What's the whole "Video games aren't art." thing all about?

@OppressiveStink: And now you're making me feel bad because you are such a polite guy. I'm sorry too man... This threads get me so worked about something that should be really personal. In the end, art is a very expresive form of your own spirituality. Bro hug*

Gotta be honest, Video games are a better art form then movies these days. As the video game industry actually does have a bar for quality. The movie industry does not so we keep getting shit ass movies near daily from all over the world.

Also, this debate is dead... hell, it ended with the first major artistic games... ala I have no mouth and must scream to even newer ones like Portal 2/Deus Ex HR. To be quite honest, people who debate against it are already in a lost battle. Considering the fact they even exist proves them wrong already.

Video games are not only better then movies in terms of art, but will most likely be the ultimate one too. once VR comes out... say goodbye to all other mediums fellows. espicially movies.

I consider anything created by a group or individual shown to the public (and not) is art, and even if it's not great, it's still art; so to consider games as not art is preposterous, and there shouldn't even be debate over it. Really though, I can't care less about the topic, because like I just said, I don't think it's a question of if it is or not (or shouldn't be at least). It's actually more debating over what the definition of art is (which is also preposterous), rather than are games a form of art. To use your mind creatively so you can make something for others to see, is art. So games are in fact art. The debate is dumb.

if the "top 40 artists" can be considered artists, and their songs art, then video games can be considered art.

I agree that the main issue with the video games are art argument is the fact that like other mediums, video games are predominantly made for the sake of entertainment. Certainly Roger Ebert would argue that movies can be an art form (just like I would argue that games can be an artform) but he probably would also agree that 99% of movies produced do not fall into that category. Also many games are just too unpredictable and plain too LONG for them to express any particular cohesive theme or message to the player. Take open-world games for instance. In many of the games you can basically ignore the main storyline and go out and explore or do side quests. The same thing doesn't apply to movies since you can't just skip around a movie in random order (well you could, but you won't get anything meaningful out of it).

I also don't understand why it matters so much whether or not games are considered a "serious artform." I feel the same way about people who care way too much about critical appreciation of a movie versus the movie just being an enjoyable experience. I guess it comes down to the fact that I play games because I enjoy playing games, not because I feel games themselves are intellectually or emotionally stimulating.

@Deusx said:

@owl_of_minerva said:

@Deusx said:

@Sin4profit said:

The part that makes a game a "game" is a design process. you can implement art into design but the part that is "game" is purely design and not a form of expression.

Oh god give this man a trophy. This is your answer OP.

This seems like sophistry to me.

burrito.

The simplest way to understand it is this;

Art is a form of internal expression. It isn't required to be translated for, or understood by, external forces (aka "other people") It's purely a self indulgence.

Design is a form of external interpretation. It's purpose is to use familiarities to serve some kind of function even if that function is a form of expression.

Art is internal (for one's self)

Design is external (for others)

What becomes more interesting is the definition of "Game". This is where the shit is hitting the fan more then anything else, i think.

Now if you excuse me i must be off to shoot duty dudes in their doodie dude faces and crash many a helicopter upon the soils of the virtual world.

...burrito.

Art is such a stupid fucking blanket term nowadays it really doesn't mean anything. All people mean when they say art is an expression.

@Deusx:

brohug*

No worries man, your sentiment is shared!