Are video games art?

[Kane99]

Do you guys consider video games to be art? I personally I do, because there are so many games one could say qualify as art. I would say stuff like Breath of the Wild, Red Dead Redemption, Okami, katamari demacy, Flower, Journey, Metal Gear Solid 3, and so much more. I think games can be an art form, just like movies, music, etc can be. 

What are your feelings on this? Are video games art? 

[The Blackangel]

Yes it's art. It's no different than music or movies. It's a medium that people use to show their artistic side. Some do other things. My art is the written word. I've written 2 novels, several short stories, and a hell of a lot of unconventional poetry. Some prefer a brush. Some prefer a saw and hammer.

It's art from those that have the drive and knowledge to create it. There are games I personally just aren't into all the way to others that I despise. But my feeling on those games does not negate the fact that they are still art.

[Kane99]

1 hour ago, The Blackangel said:

Yes it's art. It's no different than music or movies. It's a medium that people use to show their artistic side. Some do other things. My art is the written word. I've written 2 novels, several short stories, and a hell of a lot of unconventional poetry. Some prefer a brush. Some prefer a saw and hammer.

It's art from those that have the drive and knowledge to create it. There are games I personally just aren't into all the way to others that I despise. But my feeling on those games does not negate the fact that they are still art.

Nice, congrats on your writings. Have you published anything? I would love to know. 🙂 

Anyway, don't you just hate when people claim it's not art? I remember when Roger Ebert was still alive (film critic), he blasted video games as not being art. I think this was around the time Metal Gear Solid 3 came out, which I consider to be very artistic. I don't get why some people hate on games so much. Games are art too, just like the movies. 

Just wait until the next 10 years or so. Games are going to look so pretty!

[killamch89]

It's definitely art as it takes creativity and imagination to come up with a game concept and skill to turn that concept into something tangible for others to enjoy. 

1 hour ago, The Blackangel said:

Yes it's art. It's no different than music or movies. It's a medium that people use to show their artistic side. Some do other things. My art is the written word. I've written 2 novels, several short stories, and a hell of a lot of unconventional poetry. Some prefer a brush. Some prefer a saw and hammer.

It's art from those that have the drive and knowledge to create it. There are games I personally just aren't into all the way to others that I despise. But my feeling on those games does not negate the fact that they are still art.

My sentiments exactly.

8 minutes ago, Kane99 said:

Nice, congrats on your writings. Have you published anything? I would love to know. 🙂 

Anyway, don't you just hate when people claim it's not art? I remember when Roger Ebert was still alive (film critic), he blasted video games as not being art. I think this was around the time Metal Gear Solid 3 came out, which I consider to be very artistic. I don't get why some people hate on games so much. Games are art too, just like the movies. 

Just wait until the next 10 years or so. Games are going to look so pretty!

You have to understand that gaming always had this stigma that it's a "hobby for kids". Some of the older generation still view it as that although gaming has evolved a lot since then. I mean, triple AAA gaming budgets are comparable to movie budgets (in the hundreds of millions).

[The Blackangel]

1 hour ago, Kane99 said:

Nice, congrats on your writings. Have you published anything? I would love to know. 🙂

No I'm not published yet. I haven't found a publisher that I want to go with. I have considered self publishing, but I don't really like going that route. If and when it happens, I'll definitely post to let people know.

[StaceyPowers]

7 hours ago, The Blackangel said:

Some prefer a saw and hammer.

I expect you were alluding to construction, but since it was you who said it, I immediately thought, "Their art is death!"

[The Blackangel]

Not construction. Some like to make art with wood. My sperm donor was a master craftsman. There’s nothing he couldn’t do with wood. The man may have been a drunk piece of shit, but he was able to build some of the most beautiful things with wood.

[Reality vs Adventure]

Of course it is. Anything with design is an art, from characters, environment, story, and all the other details and objects that work together no matter if it's made to look real or not. Speaking of art, just want to share I used to draw a lot growing up using charcoal. I always drew scenes in nature cause that's just what I loved. Is that an art trying to copy something that is real? Photography is art. But people always asked me why draw something to make it look just like what is already there? Why not take a picture? I don't know. First of all cameras back then you had to go and get developed. Trying to make something look as real as I could was an art to me. That challenge is increasing in video games trying to make things look as real as possible. 

[The Blackangel]

Cameras when I was a kid cost a lot more than they do now. The pics were low resolution, and having to have a steady supply if flash cubes was an expensive pain in the ass.

[skyfire]

Art and science. Art when you look at the graphics and science when you look at the experience that gamers end up with at the end of the game.

[Kane99]

23 hours ago, killamch89 said:

It's definitely art as it takes creativity and imagination to come up with a game concept and skill to turn that concept into something tangible for others to enjoy. 

My sentiments exactly.

You have to understand that gaming always had this stigma that it's a "hobby for kids". Some of the older generation still view it as that although gaming has evolved a lot since then. I mean, triple AAA gaming budgets are comparable to movie budgets (in the hundreds of millions).

I think the reason it had this stigma, was because of the industries start. Gaming was a toy back when it first started, so that mentality kind of stuck for future games, even though the medium has grown and progressed since the days of retro gaming. Back then it was meant to be for kids, for the most part, but adults found joy in games too. 

These days, games are made for a wide range of age groups and diversities. 

13 hours ago, The Blackangel said:

Cameras when I was a kid cost a lot more than they do now. The pics were low resolution, and having to have a steady supply if flash cubes was an expensive pain in the ass.

True, but you could argue that everything starts off expensive when it's a new thing. It's why 4K TVs for example started off so expensive, but now they're getting to the point where I can get 4K TVs for cheap these days. 

[Shagger]

This may not be a popular opinion, but in answer to the question are video games art my answer is a definitive no.

 

Let me explain. Imagine you are laying out cards for a game of solitaire or setting up a chess board, is there any art in that? No, it's all about structure and rules to set up a challenge. That's what a game is. Games can't be art because they have a function. For something to be art, it has to have no purpose other than itself.

 

However, cards and chess pieces have a design, a style that has no bearing on their purpose and that IS art. Just because a game, video or otherwise, is not art doesn't mean art can't be found in its make up can't help define it. More specifically, video games as a purpose exist to challenge and/or provoke a reaction from the player, but they always have an indigenous design and style that sets them apart each time, just like how chess sets and playing cards can have a variety of designs.

 

So no, video games are not art, but art is an important it what video games what they are.

Edited November 8, 2020 by Shagger

[AndreiMirfi]

My answer will be 80% yes. 

Some games are based to create an art, but other are just for fun & entertainment.

[Empire]

Of course they are. Honestly I would really like to see any argument to the opposite. I’ve never once seen someone saying video games aren’t art (except maybe super old timers who think technology is the devil or something lol) look at it from the viewpoint of they start with a creative vision. You have people animating, designing, making music, programming, etc. Its many people coming together to produce a final product. Specifically games such as journey or abzu. Even FPS games that most wouldn't consider art. They all start from someone having the vision and the passion to create. Just in a different medium!

[Heatman]

I wonder if video games aren't a form of creative arts what it would be considered to be then? It takes a lot of time, effort and insane creativity to cook up a video game and have it fully complete to be played after releasing it.