Poll: Games - Art or not?

[Lead Herring]

Strictly speaking, no. Games can exist without being art. Art is not a requirement for something to be called a game. That doesn't exclude them from being art, but, if a game can't first entertain, it's a shitty game no matter how much it may merit the title of art.

You could tell the Odyssey on the side of a vase, but if it can't hold water, it's not a good vase.

And yet I see this argument rarely applied to film, theater and books.

 

[Yopaz]

All books and movies are considered art. Literature and film are art forms. Your idea of art is rather sad, to be entirely honest; you seem to be looking at art as some sort of high-brow category to which only pretentious and boring works belong. No. Art is the product of creativity and skill, whatever that is, whatever it may be about, and whatever it may end up as. Fight Club is a movie, an example of the art form of film, and a very good one too, and thus is art. The Wheel of Time is literature, and thus is art. You shouldn't be judging video games as an art form until you understand what art is.

Our school system is very particular on the definition of art, but you do make some good points. I guess after so long with analyzing books, pictures and movies considered art I just got a distaste for the word itself. That's a distaste I don't want on my games. I guess I can say that video games may be an art form, but not that all video games are art. Video games are just as capable to carry a message that you can reflect on just as much as movies and books, probably more than paintings. Still I've become too used to having a negative impression on anything labeled art to even want games to be considered art. Maybe it is though. By your definition it is art without a doubt.

Any particular games you feel that carry an important message?

Tales of Symphonia, and to some extent Tales of Symphonia Dawn of the New World. They're both carrying the racism message pretty well, and pretty clearly. The first one got racism against half-elves because they have been known to cause problems in the past. They are not allowed to stay anywhere because of this, and they're even made slaves.

Spoiler

The main villain is a half elf who's lost his sister because the prejudice towards half-elves, so he seeks for revenge. He wants delete the borders between humans, elves and half-elves.
Tales of Symphonia Dawn of the New World does some of the same. But there the ones treated differently are the Sylvaranti because their technology is inferior. They are treated like barbarians because Tethe'alla has been keeping them back for years.

It's not subtle in any way, but they carry out messages that at least I think is important.
Tales of Vesperia carry out the message in how human progress hurts the nature, and the beings living in it. It also carries out how the laws are flawed and how the justice system treats those who have power, and those who don't. Again, not subtle, but there is a message there.

 

[Dark Harbinger]

All books and movies are considered art. Literature and film are art forms. Your idea of art is rather sad, to be entirely honest; you seem to be looking at art as some sort of high-brow category to which only pretentious and boring works belong. No. Art is the product of creativity and skill, whatever that is, whatever it may be about, and whatever it may end up as. Fight Club is a movie, an example of the art form of film, and a very good one too, and thus is art. The Wheel of Time is literature, and thus is art. You shouldn't be judging video games as an art form until you understand what art is.

Our school system is very particular on the definition of art, but you do make some good points. I guess after so long with analyzing books, pictures and movies considered art I just got a distaste for the word itself. That's a distaste I don't want on my games. I guess I can say that video games may be an art form, but not that all video games are art. Video games are just as capable to carry a message that you can reflect on just as much as movies and books, probably more than paintings. Still I've become too used to having a negative impression on anything labeled art to even want games to be considered art. Maybe it is though. By your definition it is art without a doubt.

Any particular games you feel that carry an important message?

Tales of Symphonia, and to some extent Tales of Symphonia Dawn of the New World. They're both carrying the racism message pretty well, and pretty clearly. The first one got racism against half-elves because they have been known to cause problems in the past. They are not allowed to stay anywhere because of this, and they're even made slaves.

Spoiler

The main villain is a half elf who's lost his sister because the prejudice towards half-elves, so he seeks for revenge. He wants delete the borders between humans, elves and half-elves.
Tales of Symphonia Dawn of the New World does some of the same. But there the ones treated differently are the Sylvaranti because their technology is inferior. They are treated like barbarians because Tethe'alla has been keeping them back for years.

It's not subtle in any way, but they carry out messages that at least I think is important.
Tales of Vesperia carry out the message in how human progress hurts the nature, and the beings living in it. It also carries out how the laws are flawed and how the justice system treats those who have power, and those who don't. Again, not subtle, but there is a message there.

Fascinating indeed, I should delve into Tales of Symphonia sometime, I do appreciate a strong backstory.

Congratulations on your 1000th post by the way. ^^

 

[Yopaz]

Fascinating indeed, I should delve into Tales of Symphonia sometime, I do appreciate a strong backstory.

Congratulations on your 1000th post by the way. ^^

I would recommend it. It was one of my favourite games for the GC. I've probably spent 600 hours playing it and replaying it.
Also thanks. Thanks for giving me a reason for my post #1000 too.

 

[XHolySmokesX]

Every time i hear the question "Are games art?", there is always one thing that annoys me about how people approach it.

Games, isn't one thing, you can't group all games together becasue every gaem is different had has a different response to this question.

Games such as call of duty would give the answer no due to their murderous themes, however they are very cinematographic, making them art in the way of films.

Other games would be more visually stunning and therefore more like paintings or sculpture, however, i can't name any off the tip of my tongue, so feel free to fill in the blanks.

So to conclude, games are NOT art, SOME games are art, and if we continue to see games as a single entity rather than a series of different technological experiences, then it will become increasingly hard to pass of the games as art idea.