A Case for Video Games as an Art Form Video games are a profound art form, incorporating trades and mediums that span the artistic spectrum and beyond. To refute this is to ignore decades of rich history, disregard hours of artful labor, and discredit the immeasurable devotion of many whom worked to perfect this art form. Although video games may not suit every individual’s tastes, one cannot claim with credibility they possess no artistic merit. My awareness of this concept is longstanding. From my most juvenile years, I have been captivated by this genre. To be a child and hold in the palm of your hand what feels like a window to an exhilarating adventure in a limitless universe is, in short, a riveting experience. However, the rush is not exclusive to children. This digital magic is a far cry from tag and hopscotch. An enthralling escape from our mundane world entrances a wide demographic, earning it a greater value than a mere downtime occupant. Video games have developed a belittling reputation that they do not deserve. The voluntarily ignorant have unjustly assigned them this connotation. Naturally, with any change, resistance occurs. The innovation that video games introduced to the arts is unprecedented. That said, it is evident that not all artists are willing to accept something so radically novel. Even so, why is it that any creator would not welcome a new creative realm with less limits than ever before? There is but one discernable answer: Intimidation. It is
Video games are a fast growing form of technology. This issue has to be discussed because of the two confronting sides that embark it. Because of the issue video games have to either continue growing as they are or they have to be stopped completely or a settlement between the two parties has to be
Video games have become a key element of popular culture, because they have attracted players from many different cultures and age groups. Video games have come a long way since Pong and Spacewar. Since the first video games, there have been innovations in this industry nearly every year, always striving to defy the impossible. Today, the newest generation of gaming consoles are extremely powerful, and with this comes the ability to make games that are increasingly realistic and advanced. Because of this advancement in video game technology, video game genres have expanded to include racing, shooting, adventure, horror, and so many more. Many of the games today even feature a historical element. To the outside viewer, it may seem as if these
The increasing popularity of video games has raised some concern in society. The question as to whether or not this concern is justified has been raised a multitude of times. However, it is reasonable to believe that video games’ impact on society is not a negative one as there are many beneficial aspects to gaming, there is no solid proof of issue with video games, and they are enjoyable.
Video games have become a massive icon that has spanned decades, technology and even cultural boundaries. Whether you play on a computer, tablet, phone, or console: at some point in your life, video games have been a part of what you do. Strike up a conversation about games and you can make lasting friendships or bitter enemies. Even if they might not know the specific game, everyone knows what the genre is, and because of this, video games have taken their lasting place in our pop
Video games are progressively becoming a crucial medium today, despite the light connotation of its initial categorization. Today they are a business that produces billions of dollars and employs engineers and artists alike in an art form connecting interactive games, to virtual societies where millions of people dwell. However, like all human products, our same emotion, flaws and injustice show in the games, with the impression of hatred, racism and stereotypes that are our everyday background. What are the creators of these video games real intentions in the desire they produce in the human?
The game seeks to trick us for a time into abandoning what is real (home) and focus on what is inside our monitors and T.V.s. Baudrillard spoke on the process of a simulated reality in a multi-step process. “In the first case, the image is a good appearance – representation is of the sacramental order.” This can be related to the early days of video games when they used cathode ray tubes to project pixelated images onto a curved glass scene. Video games where very new, and exciting. “In the second, it is an evil appearance – it is of the order of maleficence. This can be related to games starting about 15 years ago till today. Video games were and still are thought to be a source of violence in people. Many view them as a waste of time and that they detriment a person. Though this mentality is starting to fade as we shift towards the third order “In the third, it plays at being an appearance – it is of the order of sorcery”. Technology is starting to advance to the point that anyone without training in the field cannot understand what is going on. As myths about video games negative appearance are being debunked or confirmed their negative aspects are getting swallowed up by the more exciting advancements in the fields. “In the fourth, it is no longer of the order of appearances but of simulation.” At this level the video game stops being a game, and starts to become a part of everyday life (home). For as much as some may dedicate their whole lives to games, in the
The author says that, nowadays, a lot of people label video games as “violent, addictive, childish, and worthless.” On the one hand, these people are somewhat right that video games have a bad influence on the younger generation, but they miss “the big picture” in another way. As Wright says, “…watching someone play a game is a different experience than actually holding the controller and playing it yourself.”
Main Point III: For this reason, this has been the focal point of the “video games are art” debate. At the same time, the debate as a whole has had some opposition.
Video games are highly designed with artistic expression in the digital world. There is a
In response to the article titled, “Are Video Games Art? No – But Playing Them Can Be,” by author Phil Hartup, he makes the argument that video games are not art, but rather the audience that engages themselves in playing them makes it art. The author uses examples such as Mona Lisa and Michael Bay just to support his claim, and while his claims are interesting,some of the stuff he says can be ridiculous, in my opinion. I, myself, disagree with most of his claims. Video games have a big influence on communities just like art, and not only that, but without graphic ARTISTS, we wouldn’t be able to have these video games that we have today. Video games, in my opinion have so much creativity in them that they should be considered as art.
While the media portrays gaming as a antisocial violent unhealthy habit for the common immature male, the reality is that the gaming industry has diversified immensely over the last half-century. As such, I will write to non-gamers everywhere to extend a welcoming hand into our community by focusing on its entertainment value and genre diversity. Following this, I will write to the artist community to invite them join, and possibly work for, the videogame industry by speaking about the copious opportunities in this billion dollar industry.
Wright is a famous video game creator and has worked on countless video games. In doing this, he greatly adds to his credibility and this increases his evidence’s credibility as well. He is deeply familiar with how video games can affect people and knows an extensive amount about how they are created and what they are made to influence in people’s minds. Wright also created games such as “Sims,” which are meant to stimulate imagination, creativity, and help create a community. By being a creator of a game like this he shows that video games can be used to create a sense of community, belonging, and encourage the imagination. Rather than being mindless, worthless, and unimportant, Wright shows that video games can be used to help children improve their thinking and
In the Article “Why Video Games Are Works Of Art” Kyle Chayka states his views on Roger Ebert’s argument made in the article “Video Games can never be art.” In Eberts article he says that video games are something that can be won, and include rules and objectives, where art is a visually pleasing, and emotionally powerful experience. As a result in Ebert saying this, Chayka comes back and states many of the things he has experienced in video games. For example, he states “I’ve stood at the top of a grass-blown knoll overlooking the sea, a view that stretched to cover a land of sprawling islands traversed only by my sailboat and me. I have played a musical instrument that controls the wind. I’ve been a sword-wielding teenage adventurer, a ghostbuster,
Video games in today’s society have become very popular. Every new game that comes out to be played and conquered by the average gamer has its own category. There are several other types of genres of games that people play but because of big hit titles and the new popular game systems like the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, people become more interested in a game that is well known than a game they have never even heard of before. Every game has its own storyline and own way of how it unfolds and where the game ends according to game play. Some of the biggest reasons people sway to certain genres of games is because of the game titles released under them and the demand of people who want a good game under that category. The top three most
Since the Early 70’s video games have been giving a bad name. Parents state that video games rot the minds of children and are influencing them do be violent. These accusations are far from the truth. In my research I found that there are many positive effects of gaming. Some of these effects are increased skills, creativity, general knowledge, and also help those in need. Parents can also take proper precautions and look into a game before buying it to see if it meets the criteria discussed in this paper.