Video Games are NOT art, and they don't have to be

[The Clown Prince of Gamers]

I used to believe in the "games are art" narrative, but as the years gone by and my finances and tastes changed, I realized that video games are not art. In fact, I would go so far as to say that classifying games as "art" has greatly damaged the medium.

Games can contain artwork, music, you name it. But just because art is a part of the development process doesn't mean the final product is "art." If games were art, they wouldn't be produced and assembled on a factory line, hauled into trucks, brought into stores, stocked on shelves, sold and bought by millions.

And by classifying games as art, it attracted people who don't know anything about video games. Just people who hear the word "art" and plug their ears for everything else. Gamers complain about their hobby being "destroyed," but if games are "art," then don't act surprised when the "art types" show up.

The "art types" are especially egregious, because they are of the opinion that if it's art, then it's good. That's why some games have horribly written and questionable stories, but dismiss certain criticisms with the classic art type phrase, "You just don't get it." The type of people who play walking simulators and Sony movie games.

In fact, classifying these as "video games" is holding the medium back. If you ask, me as entertainment becomes more digital, there should be more labels and distinctions. Instead of "movie game" we call it "interactive narrative." For games like Uncharted, for example, what exactly is game-like about it? What is the goal other than "finish the story?" What are the penalties for not reaching that goal? Are the penalties severe enough/too lenient?

Look, video games shouldn't need to be an art-form to be legitimized. Think of it like this;
Pong
Pac-Man
Sonic the Hedgehog
Doom
Halo
Spider-Man
The Last of Us
All of these are under the classification of "video game," and yet one of these is very clearly NOT like the other. It just seems that the "games as art" narrative has outlived it's purpose, because imo that narrative only exists to counteract the "games cause violence" narrative.

Video games are not art
And that's OK

[potato]

some video games are art, others not

[Qbert ⭐]

Originally posted by Pork Chop Sandwiches:

snip

Your opinion is noted.
Thank you

[mldb88]

I mean it depends on the game, the intention behind the design, and what the dev is trying to accomplish. I think the real issue is people having a very narrow view of what “art” should be, leading to the slew of pretentious drivel we got when the whole “games are art” movement was at its peak.

[Spawn of Totoro]

I don't see how it can't be considered art. If you can't take individual pices and put them in one place, with it still being considered art, then museums don't contain art, just a bunch of old junk.

A game is a collection of many points of art, tied together by code.

Originally posted by Pork Chop Sandwiches:

Look, video games shouldn't need to be an art-form to be legitimized. Think of it like this;
Pong
Pac-Man
Sonic the Hedgehog
Doom
Halo
Spider-Man
The Last of Us
All of these are under the classification of "video game," and yet one of these is very clearly NOT like the other. It just seems that the "games as art" narrative has outlived it's purpose, because imo that narrative only exists to counteract the "games cause violence" narrative.

All of those are art.

Luckily the laws recognize it as art as well, so it gains the protection that art does. One's personal opinion of what is considered art is so different from person to person, that no one would ever be able to agree on what is and isn't art.

[Knee]

another “people shouldn’t like things I don’t” but under the guise of “games are not art”

[chorion]

Originally posted by Knee:

another “people shouldn’t like things I don’t” but under the guise of “games are not art”

Kotaku is classic literature!!!!, forget Tolkyien,

[The Clown Prince of Gamers]

Originally posted by Knee:

another “people shouldn’t like things I don’t” but under the guise of “games are not art”

I never said that you can't like things, but I guess expressing an unpopular opinion is the same as imposing it on others. I just think that the "games are art" topic gets a lot of buzz, but not enough real discussion. If you think games are art, then that's fine. I wanted to offer a different take on the situation and encourage discussion.


If I wanted to say "people shouldn't like things I don't," then I would say that.

[mldb88]

Originally posted by Pork Chop Sandwiches:

Originally posted by Knee:

another “people shouldn’t like things I don’t” but under the guise of “games are not art”

I never said that you can't like things, but I guess expressing an unpopular opinion is the same as imposing it on others. I just think that the "games are art" topic gets a lot of buzz, but not enough real discussion. If you think games are art, then that's fine. I wanted to offer a different take on the situation and encourage discussion.


If I wanted to say "people shouldn't like things I don't," then I would say that.

I think the point of your post that people kind of miss is that games shouldn’t need to be considered art to be legitimized, which is something I can get behind.

Though just want to say, the whole “you just don’t get it” argument to deflect criticism is also used a lot with ♥♥♥♥♥♥ art in general, it’s not something wholly unique to the games industry. The “games as art” movement just brought in a flood of pretentious poorly conceived trash that used “art” as an excuse for poor quality. There are some great games made under the premise of being somewhat artistic, but like with most things it brought on a slew of horrid trash using art to deflect people calling out flaws.

[Tito Shivan]

They're art. Even tribunals agree games fall under the same provisions other forms of artworks are (as in subject to EU copyright act)

This all sounds like the "walking simulators/visual novels are not games" debate with a new coat of paint.

[Ben Lubar]

The way I would determine if something is art is whether someone could conceivably ask "is this art?" about it.

[Heraclius Caesar]

If a painting of a can of tomato soup is considered art, ridiculously famous art no less, then surely video games can also be considered art, no?

[Soren]

Art just means creative expression. Video games are almost always art because they are done with creative expression.

The only time it'd be fair say they are not art is when they lack all creative expression. For instance, if your game is a rip off of another game, you did not make art, you just plagiarised it. It's why AI literally and legally can not be considered art.

[Spawn of Totoro]

Originally posted by mldb88:

I think the point of your post that people kind of miss is that games shouldn’t need to be considered art to be legitimized, which is something I can get behind.

Though just want to say, the whole “you just don’t get it” argument to deflect criticism is also used a lot with ♥♥♥♥♥♥ art in general, it’s not something wholly unique to the games industry. The “games as art” movement just brought in a flood of pretentious poorly conceived trash that used “art” as an excuse for poor quality. There are some great games made under the premise of being somewhat artistic, but like with most things it brought on a slew of horrid trash using art to deflect people calling out flaws.

Bad art, is still art.

A poor quality game, is still art.

The graphics in a game is art. The music is art. The story is art.

Games needed to fall under some sort of protective law. It is easier to place them in an existing law, then to create a new set of laws. They don't need to be "legitimized" because they already are.

"the point of your post that people kind of miss" is the same as saying "you just don’t get it," just in a different way.

[Thermal Lance]

A game like Okami is totally art

[Realigo Actual]

Agreed

They're Craig