Since the beginning of human history, art has been a medium of creativity, entertainment and sometimes functionability. From paintings, sculptures, music, pictures, speeches, and cinema, art can take on many various mediums. And if movies are considered to be an artform, why not video games?
Both games and movies seek to entertain, but video games also involve the viewer hands-on by giving him or her the freedom to control what is going on. This viewer involvement has sparked many debates within the entertainment industry and the world of art alike, causing video games to teeter on the fence between both.
Video games are no exception, and should be credited as a form of art, as it is a way people can express themselves and feel like they can be a part of something outside the reaches of reality.
To see what my peers had to say, I posted a Facebook status, simply asking, “Do you think video games should be considered an artform? Give a brief explanation to back up your thoughts,” and I got some pretty good feedback. Notifications piled up for a couple hours, and one comment really stood out to me:
“Video games are no less artful than cinema; both are a labor by individuals or groups seeking to express something through a medium meant to be shared. The only true difference between video games and other art forms is that video games require and encourage input on the part of the people experiencing the piece, a form of interaction and interpretation vacant in all other forms of art.”
While video games began as a win/lose, no story, all action-based form of entertainment, it has since evolved. While games like such still exist, (and will always exist…), there is more to them than just winning.
Now, in modern times, having an immersive storyline is almost a must. In 2007, the company Bioware released the first game of a now legendary trilogy, “Mass Effect.” In the game, players assume the role of Commander Shepard in the not so distant future after mankind comes in contact with other alien races. Shepard is a military commander trying to save the populations of the universe from the threat of mass extinction by the hand of an ancient alien race.
The game itself is a shooter, having the player gun down armies with two sidekicks, which give the player a fun, action-filled experience, but that’s only half of the game.
The game’s main focus is story, and how the player’s choices at various points in the cinematic-cut scenes affect the overall outcome of the story. These choices arise during many points of dialogue and have major effects on how the story proceeds. These choices carry on until the end of the trilogy.
Movie-worthy cinematic cut-scenes and graphics help bring the “Mass Effect” universe to life, along with large, explorable environments and top-notch sound recording.
Given the player’s unlimited amount of control and seemingly unlimited options for character personalization, each player can make the story play out as he or she wants it, meaning no play-through is ever the same.
“Mass Effect” is the shining example to help the “video games are art” side of the debate, but that doesn’t mean that few games qualify.
Every game is a visual representation, and somebody has to design the visuals needed for you to enjoy. Graphic designers and concept artists work together to bring the world inside a game to life, as is the process for creating movies, too.
While the world of video gaming may be still young in its 40 or so years of existence, video games still possess the qualities to captivate audiences.
Just as movies give us escapes from reality, games allow us to imagine, but also to give choice to the player, letting him or her experience it differently than the next player.
While there are games that are strictly created for action and entertainment, there are those game-changers that throw wrenches into the cogs and raise debates like this. As long as the world has creative minds to create masterpieces and open minds to take their work in, it doesn’t matter what medium is considered “art.”