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Miguel Rivera
Are Video Games Art?
The topic of whether or not video games, as a medium, fit under the umbrella of art is
constantly debated The nature of this debate is relatively astounding, considering that the nature
of video games is self!evident Video games are not art "n fact, by nature, a #game$ can never
be art %espite the elegance and timelessness of the game, &hess will never be considered, as a
whole, a wor' of art (or will any other game, no matter how simple or comple) *ports, games
which have ascended to have an almost biblical significance, will never be art And why should
they be? Games are distinct from art, and despite the inclusion of art in a video game, that does
not ma'e the entirety of the video game a wor' of art +i'ewise, the evaluation of games as
#art$ does not benefit them, since art is not evaluated in the same way games are
,ecause video games contain art within their presentation, gamers suffer from an identity
crisis Art e)ists within video games, so aren-t video games art? (o
.ne obvious difference between art and games is that you can win a game "t has
rules, points, ob/ectives, and an outcome *antiago might cite a immersive game
without points or rules, but " would say then it ceases to be a game and becomes a
representation of a story, a novel, a play, dance, a film Those are things you
cannot win0 you can only e)perience them 12bert3
The video games have goals that are at odds with the goals of an artistic piece Video
games- interactivity cause the player to pro/ect their point of view on the game through choices
offered rather than allowing the author or creator to ta'e you on a /ourney that they control "n a
video game, the narrative is very much a story of the player-s own ma'ing, and they e)ert a large
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amount of ownership over said story Video games are intended to provide entertainment and
en/oyment to the largest amount of people possible Accessibility and playability are chief
concerns of video game developers, and the narrative content almost always reflects that desire
for mass acceptance Accessibility when paired with depth of gameplay is to the benefit of the
5uality of a video game, however this methodology contradicts the individuali6ed approach
when creating a wor' of art Video games also flatter their audience, they-re made to create a
feeling of power and significance for the player These elements, which are fundamental to
video games, preclude them from being considered as wor's of art 1%owns 413
Video games- most uni5ue and defining feature is their interactivity As game narratives
have grown more and more comple), many video games have strayed from their simplistic roots
of Tiger and 7asbro brand toys and e)panded to truly immerse the players in alternate realities
Video games allow a player to dive into a fictional world, to almost e)perience it first hand, and
even to ma'e choices which define and fundamentally change the outcome of a narrative
7owever, art is not about interactivity "t is not about the reader or viewer ma'ing choices that
dictate the outcome of the narrative or content of the piece Art is the author or creator
e)pressing their viewpoint and emotions through a single piece, bringing the reader or viewer
from point A to point , without the reader or viewer controlling or changing that /ourney The
interactivity of games implicitly allow the player to, rather than e)periencing someone else-s
viewpoint, ta'e their own viewpoint and use it to influence the content of the game This
influence and control over the story and e)perience of a video game is what ma'es games uni5ue
and powerful "t-s also what ma'es them different from, and not classifiable as, art
Video games are crafted with a pretty simple goal in mind, to entertain and appeal to the
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largest number of people A video game that simple to learn but rewards practice and offers
hours of content is a fantastic one The consideration of the #mass appeal$ is not a fundamental
consideration of a wor' of art The creation of art is a very personal process, and the result is a
piece of individual e)pression that can effect one person in a very personal way (ot to say that
a player might not come away from a video game being very deeply personally effected by it, but
that is not the chief concern of a game, nor is that 5uest for an individual connection between
creator and viewer a chief concern of game design 2ven 7ideo 9o/ima, the creator of the Metal
Gear *olid series 1a series often referenced in favor of video games being considered as wor's of
art3 recogni6es this opposite approach from creating a wor' of art and creating a video game
The thing is, art is something that radiates the artist, the person who creates that
piece of art "f 1:: people wal' by and a single person is captivated by whatever
that piece radiates, it-s art ,ut videogames aren-t trying to capture one person A
videogame should ma'e sure that all 1:: people that play that game should en/oy
the service provided by that videogame "t-s something of a service "t-s not art
19o/ima *ays ;Games Are (ot Art;3
As a conse5uence of video game-s interactive nature, and their desire for mass appeal,
video games tend to give the player a feeling of power that grows throughout the game Most
video games set out to ultimately ma'e you #feel li'e a badass$, and those games are the ones
that are considered to be of a high 5uality #Most <video games= are about competition,
empowerment, and violence "t-s a very small portion of the emotional spectrum "f you loo' at
boo's or movies, there are many more genres, and they are based on feelings$ 1&hen3 Video
games- immersion provides an escape meant to indulge the players fantasies >or's of art are
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not concerned with the reali6ation of a fantasy or the self!congratulations of the viewer, art is an
uncompromising loo' at society or into the psyche, whatever the creator wishes to share with his
audience Art is about contemplation and self!discovery
The fact that video games offer comple) interaction that influences the content and
outcome of the game ma'e video games and wor's of art fundamentally different Video games-
incorporation and accommodation of the player-s viewpoints , their focus on mass appeal, and
their escapist and indulgent nature cements the distinction from the #art$ mediums And of
course, the most basic reali6ation that games are things with rules, in which you win or lose, set
them apart from art *o, then, what e)actly are video games? "f art offers us so much in our
society, what possibly could video games offer us? "t-s video games distinctive 5ualities, the
things that ma'e it different from art, that ma'e them so special and significant Video games
don-t need to be considered art to be culturally important or to validate individual-s emotional
investment in them Micheal @ordan never crusaded for bas'etball to be recogni6ed as art, and
yet that made it no less important, no less relevant, no less emotional for anyone involved Video
games- differences from art should be celebrated rather than critici6ed and marginali6ed Aigeon
holing games into a medium in which they do not fit is not to their benefit Video games are as
much about narrative, visuals, music, as they are about s'ill, sportsmanship, camaraderie, and
fun Together, these elements form something so different from wor's of art, it is baffling as to
how the two could so glibly compared Video games are at their best when the artistic and non!
artistic elements coalesce into something greater than the sum of it-s parts That synergy can
result in an ama6ing and memorable e)perience so distinctive from any wor' of art
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>or's &ited
&hen, @enova #Redefining Video Games$ "nterview by Matt 7elgeson Game Informer @uly
4:1:C 8?!8B Arint
%owns, >illiam Missouri, +ou Anne >right, and 2ri' Ramsey The Art of Theatre: A Concise
Introduction 2d Megan Garvey and Rebe'ah Matthews 4nd ed ,oston, MAC
>adsworth &engage +earning, 4:1: Arint
2bert, Roger #Video games can never be art$ Roger Eberts Journal &hicago *un!Times, 1D
Apr 4:1: >eb 8: Aug 4:1:
EhttpCFFblogssuntimescomFebertF4:1:F:?FvideoGgamesGcanGneverGbeGarthtmlH
Ioster, Thomas & How to Read Literature Lie a !rofessor (ew Jor', (JC 7arper&ollins,
4::8 Arint
#9o/ima *ays KGames Are (ot ArtL$ "otau 2d ,rian &recente Gaw'er Media, 48 @an 4::D
>eb 8: Aug 4:1: EhttpCFF'ota'ucomF1B::?8F'o/ima!says!games!are!not!artH