tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37438358.post116560629663918687..comments2018-04-19T02:27:41.072-07:00Comments on Pixels Killing Pixels: The Thirty Year Old Art: Part ISnrIncognitohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265075168854851243noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37438358.post-1166259209125883892006-12-16T00:53:00.000-08:002006-12-16T00:53:00.000-08:00warren, you do a good job of filling in some of th...warren, you do a good job of filling in some of the gaps that i intentionally left open ended. i feel like the questions are more thoroughly answered. thank you.SnrIncognitohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06265075168854851243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37438358.post-1166234626889666352006-12-15T18:03:00.000-08:002006-12-15T18:03:00.000-08:00Of course video games are art. The question is, ho...Of course video games are art. The question is, how artsy are they really. The best way for me to analyze this question is by comparing them to the current tried and true art forms. <BR/><BR/>Drawing and Painting:<BR/> Personally, I’ve never really understood abstract artistic works. What fascinates me about this medium is the immense amount of skill required to make a vivid and realistic drawing or painting. The notion that a person can create such a plausible image by simply drawing his hand across a sheet of paper seems spellbinding. In this way, I believe video games are on par with this art form. The amount of time artists and animators spend to make a game look the way it does is amazing. I can safely say that the beautiful landscapes seen in Oblivion or Half-life 2 are wonderful displays of art. <BR/><BR/>Film and Literature:<BR/> Good literature provokes the imagination. If a reader can internalize what has been written, I believe the author has created a fine work of art. A successful author makes his reader entirely immersed in each series of events that occur as they unfold. A good work of literature should also provoke a sense of empathy in the reader. The reader must become emotionally invested in the story. He should care about the characters, cheering at every sterling success and weeping with every abysmal failure. <BR/> Good film must accomplish most of the same goals, but through a slightly different avenue. Instead of relying on intricate wording to provoke the imagination, film relies on plausible visuals to immerse the viewer and have him suspend his disbelief. As with literature, film must have an intriguing plot line, and substantial character development to facilitate the viewer’s feelings of empathy. <BR/> I believe a video game is just as capable of immersing the player and provoking feelings of empathy. Knights of the Old Republic is a wonderful example of a game that excels on these levels. KOTOR boasted a beautifully unpredictable storyline, an encompassing character development, an enthralling fantasy universe, well written dialogue, and even thought provoking philosophy. Never before did I actually care so much about the characters feelings and motivations. It was artistic on so many levels. <BR/><BR/> All of the above artistic forms are all well known for their ability to convey a message and provoke thought in their recipients. These messages are often social, political, or philosophical in nature. This aspect is perhaps the most difficult to discover in video games. Often I don’t finish playing a video game consumed with thoughts of existentialism, the morality of vegetarianism, or what it truly means to be in love. It is on this level that I believe most video games need to improve upon to become universally excepted among the hire art forms. <BR/><BR/> Everything I’ve spoken about thus far can be found in the narrative aspect of video games. The interactive aspect is another story entirely. The interactive aspect of video games is a much harder to classify on an artistic level. The only immediate example of interactive art that comes to mind is dance. A dancer interacts with the environment and space. Is the dancer the artist? If so what is the dancer creating? Is a dancer the art? Is the dancer just a tool used to create that art? Very ambiguous in indeed. <BR/><BR/> If video games are art, then wouldn’t that mean all games have to be art too? Are bored games art? Are sports art? Are card games art? Certainly an amazing soccer player can show a display of skill as impressive as a painter, but where is the art? The lack of a tangible essence vexes me. Is the soccer player the artist, or the athlete?<BR/> When applying this question to video games, we get something similar. Does the gamer become the artist? If so what happened to the game designers? Are they no longer artists? Does the gamer become the art? Does the gamer become a simple conduit by which his skill can be interpreted as art? Does the gamer become a tool of the designers so their creations can exist as art? Often I’ve found myself watching a gamer play a game with the same intensity as if I were watching a movie. So if a game is art, and the act of gaming is also art, then we have stumbled upon the ultimate form of artistic expression: art which allows its recipients to become artists. That is indeed a powerful thought. Perhaps video games are the greatest form of art after all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37438358.post-1166039498507025062006-12-13T11:51:00.000-08:002006-12-13T11:51:00.000-08:00I'm not really sure what, if anything, I can add t...I'm not really sure what, if anything, I can add to this. What do you think the original game designers thought their inventions and "worlds" as you call them would have lead to? Do you think their intention was to create such versatility in the art world or to provide an escape from the versatility of the real world?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com