Today I met someone who actually recognized me because of Binary Odyssey, quick shot out to Gweneth, and it was funny because she was upset to not find the first post of Antoine's SoapBox up and I told her it was because besides the enormous amount of work I also was stuck in Writer's Block Boulevard. Yet our conversation took to a interesting and hilarious turn when she asked me one interesting question. Are video games art? I had an answer to that but right when I was going to spill out my answer and then an explanation backing up my answer I spaced out for a good 5 minutes. Where did I go? I went down memory lane. When the controversy about video game violence is not being spoken about this topic and question is not far behind. So Gweneth, this first SoapBox rant is just for you.
"Art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions."To figure out if video games is an art form we must first observe and analyze all the other mediums that came before. We must also take note that art is a relative term, not an absolute one. What I mean by this is that if I say, "this bowl filled with fruits is art!" you can't really tell me it is not because of a couple reasons. I am the one who was moved and felt some sort of emotional enlightenment not you. Now with that said when a certain art like literature, music or films becomes culturally and even globally recognize it then does become another level of art which has a profound effect society. This can notably be seen in the Renaissance Period. A time where all art was ahead of its time which for the most part was taken with open arms and in other times, not so much. Now what I have noticed is that, like the Renaissance Period, art is always evolving with the times and for the most part portal to what's lies ahead. We now live in the era of computers and high technology. So wouldn't things like animation and video games be a logical process of art movement?
Art or the beginig of one?
Now I myself love art in any way, shape and/or form it is thrown at me and have a profound respect for it. It is then no surprise when I say that I myself use art to my advantage either through my drawings, my photography or my writings to express myself and my thoughts. Now the thing amazing about art is that the creator(s) at some point in time in their life they were inspired to make something from "nothing" which in the end displays their feelings. I for one ended up taking video games as my medium because it took all the other mediums I used to express myself with and mix it together in a very effective way. Against to what most might think, I at first never considered video games as an art because at the time when I started playing video game it was very simple with a sole objective, get from point A to point B and try to beat the high-score. Now how is that we went from Pong which I don't consider art to Okami? What it balls down to is the evolution within art and its maturity.
Are video games getting there?
Ian Bogost, Ph.D., founding partner of Persuasive Games says, “It’s an extremely simplistic question, but the spirit of it is worthwhile. In essence, we’re asking, ‘What are video games capable of as a medium?’ And that’s a very good question to ask.” As to why this is a good question Denis Dyack, president of Silicon Knights, couldn't say it any better. He says “It’s a very important question to ask, especially to game developers, as it helps give metrics to where the mindset of the industry is." So what does this point at? Not all games are not art. The same how all artifacts in other mediums aren't art. Due to the the pure fact that the source of it has to have that intention in mind. Art is maturity and cultural evolution! Popping out some mediocre music/game just for that quick buck is something that doesn't improve its art form in any way shape or form due to the fact that art is also something that comes with responsibility from both the creator and the audience.
Well are we?
In conclusion, it is ignorant to ignore the fact that video games is an art form. One which reflects to the era we live in. It also shows that the game industry as a whole is growing and maturing. Yet does it benefit the game industry and I myself as a young game developer to have video games be an art form? Will that be the rise of it all or just how it ends?
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