Video Games

Books, comics, film, painting, sculpture, etc. . .

They are all visual forms of entertainment (among other things), and they all have a class that's considered higher, for the elite. Art. Literature. The good stuff.

But video games, like all those others being a visual medium and requiring interaction between the maker and the user, don't seem to. They're "only" video games. There doesn't seem to be an "upper echelon" of video games. Sure there are a few that are extremely critically acclaimed -- Myst and many of Blizzard's games spring to mind -- as well as several that are considered classics -- such as Doom, Dune II, etc. -- but they're all still just Video Games. Not respectable, nor entirely respected. Is there a reason that there's not more of an acceptable market for mature, well put together, thought-out and thought-provoking games?

 

I would argue that there are people out there who consider games like the Myst or Warcraft series to be art. I think the distinction comes when the prevalent theme of the game is violence - something that isn't true of Myst or Warcraft. Sure, people die, but that's not the whole point of the game. A great deal of those games centers around strategy and the beauty of the game itself. I think a game is "just a video game" when the whole point is to run around and blow people's heads off, with little or no strategy involved.

Mel

 

In my opinion, violence has nothing to do with it. "Resevoir Dogs" is considered art. American Psycho is considered art.

It's all about perception, and the prevailing attitude is that not only are video games mere mindless fiddling only a few steps removed from "Yahtzee", but also that they are, have always been, and should always be a children's medium. According to this way of thinking, any game that attempts to grow beyond those arbitrary boudaries and break new ground in the hopes that a fledgling art form will flourish is dangerous. This is akin to deciding that any book, film, song or TV program that attempts to extend itself beyond a preconceived measure of social acceptability is no longer worthy to be deemed art.

Utter bunk. Video games have come so far in the last few years it's astonishing. We're not talking about "Pong" anymore here. Today's video games provide players with immersive, interactive experiences heretofore undreamt of. How is this accomplished? The answer that probably springs to your mind first is technology. But technological advances can only be taken as far as the creative minds utilizing them are capable of going. The real answer to that question is artistry. Game designers today bring a new artistic aesthetic to the games they produce. Interactive environments, vibrant animations, characters that breathe with life and engrossing stories that rival (and often upstage) anything coming out of Hollywood these days. To say that video games are not art, regardless of their content, is an insult to the teams of artists and craftspeople who put months of their lives into the creation of these games.

If you're looking for proof, I recommend the following:

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty- Engrossing, stealth-based espionage action with enough plot twists to make your head spin. Rivals any Hollywood action film. It's no more violent than your typical James Bond film, and you get bonuses if you can complete the game without killing anyone. The original is a must-play as well.

Silent Hill 2: The premiere horror experience in gaming. Not "blast the zombie" horror. Not "jump out and say 'BOO'" horror. This is under-your-skin, inside-your-head horror and it will scare you. Also check out the original.

Any Final Fantasy Game: Looking to lose hours of your life exploring a fully-realized and incredibly detailed world populated by memorable and fascinating characters that you will grow to love? Pop in any FF game and be swept into a world of epic storylines, sweeping vistas and tragic losses. Try it at least once. You won't be sorry.

Which is to say nothing of Ico, Grand Theft Auto 3, Tony Haw's Pro Skater 3, Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec and I've lost track of how many more titles I could point to that would show any thinking person that video games have grown into an art form in their own right. But I've taken up too much space already.

 

good question. i think it's cos that ppl have a tough time accepting new art forms. like comic books, for instance. when comics first came out, ppl didn't think much of them, (and many still don't). same with video games. games are an interactive medium, yes, but game designers are very much artists, and because games are interactive, the users also play a part in defining the work. that's a cool thing about games, is that no two users are exactly alike, so everyone's experience with the game will be different.

anyway, i think video games won't be considered an art form for a very long time, even tho it clearly is one, and that's a shame.

EDIT: definitely agree with u there, coop. my favourite game designer is shigeru miyamoto. he's the master of game design. he made the super mario bros. series, the zelda games, donkey kong, pikmin, and a whole bunch of others. he's an artist, no question. and same with all the other talented game designers out there.

 

Not all games are violent but are thought challenging. Like for example "Ages of Empire" or any of the SIMs where you build cities, theme parks, etc.


The XFiles game is hardly violent. There may be one or two levels in the game where you use a gun and kill people. But its mostly about solving a mystery. But it does get pretty boring after awhile.

 

I've always wished video games would get more respect, primarily from adults. The only time I hear about video games in the media is people calling them violent and saying they are corrupting the youth. Maybe they want video games to look bad so people spend more time watching TV and movies. If people would actually stop and look into video games, they would see that the majority aren't violent at all. Many of the games are definately art-forms, and tons of time and effort went into creating them. Right now I'm engrossed in an RPG called Golden Sun, and the thought that's put into games like this is staggering.

I've always been loyal to Nintendo, and my favorite games include the Zelda, Mario, Donkey Kong, Mega Man, and Banjo-Kazooie series. But my favorite of all time is an offbeat RPG called Earthbound for the Super NES. Many adults would enjoy playing these games if only they gave them a chance. Even games that look cutesy, such as Banjo-Kazooie, are not as simple as they look by a longshot.

 

i just wish they tryed one then they would catch on and most likely play them as much as we do.i mean they will never know until they try but they just say "i know i wont like it" and that is all they ever say.it gets really old.with most kids we could not live with out them we would die i know i would.if adults would just try once i don't even care if they don't like the game at least they would have tryed but i am preety sure the will never try.

 

And some games are even educational.

Especially the history type Games.

 

I think that BioWare?s RPG games are even better examples than the Final Fantasy series of just how deep a storyline can be. Planescape: Torment is still considered to be one of the greatest RPG?s ever created, and people still buy it, because the plotline is so deep and involving. The Baldur?s Gate series has text enough to fill a large Robert Jordan novel, a huge overarching plotline, and several dozen subplots.

But even in games without convoluted novel-like plots a lot of work goes into creating a game. Their art departments and storyboarding can be sometimes compared to that of movies, and their soundtracks are often first rate. Personally, I think that Throne of Bhaal has a better soundtrack than Attack of the Clones.

[Waiting for the Gods to strike me down for blasphemy]

 

i was never into the final fantasy games. or even RPGs for that matter.

im more into RTSs like the Command and Conquer series, starcraft, warcraft.

although i quite enjoy the Jedi Knight series. Now if i can only get a decent video card that can play Jedi Outcast.

 

Mad_Ewok - i love earthbound too! it has an awesome, almost mythical story (like star wars), strange wicked sense of humour, colourful simple graphics, and cool music. my favourite song from that game is easily the soundstone melody.

i love the megaman games. they had some kickass music! megaman 2 & 3 for NES in particular.

very true Gandolf the Grey, and not only are traditional art forms used in the creation of games, but a whole new art form was created. and this art form is the most important part of video game design: gameplay. it is also the most challenging aspect of game design.

 

Of all my years playing video games,my favorite has to be a simple little ditty from the early eighties called Dig Dug. You play a robot who uses an air hose to inflate these creatures until they blow up,or you can crush them with rocks. It may sound sick,but the violence is cartoony. It just goes to show that the simplest games are the best.

 

Okay guys, make sure that you discuss video games as a medium, not just posting what your fave games are.

You're right Mastage, there is a stigma attached to video games. There is a lot of time and effort that goes into both the look of the game, but more importantly the story behind it (well, for some, mainly the RPG one). There is a lot of detail, and for many games, there isn't just the one story that has to be written. Every time that a choice has to be made, a new version of the story must be written so that it all fits.

But I think that the reason that there hasn't been as much of an acceptance of them as a form of art in a sense, is that they are still young. Everything else that you mentioned have been around for centuries, yet video games have been around for all of 20 years. I think that over time, as technology and society keeps moving more towards the sheer dependance on computer, that the stigma will be lost.

 

Everything else that you mentioned have been around for centuries

Comic books and film have been around for centuries?

 

Well, a century almost for those two.

Yet with Comics there is still a slight stigma, although with some of the work that is being produced now, that is disappearing.

 

I know what you're saying, Kadue, I was just giving you a hard time.

So, what makes a great game great? Is gameplay itself actually the most important factor, or is it the presentation, or is it in fact the depth and maturity of the story, or how much it makes you think, or what?

 

Perhaps the greatest examples of video games as art are the works of Shigeru Miyamoto. Throughout his career, he has been compared to some of the great artists of other mediums. Whether it's a simple game like Donkey Kong or a complex game like The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, his games have always had an unique quality that have made them stand out. He is an artist, no question about it.

"Is gameplay itself actually the most important factor, or is it the presentation, or is it in fact the depth and maturity of the story, or how much it makes you think, or what?"

Gameplay is what makes a video game a video game, so it should always be the most important factor. Not every game has a deep story or perfect presentation, but that's not to say that those games can't be considered art.

Take Tetris, for example. It has no story, it has the simplest graphics this side of Pong, and yet, its gameplay has captivated millions. Its simple but ingenious design should be considered the work of an artist, in my opinion.

 

gameplay is most important. good graphics, good presentation, good backstory, good music and sound effects, these things all help make the game better, but without good gameplay a game is nothing. gameplay actually makes a game a game and not a movie or something u just look at; a passive form of entertainment. gameplay makes the game come alive, makes the game player an active participant in the experience.

 

Good topic. I agree that video games can be considered as forms of art, as art is all about perception; there are no boundaries or constrictions that disclude video games.

But many video games today are made purely to entertain the players for some cheap fun...essentially like B-grade movies, which, by many, are hardly considered works of art. A lot of the true artistic essence of video games has been lost recently, especially with corporate giants like Sony and Microsoft taking over the realm of video games.

As for the best 'artist' in the world of video games, that would undoubtedly have to be Shigeru Miyamoto - the man behind Mario, Donkey Kong, Zelda, and many more classic games. In a sense, the 'art' in Miyamoto's games is the gameplay. Miyamoto was the most successful at creating games that were simple, yet extremely addictive, and fun at the same time. This in itself can be seen as artistic accomplishment, not to mention the hordes of 'traditional' art such as music and visuals in Miyamoto's more complex games, such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which, in my opinion, is the greatest video game ever made.

So, you could say that video games have two different levels of art. Not only is there the traditional art forms of music and visual art, but there is also the art of gameplay. Unfortunately, I think as technology advances, the ability for game developers to master the game control is becoming more and more difficult. Simplistic games like Tetris seem to be much more entertaining, yet lack the improving traditional art of today's games.

 

Agreed.
Has anyone here ever played the game "Columns" for Sega Genesis? I bring it up because that is the best example of art that I can imagine. I get into a strange meditation-like state when I play it and I find that very intriguing. The game itself is simple. You just match up colors and the bricks fall faster and faster. But eventually they fall so fast that the only part of your brain that's still turned on is the color recognition centers. I'm not kidding. It's my own form of zen. The blocks move so fast that you completely tune out. I've actually maxed out the game before. Has anyone ever experienced anything like this? I have only gotten it from that video game and T'ai Chi. If video games were paintings, "Columns" would be my Mona Lisa.

But anyways...I think the coolest thing about video games is that the audience isn't just passive. They have choices of where to go and what to do. For this reason I like games like Shenmue and Omikron: The Nomad Soul. These are games where it's like watching a movie, but you're an active participant and the choices you make really do have an outcome in the game. There's a storyline that you're following, but it isn't completely linear. That's where the beauty of video games lies to me. Unfortunately, most games don't fully incorporate this (yet) but I think this is where the future of gaming really lies.

 

if i may, i would like to list severial great PC games that effected the industry forever.

Half-Life: Arguably the best game ever made. it had a compelling story, complete with twists and turns. it took FPS games out of the monotonus, kill guy take key open door, and put it into an actual story.

Fallout Series: Some of the best RPGs ever. took the genra out of the dungeons and put it into a gritty post apocolyptic wasteland. Made great by its story, dirty humor and language, and also first rate guilty pleasures.

WarCraft/starcraft: these game ooze style. Blizzerd continuosly outdoes itself by makeing each game bigger and better. from graphical splender, play balance, and even the unit responses this series shines. again another great story line as well.

Wing Commander: Destroyed my life. this game actually made you feel like you where living a movie. ity had story and gameplay. later instalments would include FMV sequences that included above all, Mark Hammil.

there is more out there, but these stick into my mind.

 

A Sega fan, eh gwaernardel?

I used to own a Sega Genesis, but I never got the chance to play Columns. Your description is very interesting, however, and I'm trying to think if something similar has ever occured to me while playing a video game...but I really can't think of a time. But while we're on Sega, another game that accomplished a great deal in the art of gameplay is the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Well, the first 4 games, anyway. Yuji Naka is truly a Shigeru Miyamoto in his own right, as he achieved the same qualities as Miyamoto (yet on a competing platform).

However, I've noticed differences in the artistic preferences in video games between Americans and Japanese. Americans typically go for fast, action-packed games with little artistic value, save for maybe sharp visuals and popular music. The Japanese, on the other hand, spend a great deal of time taking into consideration the depth of games, and perhaps the most important thing to Japanese gamers is the length of the game. Now, I'm not saying that American gamers have no sense of artistic values in video games, but the Japanese seem to have better tastes. Where an American gamer might pick First-Person Shooter, Racing, and Sports games, a Japanese gamer would choose Role-Playing, Puzzle, and Strategy games.

Now this can't be said for every gamer, but this seems to be the trend according to sales figures. Do the Americans really have less appreciation for art?

 

SirLancelot: You're very right; all of those games have had a significant impact not only in the world of PC games, but also on video games in general. A few other important games include Doom, System Shock, and Deus Ex. Although these games may lack in artistic value (save for maybe the latter), they were important to the development of computer games nontheless.

 

i knew i forgot a bunch

Deus Ex: hybrid FPS/RPG, silk smooth story with massive plot twists. intrudices multipule solutions to a single quest gameplay. now they are working on a sequel

 

I think when you talk about video games you have to mention the decline of video arcades from their heyday in the 80s-early 90s. I can remember the arcade at my local mall being packed every weekend with people playing the latest games, and now I see that the arcade in one of the larger malls in Orlando is not even close to that during the weekends. At my former university, UCF, there was an arcade that was heavily used, but it was basically for two games: Tekken 4 and Street Fighter vs SNK. So not every arcade has gone extinct, but they have definately become an afterthought of video game players.

The number one reason for this is probably due to consoles and the PC. Now you don't have to mall to play the latest thing, you can just buy and/or rent the game and play it as much as you want. I think the second reason is that the games of the 80s were more geared towards simplicity and fun. There was no need (except for the original Street Fighter of course ) to figure out a button/joystick combination to play Pac-Man, Frogger, or Paperboy. You just needed a little skill and little luck to get through the next level. Now on most of the fighting games you have these learn those combos because if the game AI doesn't beat you, then someone else in the arcade will (and usually when you put your quarters in, someone will always show up a few minutes later to play you ).

I hate to sound like someone thinking of the golden years (I mean I'm only 24 ), but I really do miss the way arcades used to be. Not that I don't enjoy the games of today, but I would much rather have an arcade full of games like Galaga, Tempest, Defender, Sinistar, etc., than a bunch of fighting/shooting/racing games that cost as much as a $1 to play.