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

[Walach]

I'd say that as long as someone say that something is art, it is.
At least to themselves. :P

[Amaterasu]

The thing is that when people think of art, they think of the masterpieces. All art is, is a creative endeavor. A six year old creating macaroni versions of his or her family is art. Belching the national anthem... though profane... is also art.

Video Games are a creative endeavor and thus classify as art. Art can literally be anything as long as some creative effort was put into it. That's why cooking is described as culinary arts.

[Ben Lubar]

saying "video games aren't art" is art

[fluxtorrent]

Is cinema suddenly not art because they made a south park movie? It's sure as hell different than Saving Private Ryan.

No OP, you are wrong.

[IFIYGD]

引用自 Pork Chop Sandwiches：

Video games are not art
And that's OK

And I counter:
Video games are art, even if you don't find the art appealing.
And that's OK.

The same way that it's OK that I don't like most Picassos or Warhols, or most country or rap music.
Just because I am not a fan of it, doesn't mean it isn't art.

[Ben Lubar]

引用自 Pork Chop Sandwiches：

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.

By this logic, the Mona Lisa is not art. You might want to rethink that.

[Soren]

引用自 Ben Lubar：

saying "video games aren't art" is art

It's actually a pretty unoriginal and a non-creative argument. So there is some debate about it not being art.

[Paratech2008]

Some art isn't Art. Iron Man 2 made fun of that idea.

[Blitz4]

i was with you until i read the OP and how it covers 3 different unrelated things
examples would've painted a better picture. painted, get it.

[Shreddy]

A game can’t have any artistic value beyond the retail price due to the way they are mass produced, so it’s art in a legal sense but nothing beyond that. As for the IP itself, that’s debatable but it can’t really be art without the game to hold it all together. That’s not without saying that incredibly talented artists work on games and produce stunning artwork assets that are used for production.

[Zarineth]

引用自 Shreddy：

A game can’t have any artistic value beyond the retail price due to the way they are mass produced, so it’s art in a legal sense but nothing beyond that. As for the IP itself, that’s debatable but it can’t really be art without the game to hold it all together. That’s not without saying that incredibly talented artists work on games and produce stunning artwork assets that are used for production.

So music, poetry, computer graphics are not art? They are also mass produced.

[Soren]

引用自 Shreddy：

A game can’t have any artistic value beyond the retail price due to the way they are mass produced, so it’s art in a legal sense but nothing beyond that. As for the IP itself, that’s debatable but it can’t really be art without the game to hold it all together. That’s not without saying that incredibly talented artists work on games and produce stunning artwork assets that are used for production.

The whole topic here is just a "high art, low art" discussion really. Without most people realising it of course.

Fun fact about high art and low art. The Titanic (movie) used to be considered low art when it first came out. Later it became considered high art by most cinema critics. It's funny how most things considered low art by previous generations can become widely accepted as high art in just a few decades.

[SanekiBeko]

What the heck is art nowadays? You can put a urinal on display and call it art.

[TGC> The Games Collector]

Just because your fancy newfangled PC can show 8k grapfix and the pixels and physics and whatnots, doesn't mean old games weren't artfully crafted.

You kids are just spoiled.

Pong is art!

[Mega Ultra Chicken]

This post should be saying some modern games are not art and it doesn't have to be.