Jump to content

 

Do you consider games to be "art?"


fax5jrj
 Share

Recommended Posts

And if so, what games would you list as art?

 

I consider some games as art, the good ones at least.

 

My list would be:

 

Mirrors Edge (this game is just beautiful)

Bioshock

Dead Space 1+2

Red Dead Redemption

Mass Effect 1+2

Borderlands

AC: Brotherhood (only one I've played, so I can't say 1 or 2)

Halo, except Halo 3. Other than that, the campaigns look and feel amazing (especially Halo 2).

Limbo

Blur

Crysis 2

Batman: AA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think there are a few games out there that could actually be considered art, I think it's an easily debatable topic of what is needed in a game for it to be art though.

I do think video games are like film though, they are still fairly new as a medium trying to force itself into art culture. For the most part games have really just been defined as entertainment but some designers are trying to change that while others just want to stick with entertainment. I think with time and vary goals we'll see a lot more art games coming out with the normal entertainment.

But as with film, photography, and all other artistic mediums as time progresses the rules of what makes it art and what makes just another game will start changing and developing.

Really I am not ready to start saying ____ game was art because this is still a new thing developing, I am really curious to see where more art based games are headed though

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A bunch of people coming together and creating something we play on a daily(maybe) basis, have good story, and bring others together online to have fun? Yeah I would consider it art. But not ALL games are Art..just like not all music is perfect, and not every photo is beautiful. Not all games are perfect, but we should be thankful gaming still Exist.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some are art in visuals, some in audio, some in story, and some in gameplay. Few combine the art of all of those things into perfection but when they do it is amazing.

 

So yes games can be artistic and considered art. Like all art forms not all games should be considered.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Same thing with CoD, Gears, Halo etc. They are not art.
What with the Halo stereotype? All Halo's are really good, and they should not be put into the "zero-brain-cell shooter" category with Halo and Gears. Halo 2 was especially beautiful, and every Halo's music is a work of art.

 

They can be. But most aren't. For instance, the Call of Duty's are all art IMO because of their set pieces, whereas Battlefield ... is not.
Jesus Christ, dude. Are you really trying to start a fanboy war? I agree Call of Duty has some nice set pieces, but Battlefield online is simply amazing. Also, considering Battlefield is as close to looking real at the moment excluding Forza 4, I'd consider it art.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some are art in visuals, some in audio, some in story, and some in gameplay. Few combine the art of all of those things into perfection but when they do it is amazing.

 

So yes games can be artistic and considered art. Like all art forms not all games should be considered.

 

While I agree with this, and I would say in my opinion, FPS is rubbish, it really comes down to our preferences and appreciation for all things being subjective. It's the same as saying alternative music is artistic, but pop is rubbish and has no merit or substance. Again, I'd agree. But once more, this is simply my opinion and doesn't make it truth or fact.

 

Beauty in the eye of the beholder, and all that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh definitely yes! It's hard to say that any game doesn't possess some sort of art. And yes, that includes Call of Duty and Battlefield whether you like it or not.

 

A great example that comes to mind for this subject is Bioshock. Just a great work of art and style. You can tell that the developers really cared for what they were making and they outdid their selves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a touchy subject. The only way to make people see the side of it are showing good examples.

 

The subject has been on the News in the past, but they tend to be unfair about it.

 

Some of the best examples, in my opinion, are;

-Shadow of the Colossus (The design on the bosses are so detailed and realistic [considering the environment]. The music is divine, and the game itself just looked beautiful. It's not some senseless shooter, it's something a lot of people can enjoy simplying watching)

 

-Killer7 (I have never experienced a game with a deeper story. Suda51 put every bit of effort into the title, and it shows. The gameplay is unique, the environment has a very artistic feel, and the game has pages and pages of dialogue from captivating characters. This title is one of a kind, and there will never be another like it)

 

-Silent Hill 1-4 (the story is what really caught people's attention back then for these titles. While the games have their weak points [such as voice-acting and gameplay mechanics], the stories were captivating, interesting as they unveiled, and overall entertaining.)

 

-LittleBigPlanet (A very simple game, but it's as if seeing a children's book come to life in a unique way that people of any age can enjoy. In the world of violent games and FPS, something like this is a breath of fresh air to many.)

 

Not all video games can be looked as art. Still, it can be seen as a form of art depending what game it is and how the developer(s) went about it. It's hard to make people that think otherwise see the other side most likely because they're so use to simply thinking video games are for nothing but simple fun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just look at the time and detail that goes into games and how they are created. I believe they are a form of art. For example, artists and animators have big roles in the input of games development so what is the output? Games yes, but as their title suggests they are making forms of art.

 

Personally i think RPG's (Final Fantasy etc) are the best example of this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me, Game is sometimes art. For a game to become art, I fell like it has to be something really special, not something "good enough". Games considered art for me are games that really has the feeling of being, as I said, really special. One of my examples on that would be Halo: Combat Evolved, because of it´s new ideas about the sci-fi and FPS mixture :)

 

Edit: I meant "different" instead of "New" in the last sentence :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What with the Halo stereotype? All Halo's are really good, and they should not be put into the "zero-brain-cell shooter" category with Halo and Gears. Halo 2 was especially beautiful, and every Halo's music is a work of art.

Well yeah Halo does have some redeaming things, but it still mostly resembles the bland average summerblockbusters than works of art. In movieterms Gears is Jean Claud van Damme -film, CoD is Michael Bay -film, and Halo is not so good Ridley Scott -film. None are really artsy, but Ridley Scott at least tryes.

 

They are not art because YOU do not like them. Pretty dumb reasoning.

No. From plotwise, and what the games are about they have more in common with action blockbusters, than artsy films. Ok they could be considered art, but trashart, instead of real art.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

100% yes I consider them art. If people consider paintings art, if they consider music art, if they consider movies art... then videogames, which combine all 3, are f*cking art. Nothing will ever move me the way Ocarina of Time, Final Fantasy VII, and Halo: Combat Evolved did. Plus, the soundtracks in those games were stellar.

 

Edit: I feel like I should mention I barely find paintings to be art. Nothing against it, I just don't get it. Paintings where someone has slopped a bunch of paint around (like Jackson Pollocks) are really tough for me to understand. Don't take this as me saying "Jackson Pollock isn't art." I never said that. I just don't get it. Like my parents don't "get" videogames.

 

Double Edit (Sorry): Here is the definition of art: art/ärt/Noun

1. The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.

2. Works produced by such skill and imagination.

 

I think its up to the gamer to decide whether a certain game is art. But a I said before, those games which hit me emotionally are definitely art in my book.

Edited by Mercury
Link to comment
Share on other sites

By the very definition of what art is, games are art. They are the physical expression and production of one's ideas of what is beautiful or more than ordinary significance.

 

Whether you think CoD is just another rehashed, generic shooter or that FFVII is overrated or whatever; there are hundreds of people who put thousands of hours to makesomething that they consider beautiful. Gmaes are art and there is NO argument against it.

 

As far as I'm concerned, every game ever created, ragardless of how good or bad it is/was, is art.

 

Some good examples, though; ICO & SotC, FF Tactics, Monster Hunter, Metroid Prime

 

Obviously there are other but those are the first games that come to mind when I think of games that have carved out a special place in my memories

 

Remember this: You not liking it doesn't mean it's not art.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
  • Create New...