Can Games Be Considered Art?

[Ibro156]

I was arguing talking to my Dad about this, and he said it can't. Even tho other entertainments like books, Tv series and etc, are considered as art work. My Dad sad its can't be taken seriously, as most games like COD and BOF are don't really show anything compared to "Beast Of No Nation" (Netflix film, its amazing. Go check it out). This is where my side of argument was starting to lose. I was saying as art can be interpreted in different ways, deepening on the person. As well it can make person think about something from a different view point, but that I think. So what you think? Am kinda curious what other people think about this :)

 

Edit: Why is everyone presuming am talking about graphics? :c

Edited February 17, 2016 by Ibro156

[Phatose]

Even a bowel movement can be considered art if you're of the mind to do so.

[Trichouette]

[BansheePrime]

Even a bowel movement can be considered art if you're of the mind to do so.

All depends on what it looks like when it comes out.

[PoisonHD]

If you think its art, it can be considered art, even if you're the only person who holds that opinion.

All there is to it.

[S.T.M.P.D]

There are books just as dumb as Calladuty, and there are video games just as rich as any film. It's just that artistic expression is a lot harder in a medium where the player can screw up the message the artist wants to convey, there's fewer people who come from a truly artistic background in video games, and the public opinion (where most of the money lies, too) of video games is Clash of Clans.

There are artistic video games out there - Undertale, Bioshock, Bastion, The Fall, even MW1 had a sort of artistic bend to it - it's just that artistic video games don't have a market the way artistic films and books do.

[sekushiiandee]

this is a conversation google would have answered for you already


yes it is true that COD and BOF have definitely fallen off as an art form for games....but digging deeper into it, there is still an art component.

the special effects and digital graphics portion of those S#&$ty games would still be considered artful in many senses.....in the older versions of COD and BOF where there was a partial storyline...it may have been considered an art

i hate to say but if you have no other examples of games that would be considered art then you surely have not played many....and if COD and BOF got you stumped.....it says a lot about you as a gamer


Child of Light is probably one of the most artful games that have been out with a great story line.....it can literally be turned into a childrens book if they wanted it to

Valkyria Chronicles is extremely detailed and very much considered to be a fine art in gaming with its mechanics, story line, design, and artful creation.


Art is such a broad term that you can't niche pick it much, because it could range from story, or graphics, or design, etc.

Hell when we think back.....the old final fantasy games were pieces of fine art because of its story and development and not its graphics.....so taking the opposite view of COD and BOF

[Kamentari]

Give a read to "What Good are the Arts?" by John Carey.

After Duchamp and dadaism the art institution was exposed as one big mess of subjectivity. What something will be considered art by one circle/insitution of people may not be considered as by for others.

In the book John Carey concludes that "something is a work of art as long as at least one person in history considers it so" or something like that. So yes video games can be art, they have a lot of technical work, art skills (you know someone has to do the art/assets) as well as software knowledge is necessary.

 

The fact that work of art delivers a "deep message" or not is irrelevant (pornopgraphy is considered art too). The value of an artwork solely based on its technical execution is art too, "art for the art" and all that stuffs.

Edited February 17, 2016 by Kamentari

[(PSN)KestralSylver]

Art is completely subjective so you can't really argue that anything isn't art. However, if you're looking for some objective evidence to support video games as an art form, you need look no further than TED Talks.

 

[Varacal]

ask your dad first how he defines art, then come back

[(XBOX)Dnt3v3nBlnk]

Anything can be considered art. At least to me. To me, art is simply the manifestation of an idea. The question should be, not whether something is art, but if you like it.

[dadaddadada]

I define art as any creation primarly meant to induce a particular set of feelings in the observer. If it mostly succeed in its purpose, it can be considered good art.

Videogames i think represent the single most comprehensive and advanced artform, as they include in a single package a large number of dimensions for the artist to play with, like spatial dimensions, time dimension, sound dimension and, most importantly, the interactivity dimension which is something only videogames are able to pull off in an extensive manner.

 

Alot of freedom, the artist can even decide to ignore some of these dimensions or bend them to extreme extents to better achieve his/her ideal.

 

That said, what differentiates a videogame from other artforms is the interactivity factor. The artist can go this far to bend the universe but at least some interactivity is required to definitely present it as a literal videogame.

 

That's in a nutshell what i think but in the end i don't strictly care :p

Edited February 17, 2016 by dadaddadada

[AM-Bunny]

I think the distinction might be: is it artistic as a game? For instance, let's say you thought that Metal Gear Solid had an amazingly written, thought-provoking, and artistic narrative. That's the story that's artistic, not the video game itself. If the same story was told through a well-written novel, it would still be artistic. That is to say, the artistic value of the item is not dependent on its status as a video game.

 

So, I'm sort of late to the series, but I recently happened upon the Zero Escape series. Contrary to popular opinion, I actually enjoyed the first one - 9 Doors, 9 Hours, 9 Persons - a lot more than the sequel.

 

It's impossible to really discuss what makes these games amazing without spoiling the entire thing, but they really made me ask myself the question if video games are a standalone form of art. The methods that these games use to convey the entirety of the story would be impossible in any other medium.

 

That is to say, part of the game's artistic integrity is in its mechanics as a game, it's not artistic for just its story, or its character design, or writing. To me, this series is the strongest case I can think of for video games as an art form.

[Stratego89]

Yes. Ofc it is. Anything ANYONE makes can be "considered" art. But I think anything worth VALUE that someone creates is what is truly what is art. I don't mean a monetary value, I mean value period. E.g. Someone crumples up a paper, calls it art. That is not art. A story, a musical score, a painting, a model, lyrics to a song, a concept for an invention. Anything people put effort, time, and their heart into gives that thing value. Even if noone else appreciates it, as long as the person who made it is proud to have made it- it is art. Games are one of a few different things that are a culmination of various different kinds of art- so not only are they art, but they are LOTS of art. Each part of a game is a piece of art- put together it creates a game.

[RedGoat989]

look its not just graphics like having an entire city in a game being beutiful but the feels it gives or what it does and cod or BF are not good exemples of games as they are just the popular ones but farcry or MMOs and many other games can be considered art by the looks or the story like many indie games have good story that makes people cry and (the most annoying thing now but i like it and love it) undertale can be art as it has the feels but not good looks its like talking about a person one can look like an angel but the heart is dark but the ugly person has a good heart if u get what i mean and im just saying that cods and BFs are not good exemples and it varies but in time people will take games more serious as we mold the new society and make games a basic thing its the same with our parents and music or movies and other things again if u get what i mean and sorry for my bad english and for the undertale spam but NYEH HEH HEH

[RavenousPartyLibrarian]

Games can invoke and inspire some thoughts and feelings that not even books, movies or paintings can.

 

I have no doubt that games are an artform. Obviously, some games are more... artsy than others. I'd have to get a bit into arguing how, say, a shooter where the main developer focus is mechanics could be considered art; however, story-based games are most definitely art.

[TheErebus.]

Yes, of course it can be. 

Of course, it is very subjective. 

 

Roger Ebert, one of the most famous movie critics of all time, constantly stated that video games aren't art. That doesn't mean he's wrong or right, it's all dependent on your viewpoints. 

[BloodKitten]

i would argue that its all depands on the game.

 

let's for example take a game like call of duty, the first few games have been good and can be considered a form of art, however, later games in the series just turnd generic FPS with little care on giving you a good story or something to make you care about characters, as example, black ops 1 and 2 were amazing, black ops 3, just generic game with almost non exsistant connection to the first 2.

 

brothers in arms games, they are a form of art, and also have connection to history, as well a good story across all of them, in my case, i kept playing since i wanted to know how he story will advance (will not go into details incase someone still dident played those classics)

 

mafia 1 and 2 also an example, as well as the yakuza games, anything with good story, decent gameplay, and okay visuals, can be considered art, warframe, might as well be on its way depanding on how they will move forward with quests and story.

 

although, art is more of a personal view point or taste, you may disagree with my choice of one or all of the games i placed as example, but that is the meaning or personal taste or view point.

[Hortonman]

I'd argue that any medium performed with a sufficient amount of quality or thoughtfulness could be considered art. Depending on the observer, things like a well forged sword or the perfectly executed skateboard trick could be considered art.

To me as a gamer, games are absolutely capable of being an art form, and some of the most powerful experiences I've ever had were from video games.

In my eyes, that makes them more valid as art than any painting I've ever seen.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[-Kyubey-]

I believe any form of self expression is art.

[Eidolon_Slayer]

Buy your father a dictionary for his birthday present.

 

 

p.s. If he mentions anything about his own facts, just say that facts are interpretations.

 

/thread

Edited February 17, 2016 by RevivedEdgeLord

[(XBOX)Grihaly]

Yes.

[n00b_m0m0]

Can art be considered a game?

[HatchetHaro]

To be honest, video games are just interactive bunches of art mashed together by artists. The interactive story, the music, the 2D textures and concept art, the 3D models, the layout, everything is art. If you don't believe me, just play The Second Dream; the story aspect of it is overwhelmingly emotional, and coupled with great visuals, it's a masterpiece to be enjoyed.

So yes, video games are art.

Edited February 17, 2016 by HatchetHaro

[321agemo]

Tell him to play Okami and ask him if he thought that game was art.