PART 1 -- Are Video Games A Form Of Art ?

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I first came across this subject of discussion while reading an interesting article (at work) in the Dec 2010 issue (#212) of Game Informer, by Matt Helgeson (senior editor).

The article, titled "Video Games, It's Time To Grow Up" basically puts EA on blast for the way they handled (or mishandled- according to Helgeson) the controversial content in Medal of Honor. The controversy? To quote the article:

"...it was reported in the media that Medal of Honor's multiplayer component would allow gamers to play as Taliban forces - virtually gunning down U.S. and allied soldiers..."

Helgeson calls it a Call of Duty wannabe

EA defended itself in two ways,

#1 remind everyone it's just a videogame, and someone has to play as the opposition

#2 videogames are modern art, and therefore deserve artistic freedom

This controversy became an opportunity. An opportunity for the video game industry to make a little noise and take a step up and stand on the same level as its sister platform, film. And so, when response #2 was released by EA Games president Frank Gibeau, he made the right comparison when mentioning The Hurt Locker, and even threw in Red Badge of Courage (book) for good measure.

Alas, EA ultimately caved to the bad press and changed the name of the Taliban group in multiplayer play to "opposing force". A relatively quiet defeat for the gaming world everywhere. Helgeson goes on to list other examples of how the gaming industry is missing the boat on several occasions, and as a result, creating an inconsistent image of the industry. Then, he concludes with the fact that because the gaming industry sends mixed messages (on whether or not to take it seriously), it's no surprise the industry, not film or television, is preparing to defend its Constitutional right to freedom of speech before the Supreme Court.


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you can't tell me games haven't come a long way. sure, kiddy games like mario will always be around. but there's a whole new kind of realism to games nowadays 


As a self-proclaimed "gamer" I couldn't help but wonder whether or not I played games for fun, just to pass the time, or did they carry some deep meaning and have an influence on my life? I can't deny that they've been a huge part of my life, I've been playing games since as far back as I can remember. I can tell you that games have definitely been able to invoke emotional responses from me. And there have been some great stories, with great messages, and beautiful aesthetics in various games I've played.

So, yeah, naturally, as I considered the issue I found myself getting defensive as a gamer. Of course, this activity that I've spent hours on end.. days on end.. months of my time doing, and/or watching someone else do, isn't just some meaningless, mindless, unprofound source of entertainment. Of course it was a form of art. Why can't it be the literature of my generation (I'm not saying books are dead, I mean look at Kindle sales!)? Or at least for a part of my generation? Instead of the classics and Charles Dickens, we have the classics and Infinity Ward.

I didn't understand how it would be difficult for people to see the parallels between video games and other forms of art. Books tell stories, send messages, invoke emotion, and entertain us. Paintings, sculptures, and decorative art are appreciated for their aesthetic attributes.  Games can contain breathtaking visuals. Digital art is now a recognized form of art, and it seems only natural that video games fall under the same category. It just didn't make sense how video games can't be all those same things that books, paintings, and sculptures are. Are not at least some of the great stories told by video games poetic (and therefore artistic) by some measure?


The article by Helgeson was a good read. It got me thinking. And more importantly, passed the time at work. Well, I quickly became bored again soon thereafter. And for some reason I found myself thoroughly intrigued by the Video Games vs. Art debate. I couldn't shake it that I actually cared about having an Answer to this Question. In the article Helgeson mentioned Roger Ebert making the daring statement that video games are not, cannot, and will not ever be considered art. At this point, despite my initial inclination to defend my inner-gamer, I realized I'd only seen one side of the argument. I decided I wouldn't be so quick to make up my mind until I did some more research.

Next, Mr. Ebert's take on the matter..


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PS. a final note before I conclude my first post..     WHY DO I CARE ???

it seems, after some Googling, that a lot of detractors of Mr. Ebert's comments, or the debate in general, ask the question:

WHO GIVES A - FLYING ****/ RAT'S *** / TWO ***** ???

and it's simple. i do. you should. why? the same reason we care about anything else. it's out there. games are everywhere now. we all play games. from WiiFit, to Kinect, to iPad/iPhone/iPod apps, tetris, solitaire... at parties, even work parties, we find ourselves around DDR/Rock Band/WiiSports...

personally, most of the friends i have play games. it's less common to meet a guy around my age range who doesn't play games in some way, shape, or form. instead of trading emails, or phone numbers, or Facebooking, or s/n's, i find myself trading gamertags.

and if you don't have a personal affinity for gaming, guess who does? your friends, your siblings, your kids, your kid's friends... A LOT OF PEOPLE PLAY GAMES.

the gaming (..comic book, Saturday morning cartoons, etc.) generation has grown up, and we've produced the technology to keep up. what else could explain huge blockbuster record breaking movies like Spider-Man, X-Men, Prince of Persia (ok, well at least there were a lot of commercials on tv).

my point is, gaming is another form of pop culture/media that surrounds you whether you know it or not.



this is no longer the ONLY image of what gaming looks like anymore. a lot of us older folks are jumpin in on the action still. doing only what we've always done since we were little like these two boys. the only difference now is we can afford to pay $600 for a console, $60 a game, and $x amount for accessories (bluetooth headset).


so you should care.

as a gamer, i fear that my gaming experiences might be limited by regulations and censorship...

as a potential father, i'd like to know how strong the correlation between kids shooting each other in schools and violent video games is...

so yes, i care.

it's tragic, but a lot of decisions are financially motivated.. much like EA's decision to back down, some of the gaming industry's respected individual's have encouraged gamers to forget about the great debate and just. game. on. my thought is that they probably think most of us gamers are simple-minded creatures who just want to blow stuff up. it's easier on sales if we don't think about it, and just keep playing. but i think it's an important enough conversation to be had.. so i started this blog.