Are videgames art

So I been thinking a lot lately and this one middle aged soccer mom at gamestop was telling her boy (who was wearing crocs lol) that videogames are dumb and that he needs to study more. this made me think, is videogames dumb? Do they truly have meaning to them? Are videogames a waste of time and need to be dropped so the children can run and play? Share your thoughts with Lilpack

~Lilpack

Hello again.

I suppose it depends on the person, and the game. Personally, I don't think video games are dumb (though some of them are questionably crappy, like Superman 64), but I can see how she would think that. Since you don't know either of them, it could be that either her kid is slacking off in school or she really does think that video games are dumb because she herself has never played them before, only watching others play.

The variables are endless.

some games these days , like the last of us , or bioshock infinite have amazing storytelling and concept art and they are as artistic as some old movies . but some games like cod or fifa or these stuff ... NO!

http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/art


1 [mass noun] - the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.

Considering that it is an application of human skill and imagination (as is the whole series), I would definitely consider Skyrim as art. As far as I'm concerned, art invokes an emotion, creativity or inspiration. Skyrim definitely does that for me. It makes me create my own characters in an imaginative way, it makes me want to find out what's around the corner, or through the door, etc. I could go on





(none of these are mine, Google is a great source of screenshots like these)

When you become creatively invested into a role-play character or something similar, the game shows its true form as merely a canvas for the player to make their own art.

Also, keep in mind that art is subjective. What one person considers to be art, another might consider to be paint strewn haphazardly over canvas. While I consider video games to be art (Sunrise in the Tall Trees region of Red Dead Redemption; Sunset over the lake from the view of my chair high atop the enchanter's tower in Lakeside Manor....just two examples of sights I won't forget) I cannot force that definition upon anyone.

That said, video games have some of the best recent examples of art in both the visual and literary categories. Games like Tomb Raider (just picked it up) are not only visually stunning but remarkably immersive as well. Sometimes, as a child, I used to imagine things like a Rockwell painting in motion and devise a scene or scenario to accompany a bit of character art. Games like Tomb Raider allow me to interact with that art in as tangible a way as is possible.

In short, video games are not only a medium of art, but the most immersive one on the market in my opinion.

If movies can be viewed as such, then I don't see why video games cannot. Not on the same level as paintings in my opinion mind you, but close.

A lot of art obviously goes into creating a video game. Look at all the details we find in landscapes, weather effects, costumes, etc. The people working on the game obviously research a lot of different art styles from different periods and take inspiration from all kinds of subjects that are relevant to the game's setting. There is also music - how the soundtrack evokes certain emotions that the game designers want the player to feel, and how music can enhance the experience by relating certain sounds to certain moods and imagery, so you can feel immersed in the environment you are supposed to be exploring - these are things that artistic students should be aware of when working on their own projects.

Obviously, kids do need to get out and focus on studies etc. but I don't think it's necessary to ban kids from gaming, because you are opening the child's imagination up to new possibilities. A kid can play video games AND be a talented artist. A kid can play video games AND be a top athlete. A kid can play video games AND read books. It's really just like any other hobby or interest - we all have our taste in movies, TV shows, music and games, and some people aren't into all those things.

But there is such thing as too much gaming. Nobody should be playing games to the point they are missing out on having a social life and exploring the world beyond their TV or computer screen. Too much of anything can be bad for you!

But there is such thing as too much gaming. Nobody should be playing games to the point they are missing out on having a social life and exploring the world beyond their TV or computer screen. Too much of anything can be bad for you!

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I agreed with you, until you got to this little paragraph.

Who says that one cannot have a social life AND be gamer? When I was a preteen and early teenager, I holed myself up in my room for at least 6 hours a day to play games and RP online, yet I still have many of those friends 11-14 years later (depending on the friend) and they are still some of my best friends. Additionally, many of the best games out there are created by gamers who do nothing but play or design games all day. Telling someone who is passionate about games to monitor how much time they are spending doing it is akin to telling a painter that he can't forgo a social life for the sake of a painting or a writer that he shouldn't hole up for days on end in order to finish a script.

To some, video games provide nothing constructive to their life. To others, they are tangible worlds to explore and exist in. How can anyone say otherwise?

The Renaissance saw the rise of paintings/sculpturing as a major artform. Artforms get lost or fade away due to lack of interest. Our Generation has video games because technology now allows it... I don't see a difference. That being said, if you sit infront of your PC/console for hours on end, doing nothing else, then yeah you should probably think of doing something else. That goes for anything that you can do too much of. Let's be real though, they really aren't that "productive" in a sense, unless you're a professional gamer. If I was a professional gamer, though, my life would probably still feel pretty unsatisfying because I'm literally doing nothing but I hear the money is good so it can't be all that bad.

Personally, I'd rather do other stuff, but I couldn't give a plops what someone else wants to do with their life. If you wanna chill in your room for 8 hours at a time playing Final Fantasy? Go for gold, buddy.

Matt said:

Who says that one cannot have a social life AND be gamer?

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I certainly didn't say that. I just said there is such thing as too much video gaming. And there is. If you log into sites like gamefaqs or gamespot, you'd find a lot of creepy people who lurk there and are incredibly rude to anyone who gives a slight error in information about a video game.

I've logged into websites to chat about a game I feel passionately about, and I've practically been abused by people because they didn't like the way I described a certain event or I got a character's name wrong or something - and that's all these people do on the site. They don't actually engage in conversation about the game, they never gave feedback on any of my positive points, it's like they lurk on the boards and wait for somebody to make a minor slip up so they can make a huge deal about it. These are the kinds of people who spend TOO MUCH time playing video games, they take their games just a bit too seriously, or they don't want to have a pleasant conversation about a game with somebody who might be new to the experience, they just want to show off that they are the best person who has ever played the game, and anybody else is dirt. I've seen facebook pages dedicated to video games, where if one person says "I like this game" another person says "f#ck off you fag, you're not a true fan". They get possessive over their games, and talk to complete strangers as if they are not worthy of having the experience of playing it.

That's the kind of attitude I am against. If I've found myself having heated arguments about a game with some stranger who wants to turn every casual comment into a massive drama, that's when it's time for me to say "OK, I need to distance myself from the gaming world now". And if one of my friends or relatives was acting that way towards strangers over a disagreement about a video game, I'd be concerned.

Actually, you did say that.

Nobody should be playing games to the point they are missing out on having a social life and exploring the world beyond their TV or computer screen.

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I understand the point you are making, honestly. Individuals can become downright maniacal in their fanaticism over anything, video games included. However, this is the exception, not the rule. It just turns out the loudest minority in any belief group (which, if you are fanatical about a video game, it is a belief group) gets the most exposure and builds an unfair stereotype for others. We should always treat others with respect, even if they don't know what Bosmer stands for or the difference between High Rock and Hammerfell.

Matt said:

Actually, you did say that.

Nobody should be playing games to the point they are missing out on having a social life and exploring the world beyond their TV or computer screen.

Click to expand...

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To the point they are missing out, get it? That's not the same as saying one cannot have a social life AND be gamer, I'm implying that they should make time for socializing, not that they can't. fluff me...

Matt said:

Individuals can become downright maniacal in their fanaticism over anything, video games included. However, this is the exception, not the rule. It just turns out the loudest minority in any belief group (which, if you are fanatical about a video game, it is a belief group) gets the most exposure and builds an unfair stereotype for others. We should always treat others with respect, even if they don't know what Bosmer stands for or the difference between High Rock and Hammerfell.

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Agreed.

Lilpack said:

So I been thinking a lot lately and this one middle aged soccer mom at gamestop was telling her boy (who was wearing crocs lol) that videogames are dumb and that he needs to study more. this made me think, is videogames dumb? Do they truly have meaning to them? Are videogames a waste of time and need to be dropped so the children can run and play? Share your thoughts with Lilpack

~Lilpack

Click to expand...

The perception of art changes depending on the individual. Some people consider paintings to be art, while others might consider household items put together creatively as art.

So for me, yes, video-games are an art form.

To the point they are missing out, get it? That's not the same as saying one cannot have a social life AND be gamer, I'm implying that they should make time for socializing, not that they can't. fluff me...

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That could go either way, semantically. Nevertheless, gaming and socialization are not mutually exclusive. Perhaps gaming is making time for socialization? Take me, for instance: I live out in the country and have little other means of communication with my peers aside from the internet. The closest city to me that I have any number of friends is lies across the river in Illinois nearly 40 miles away. And guess what we do for fun when we do get together? Play games and drink beer.

For the record, I am not disagreeing with you, but a case should be made for gaming and social activities being one in the same. I do not believe there is a point where a gamer starts to "miss out" on a social life. Arguably, if he does prefer internet or pixelated friends then perhaps it is his one option. I'll give you that obsessing over anything can have effects on a person, I for one, will not presume to tell someone those effects are negative (not that you are, I'm just being thorough).

The reason why I am being so passionate about this is because recently, I was judged pretty harshly by someone when I was chatting at a bar with a friend about how much I've been enjoying the new Tomb Raider game. He told me to get a social life and stop wasting my time with "piss ant weirdness" as he put it, whatever that means. I realized then what I had been denying myself recently in refusing to admit the people around here look at me when I enter Gamestop with my kid. But I know others who have it worse.

To finish, I am not saying that you are exhibiting the same judgment, but for the sake of the topic, it should be noted that to many people this is not only art but a way of life as well, both socially and professionally.

That mother has clearly never played Metal Gear or Heavy Rain or even Skyrim.

Creation of games like Skyrim I consider to be an art, but because of the immense size of the in-game world, it is not perfect in all respects, like voice acting, glitches, and a story that is predictable (though still very entertaining). However, games like The Last of Us or Bioshock, are nearly flawless and are fully compelling, even more so than a book or movies, because being able to control the main character adds realism.

Themes, especially like those in the Bioshock series, become more "feelsy" and apparent as well. In both Bioshock and infinite I got some serious spine tingles when I realized that the free will I had experienced throughout the game was actually just a product of either fate, or manipulation. This would not have been close to as exciting and emotional through another method of storytelling.

But then you have games like Call of Duty and such which I don't consider to be worthy of existence.