Art and Games.
Posted by nefchast on February 11, 2009
Same personal news as before (this is what you call being stuck in a rut, right?), but I have been thinking on the topic of gaming as an art lately. This generally happens a few times a year — I go about reading gaming articles, the topic of art and gaming comes up, I then spend time thinking about it (a lot of time).
What is the definition of art?
Ex. “the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.” (From: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/art)
While a broad definition, it does cover some games (I’d say several of the Final Fantasy games, Oblivion, Bioshock, etc.) and more — if personal opinion is used as the judge. What I think most people have done in the past — and present — is compare gaming to other forms of ‘art’ without keeping the basic definition of ‘art’ in mind. Books, movies, plays, dance, even painting/sculpture and music all follow a basic pattern — telling a story to a passive audience member, sometimes the story is obvious and sometimes abstract. Gaming, however, does not involve a passive audience member, but an active one. As such, it cannot be compared to the traditional forms of ‘art’. I’m sure there could be some exceptions here, as some plays involve the audience members, some sculptures incorporate moving or useable parts, but would they be considered games at that point?
What is the definition of a game?
Ex. “an amusement or pastime” — “a competitive activity involving skill, chance, or endurance on the part of two or more persons who play according to a set of rules, usually for their own amusement or for that of spectators.” (From: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/game)
If a game could simply consist of an action an individual or group takes and finds amusement from, then those sculptures that have interactive elements and plays that involve the audience members could be considered games as well as art.
So, are games a form of art? I would say so. Does it really matter? Probably not. All forms of entertainment, passive or active, are wonderful in their own ways.
