interactive art-what makes a game a game?

Landi · 2005-01-25T13:55:09

hey everyone, I know that games being argued as an art form is a tired old forum topic that I'm sure has been discussed here a million times, but I'd like to give it another go anyway.... I've recently been assigned a project in one of my classes, that makes us research an interactive art form an make a web site about it. However, I (and many others) became dissapointed when my professor ruled out games as an art form. so naturally being an aspiring dsigner, and an avid at these forums and others, took up the task of challenging him on it... it his in his opinion (and it seems many others as well) that games are not art because they are toys. hear me out here.....he said that man is different from the animal kingdom because we have established tools. This is true to a large extent (sure it can be argued...but its basically excepted) he then said that humans create things more than tools. Basically he divided our technology, our creations into three categories...tools, toys, art. if it is not a tool, if it is not a toy....THEN and only then it becomes an art. so games are toys. the "academics" argued that because a game is created for competitive purposes (it is also created as mainstream commercialism, but by this definition, movies, books and music are not art as well. So let us examine the medium in itself for now) it is not art, because interactive art is created for the reason of being an expression of the artist alone. So if it has another purpose it is a game therefore not an art...I believe that the problem lies more in the definition of game rather than art. The best, or most contextual definition of a game from the dictionary is thus :"An active interest or pursuit, especially one involving competitive engagement or adherence to rules" great!....so where is the book that says that cant be art? In my belief, (stay with me its almost done :P) a game is a way of letting you experience something, narrative or otherwise, but letting you interact and enjoy it in a new way. But that doesnt stop it from being a social commentary, letting you feel a specific emotion, be intelligent and provocative, or let you in on a moral or important theme. Many of the things art is acredited for. Again Im not saying all games are art, but that some could be. as my professor pointed out, art and tools are different: if you had a beautiful dish, that was made 2000 years ago for some king, and was jewel encrusted and whatnot, if that dish was made for eating its not art, its a asthetically pleasing tool. However take that, frame it, and put it into context and it becomes art. Like saying a painting can be art but painting my house is not art..or a film can be art, but my homevideo of my birthday is not art. These things we accept, so why is it that a "game" has to be a game and cant be art at the same time? I could make a table for "art" not practical purposes, everyone could love it, but a 100 years later, when im dead, some guy could be like hey that would look great in my kitchen, and all of a sudden it becomes a tool. the question is does something lose its art value with time? does it gain it? Does the public need to recognise it first...THEN it becomes an art? If so then perhaps we are still to early to get games realized as art. movies werent considered art till the 40's, especially citizen kane pushing the forefront...maybe games just needs there Citizen Kane? maybe im a fool...competition makes games a toy, not an art, but maybe not.... anyway im rambling, guys tell me what you think, can games be considered art or not?

Game Design and Theory Game Design

Started by Landi January 18, 2005 08:20 PM

20 comments, last by Madster 20 years ago

Gyrthok

412

January 25, 2005 09:27 AM

An interesting question arrises.. Is a landscape Art? People often paint landscapes and call it art, the painting merely being an imitation of a real horizon. Is the Statue of David considered Art? It too is an imitation and representation of the Human Form, based of a real person. These can all be inspired by not only the world around us, but from within our minds and imaginations as well.

With those concepts in mind, a game(FPS) could most certainly be considered art. Its a unique medium which allows the player to not only view landscapes and artistic renditionings of creatures from ones mind, but to explore these landscapes and creatures, learning the intimate histories that its creator has forged within the game, fleshing out and giving substance to their existence and to the overall impact and message that its trying to present. Each game is different and the delicate balances required to convey an adequate atmosphere and for competent controls to explore that environment defines them.

GyrthokNeed an artist? Pixeljoint, Pixelation, PixelDam, DeviantArt, ConceptArt.org, GFXArtist, CGHub, CGTalk, Polycount, SteelDolphin, Game-Artist.net, Threedy.

Madster

242

January 25, 2005 01:55 PM

Quote:
Original post by lucky_monkey
Quote:
Original post by Madster
And open mindedness stops around age 50. Its a sad unavoidable biological fact.
I'm gonna try to prove you wrong (you'll have to wait about 30 years though [grin])...

Heh.. i'm definitely going to try too... but statistics sure don't back me up.

Quote:
Original post by Gyrthok
Its a unique medium which allows the player to not only view landscapes and artistic renditionings of creatures from ones mind, but to explore these landscapes and creatures...

And kill them all!
This is why we need more exploration games.

Working on a fully self-funded project

interactive art-what makes a game a game?

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