Are video Games Art?

Are Video Games Art?

I have been a real fan of games for my whole life, and watched as I saw the graphics change, From Sony’s PlayStation One, to Sony’s PlayStation Four. Every time it changes, the Characters, the story and the environment give a stronger more emotional outcome and you feel closer to the action then ever before. Today games can make you upset, scared, suspenseful, and even depressed. Now are video games an art, well Gregory Currie a Professor of Philosophy in the Department of Philosophy at the University of York, states. “Arts only purpose is to bring pleasure to people through their enjoyment.” With that said video games do in fact bring enjoyment to its fans, and it is even known as art legally. So why does video game developer Chris Crawford, and late film critic Roger Ebert denied this claim.

Roger Ebert a film critic said, “ Video Games will never be art. Because they are more like interactions, the customer plays it to receive an outcome, you see art has an authorial intent, and video games do not have authorial intent.” Now authorial intent means that the author wants you to feel the way they want you to feel. But now day’s video games can do this, image. You sit down at an art gallery and see paintings of sunsets, boats, oceans, lighthouses, and bowls of fruit; do you feel happy, relaxed, or even sad? Now picture yourself in a third person view standing on a cliff looking outward at the ocean with the pink and orange sky from the sunset, next you hear the bushes behind you start to shake you don’t know it yet but you are surround by three wolves, you have two options, one jump of the cliff toward the rocks and risk getting hurt yet walking away or staying and letting it be “GAMEOVER,” you chose to jump, right before you do it changes to first person mode, the music starts to play as you here your heart beat how do you feel?

Chris Crawford, A video game developer, was asked if he thinks video games are art, his responds was not what the gamers wanted to hear, his responds was, “ There is one difference that separates art and video games, and that is Art is Made for Pleasure and Beauty, as Video Games is made for Profit.” That may be true but why is art being sold in the first place. The way that this government and the way that mankind survives is by trading items that are needed or wanted. In this case a Picasso painting for $48,000.00, Or a Toby Gard remake of Tomb Raider the video game.

Because of how controversial this topic is, the National Endowment of the Arts put the best judgment in to it. They in fact agree to the argument that video games are art, however they are a new type of art. And will be known as Interactive Art. In May 2011 a law passed that video games will be known as Interactive Art, (I,A). Mr. Ebert then asked “Why are gamers so worried if games are called art?”

Kellee Santiago, a video game designer and the co-founder and former president of That Game Company. States, “Yes, I believe games can be art.  The irony is that I really don’t care.  The industry is far beyond having to justify it to anyone that doesn’t get its Credit or its creativity that it truly deserves.” According to Mark Johnston author of The Art of Video Games. “The Smithsonian American Art Museum has created and will tour an exhibition on a most unusual but extremely popular art form–The Art of Video Games.” However the Smithsonian Art Museum is not the only one whom recognizes video games for what they truly are. The Museum of Modern Art Located in New York City is also putting together a video game exhibit. Held together with older games such as Pak-man, Asteroid, and the famous Super Mario.

Yet even though by law it is interactive art, and it is enough for the Smithsonian and the Museum of Modern Art to display video games in their showrooms then everyone should just agree that video games is in fact art.

References

• Gillespie, N. (2014). Are Video Games Art?. Reason, 46(2), 46-51.
• Johnson, M. M. (2012). THE ART OF VIDEO GAMES. Arts & Activities, 151(4), 16-18.
• Bharaj, J. (2014) Are Video Games Art? Video.
• CUDDY, L. (2011). The Art of Videogames by tavinor, grant. Journal Of Aesthetics & Art Criticism, 69(4), 430-433. doi:10.1111/j.1540-6245.2011.01485_8.x
• CURRIE, G. (2010). Actual Art, Possible Art, and Art’s Definition. Journal Of Aesthetics & Art Criticism, 68(3), 235-241. doi:10.1111/j.1540-6245.2010.01415.x