the-habit-10-video-games-as-modern-art/

That's all i have to say about that.

 

[Nigh Invulnerable]

Games are an entertainment/art hybrid in my mind. While not all games contain anything I would designate as artful, there are tons of games that do have amazing visuals, character designs, etc. and these can all be counted as 'art' in my book. The cool part about games is that they're interactive entertainment too.

 

[R4GNOR0K]

A game is sort of like interactive art.

 

[roblikestoskate]

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.90008

link to previous thread

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Games are art, games contain art and games inspire art.

 

[Hazy]

Games are art, games contain art and games inspire art.

Well said.

 

[SmilingKitsune]

I definately think games are art, they're just a radicly different art-form than say literature, a game having a great story isn't what makes it art, because that's the art of story-telling. Interaction is what makes games so special,
By placing you in the world and the story games can accomplish a level of immersion other mediums can not.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Games are art, games contain art and games inspire art.

Well said.

Thanks, I think it's very simple, games are as valid an expressive art form as any other medium, painting, music, film... there is nothing to say that they are not!