Video Games As Art

in gaming •  7 years ago  (edited)

I wrote this before but I find it very short and lacking so I have spent a whole week reading and watching online to come up with this. This is going to be a long read so hold on tight.

Art is an extension of human creativity within a shareable form to put it as simply as possible some art is definitely considered better than others but at the end of the day, art is art. The critics like to take a more critical approach when it comes to interpreting what is good art or what should even be considered art. Even though in 2011 with brown V Entertainment Merchants Association extending artistic protections to video games making them a legal art some of the critics still like to challenge the artistic value of video games.

I've been wanting to write this post not to justify that video games are better than other art forms but to bring attention to the fact that video games already have a considerable amount of different elements that are already considered art within their own respects. If you recognize and appreciate them all together there is a very strong case that video games themselves can be considered the ultimate artistic medium in terms of the way you can experience it as well as all the artistic talent required to make them. The oldest type of art was most likely storytelling and music then we later see paintings sculptures and then landscaping and architecture after that we find acting and directing only to jump into more recent forms of art like photography.
One should not be comparing different forms of art to one another but instead respect them within their own context and with these different forms of the art, technology has allowed us to put some of them together creating entirely new mediums of expression like theater, cinema, and even video games. Each one having the capability of being more complex than the other but there are definitely some video games that can give you a much more engaging and rich experience, not all but some.


Uncharted 4 uses the techniques of sculpture and architecture throughout the game.

Unlike almost all other mediums which make you an observer or listener video games make you the driver you are literally in control of the progress of the experience, experiences that will always vary from person to person simply due to the options and/or gameplay mechanics. The idea of it being a game often distracts critics who refuse to recognize it as being potentially a more complex way of experiencing different art mediums I say that because they are not always just games it could be experiences that let you explore and analyze many different forms of art at once in ways that a picture or a movie simply can't.
Of course, not all video games give you such an experience but there are video games with such complex artistic mediums that they can give you an experience unlike anything else humans could possibly create. Video games most likely are the ultimate artistic medium that we have created so far. When I say ultimate art form I am not trying to justify that it is better than all others because all art should be respected within its own context what I mean is that the sheer amount of artistic talent video games take along with the experience that can give you something that no other artistic medium alone can give.


Not even 20 minutes into The Last of Us and it has us feeling emotionally attached to a character we have only just met.

The Last of Us, many of the Final Fantasy games, The Journey, Bioshock, Shadow of the Colossus, Mother 3, Undertale are just a few great examples that come to mind which shows how great video games can be.

Although there is significant proof and evidence that video games do belong as a form of art, one must first remember that art is ultimately one’s own perception as there is no wrong or right way to successfully define art.
But ultimately, if art is one’s own perception, I wholeheartedly agree that video games are, without a doubt, one of the most unique forms of art that mankind has ever or will see.

Do you think video games should be considered the ultimate art form in the context I specified considering all the artistic mediums and the experience itself or not?

Sources:

  1. imgur
  2. Gameskinny
  3. Youtube
Authors get paid when people like you upvote their post.
If you enjoyed what you read here, create your account today and start earning FREE STEEM!
Sort Order:  

Solid snake to the left!!

haha yes

Games are absolutely art. I don't think there's much room for debate.
Your point about how attached we are 20 minutes into a first play of Last of Us is very poignant. Games can have every bit the drama of the best TV shows or movies, with the added depth of player immersion. It's a powerful combo.

You will be very surprised to see how people suddenly jump up on you when you talk about videogames as art.
It sure is!

This gem of a post was discovered by the OCD Team!

Reply to this comment if you accept, and are willing to let us share your gem of a post! By accepting this, you have a chance to receive extra rewards and one of your photos in this article may be used in our compilation post!

You can follow @ocd – learn more about the project and see other Gems! We strive for transparency.

Go on mate! I will be very happy if you do.

Thank you!

That is really nice of you!
Thanks again

The only thing, which distinguish games from other art forms is game design, but the discussion often revolves around visuals and storylines. For me personally its more interesting to see how the creator tries to convey a specific theme into gameplay, how the mechanics work and what reactions they cause.
Other art forms can create experiences as well, but the way (aka gameplay) in which games create these experiences is unique to them.

Other art forms can create experiences as well, but the way (aka gameplay) in which games create these experiences is unique to them.

Very well said mate

I always thought of games as an Art form.... they have a unique way to tell stories, convey emotion, and engage with people. something that can't be the same using any other medium but isn't inferior nor superior to other forms of art...

So did I but it really boggles my mind when the so called critics decide to define art and how they think video games are not art.
Oh well each to his own

This post received a 2.2% upvote from @randowhale thanks to @naysayer! For more information, click here!

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

oh my, first time using randowhale ;)
Edit: Didn't go as I planned I get less than what I pay ;-;

This post has received a 0.78 % upvote from @drotto thanks to: @banjo.

Congratulations @naysayer! You have completed some achievement on Steemit and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :

Award for the number of upvotes

Click on any badge to view your own Board of Honor on SteemitBoard.
For more information about SteemitBoard, click here

If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word STOP

By upvoting this notification, you can help all Steemit users. Learn how here!

Este Post ha recibido un Upvote desde la cuenta del King: @dineroconopcion, El cual es un Grupo de Soporte mantenido por @wilbertphysique, @yoenelmundo y 5 personas mas que quieren ayudarte a llegar hacer un Top Autor En Steemit sin tener que invertir en Steem Power. Te Gustaria Ser Parte De Este Projecto?

This Post has been Upvote from the King's Account: @dineroconopcion, It's a Support Group run by @wilbertphysique, @yoenelmundo, and 5 other people that want to help you be a Top Steemit Author without having to invest into Steem Power. Would You Like To Be Part of this Project?

Yes games are art. Different from movies, books, paintings, music or anything that came before them. But they are art.

Great post! Would you mind if I included it in today's "best of gaming"?

I totally agree!
I will be glad if you do.

Congratulations! This post has been upvoted from the communal account, @minnowsupport, by Naysayer from the Minnow Support Project. It's a witness project run by aggroed, ausbitbank, teamsteem, theprophet0, and someguy123. The goal is to help Steemit grow by supporting Minnows and creating a social network. Please find us in the Peace, Abundance, and Liberty Network (PALnet) Discord Channel. It's a completely public and open space to all members of the Steemit community who voluntarily choose to be there.

If you like what we're doing please upvote this comment so we can continue to build the community account that's supporting all members.