(K)Night at the Round Table

Our friends at GamePolitics.com posted a recurring debate recently on their forums (http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/04/10/return-quotare-games-artquot-debate) after Devin Faraci from CHUD made some questionable comments pertaining to video games and art. So the Nfamous writers decided to answer the question ourselves.

So, are video games art?

Robert: 
Honestly, anything creative is art in my book - if its movies, music, games, or the Sistine Chapel. There are different levels to art for sure and like the Faraci guy even said “So what's art? Let's say it's something purposefully created or presented with the intention of communicating an idea or feeling." Many games have done that (Metal Gear series comes to mind) with deep storytelling, great character building, music scores, all coming together to bring ideas of life, love, and friendship, even politics and good ol’ fashion game play.

Many games may use visuals to express their views or ideas (ICO and Shadow of the Colossus to name a few) and like many other posters said on Game Politics "just because one person doesn't consider something art does NOT mean others should follow suit." Let’s say this, someone who spends days, months, years even working on a beautiful painting that would be considered art right? Well let’s say my friend’s six year old son draws a picture of his family at school is that art as well? To compare the two would be insulting to the artist that has spent hundreds of hours on a wonderful panting only to be compared to a six year old child picture of his family but the idea is there. Yes you can say that the kid’s picture is art but not of the same scale of the artist. It’s just not the same.

Shadow of the Colossus

Games that use cut scenes and narrative to tell a story an idea or to reveal more plot or even if game developers got out of their way to build character or lore to create a world with depth is some form of art so, I think games are art, the same as movies, books, comics, or a simple panting just a different way of expressing it. And as far as the comment "in the end a game is simply a series of rules" same can be said in how a movie is viewed or a book read or a panting is made.

Chastity: 
First off, Robert, my niece and nephew and kids have done fantastic artwork! [laughing] In all seriousness, I went to an art school, for interior design and architecture.  At this school there was graphic design, video production, culinary arts, and game art.  The level of detail and extent of the creativity in each of these fields is the same but unique by category.  To discount game art is a shame. I have seen what goes into creating a game from the very beginning ideas and believe me, it’s artistic. I don’t say this because I am a gamer, I think I am an avid gamer because I am a creative person in love with various forms of art.  Other may find it a simple form of entertainment but, most forms of entertainment are classified as art, as Robert mentioned.

Jonathan: 
Of course, a lot of games take our minds somewhere else. I for instance get in the zone on war games, [laughs] and even RPG games. I mean anything that makes us feel or think that we're in another world or different state of mind I consider an "Art."

Shawn S.: 
In response to the article's quote from Mr. Faraci, I liked how he invalidated games as art and then asks gamers 'what's the big deal if it's not considered art?'. If we were to go to CHUD and start saying "movies aren't art" he'd surely get just as defensive as some of us did over his initial comments. He has the stature of the movie industry's 100+ year history behind him, and its global appeal and appreciation. Gaming is just now coming to be socially acceptable and approachable by those who didn't grow up with it over the last 30 years. In time even Mr. Faraci will find a game that even he thinks is more than just "a series of rules". 

As for the question itself, games are most definitely art. There are some that set out to be artistic (ICO and Braid spring to mind) and others that are full of exceptionally well crafted visuals and elements (like a Final Fantasy). And there are still others that are the gaming equivalent of notebook doodles and drawings on bathroom stalls. You can appreciate or at least tolerate them, but it's not something you're going to remember or care about in a year (or month, or even week). 

The debate reminds me of another form of art, graffiti. The things people create on the sides of trains and buildings are amazing and frequently beautiful but some people can't get over the "medium". No matter how good it looks, it's still defacing property. It's the same with games. People just can't accept that art can be something interactive, something you play with, something with buttons. More and more people are getting into games today and it's only a matter of time before they too realize what we've known for decades, that games ARE art.

Chastity: 
Great point about the graffiti art, Shawn.  As a New Yorker, I find graffiti quite beautiful. Some confuse “tagging” with graffiti art but not the case.  It further drives home the fact that art is subjective.

Zach Starr: 
I'm going to take this one step further then most probably would.  I'm going to say that video games are currently the highest form of art there is.  Now, allow me to explain why would I make such a bold statement. 

Video games encompass every medium that is considered art in this day and age.  Painting, drawing, sculpting, photography, writing, music, acting; every one of these is considered a form of art.  Almost every video game made will incorporate all of these art forms to make one collective piece.  How can something be created by art and then not be considered art itself?  Of course some of the tools that are used have changed, but why is rendering a 3D model any different then forming a sculpture?  Ultimately, doesn't it come down to a person’s passion to 
create something from nothing? 

Well written story driven games invoke different emotions depending on the circumstance; just as a good film does.  There are involving plots and characters that the player develops an emotional bond with.  The fact that so many games are made into movies is a testament to this. 
It would be a bit of a contradiction if video games weren't art but they could inspire a film that is. 

While studying fine art in college we were taught that you must "trust the artist".  If the artist states that a piece is art, then it is so.  I defy anyone to say that Yuzo Koshiro (music composer of Streets of Rage, Actraiser, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, etc.), Yu Suzuki (creator of Out Run, After Burner, Virtua Fighter, Shenmue, etc.), or even Gunpei Yokoi (creator of the Game Boy and producer of Metroid, Kid Icarus, and Dr. Mario just to name a few) are not artists.  These are just a few renowned individuals of the video game industry.  I would even say that a few select games could certainly be considered a masterpiece; Shenmue and Panzer Dragoon Saga come to mind. 

Panzer Dragoon
When it comes down to it, video games; like all art are highly subjective.  Hey, not everyone likes Picasso.  If someone does not consider games art then they are probably not an artist and definitely not a gamer.

Shawn S.: 
That is an exceptional point and one I'll remember the next time I personally come up against someone who says games aren't art! You can throw directing and editing in there as well as more cinematic art skills that go into making our games.

Robert: 
I agree two people can play the same game and walk away with two different experiences and feel many different emotions. And thanks, now I have to dig out my Dreamcast to play those great games.

Damon: 
Art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions.  It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music and literature.  Games such as Metal Gear Solid, Oblivion, and the Final Fantasy series are prime examples of this.  They combine great gameplay, beautiful music scores, emotion provoking moments, and cinema quality storylines (amongst many other qualifiers) into an amalgam of aesthetically pleasing attributes.  If a video game isn’t art, which it is by definition (see below), then it is clearly the gallery which houses the art. 

Oblivion

Art –noun 

Definition 1: 

the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance: the forests of Morrowind or the jungles of Crysis.   

Crysis

Definition 2:

the class of objects subject to aesthetic criteria; works of art collectively, as paintings, sculptures, or drawings: An art gallery houses paintings and sculptures as a video game houses graphic landscapes and 3d models. 

Definition 3:

a field, genre, or category of art: game design is an art 

Definition 4:

the fine arts collectively, often excluding architecture: acting, voice acting, drawing, sculpting, etc 

Definition 5:

any field using the skills or techniques of art: writing, composing, etc. 

Definition 6:

illustrative or decorative material: box art, in game backgrounds, background stories for characters, storylines 

Definition 7:

the principles or methods governing any craft or branch of learning: the art of level design, the art of character balancing 

Definition 8:

the craft or trade using these principles or methods. (as for Def. 7) 

Definition 9:

skill in conducting any human activity: master at the art of producing games 

Definition 10:

a branch of learning or university study: Art Institute has a game design program 

Definition 11:

skilled workmanship, execution, or agency, as distinguished from nature: any game that evokes strong emotion or keeps you glued to your seat 

Definition 12:

studied action: game development skills have to be studied and innovated in order to pass them on and move on to the next level 

Definition 13:

an artifice or artful device: Oblivion is full of stunning imagery, story, and even the little “novels” you pick up have poetry and fables within. 

Robert: 
Just wanted to add some more. I also think we should look at the tools used for games. a mouse and keyboard used to make 3d model would be the same idea as a sculptor using a chisel and hammer. Great use of all the definitions that make up art. Very insightful.

Chastity: 
I was pretty confident we would all agree that games are an art form but I wanted to prove to the Mr. Faraci’s of the world how intelligently we could prove that point. As I stated, I love so many forms of art; the movies I watch, the books I read, the paintings I visit, and the games I play.  The greatest part of my games is that they are an interactive art form and unless I get back on the stage, it is a rare and beautiful integration of art and activity.  Maybe that is the only reason people still struggle with categorizing video games – has it transcended other forms of art?