Where is the need to validate games as art coming from? I don't hear Kasparow insisting chess is art (at least continuously). Since we lack a conclusicve definition of art I can't for the life of me fathom why it would be important to get this label.
There is stuff people do on the higher steps of Maslow's hierarchy of needs (i.e. spending time on other things than survival). Some of it is about creative self actualization and self improvement, other stuff is just about enjoying one self.
The best non-survival stuff improves the individual and provides epiphanies. The worst kind creates repetitive non-value adding habits which people are compelled to do.
Video games are a medium which provide both. Modern video games are packed with industrial art and design. Some provide a playground for creativity. Others provide incredible unforgettable scenes. And others are just slot machines. Is a slot machine art? What's the Venn diagram of the sets 'art' and slot machines like? Which one is truthier statement - "All video games are art" or "some video games are art".
I have no answers. All I know is that claiming "video games are/are not art" is silly. Maybe it's about being jealous of the fame and meager stipends artists get. Or creating a defence againsr nasty relatives who conside video games a waste of time?
Where is the need to validate games as art coming from?
The whole thing really kicked off a few years ago when famous movie critic Roger Ebert stated that computer games are not art (while at the same holding that movies obviously where). After that everybody and their dog has been on a crusade to prove him wrong.
Good comment! As you mentioned video games provide both. On the one side there are games that are like slot machines, that attract causual players woth repitive grinding mechanics and be addictive and maybe even harmful for longer consumption. On the other side there are great games that let the player express himself, let him be creative, let him shape the world, let him decide which path he goes. The later category brought us superb games like GTA V, Deus Ex, Minecraft, Mafia, Age of Empires, Flight Simulator, Last of us, etc
I think that the addictive quality is a key component of all games -- perhaps especially the great ones. In a good game the compulsion is balanced with the creative/rewarding aspects to create an positive experience.
But even then I often find that the addiction outlives the reward. If I play a great game for an hour, it's engaging and satisfying. Two hours in, I may be tired and frustrated, but the addictive quality keeps me going past the point where I ought to take a break.
For me, the experience often ends up a net negative. I play longer than I intend to, neglect other activities, and am left feeling restless and unsatisfied.
You are right. Interesting. It may also depend on the gaming device. On PC I am used to be able to save a game at any point. (except for some console ports) I think that makes a huge difference, as there is then no need to play another level or play past another save point, I just hit ESC and click on save and close the game when I want.
Sadly more and more games are multi platform and even if they allow you to save it's often only outside/after of a mission, or even if they allow you to save at any point, if you load the save game you are reset to the last invisible save point and have to replay it from there. That's the most off-putting experience and I am pretty sure it also manipulates people to play longer than the want, and as many don't know better (don't even know the free saving possibility from PC) they don't have a bad taste about it.
Quick save and quick load also is or was part of popular PC games, I mentioned above. It allows one to try out something, if it turns out that it was a really bad idea, I can go back and try it in a different way - something that's invaluable in Deus Ex 1 and RTS like Age of Empire series. With console games like Uncharted series or GTA series it's not possible, and I wish it would be possible (at least on PC were the disc space for save games is let's say near infinite). A really cool feature that I know only from Codemaster racing games (and Braid) is the playback feature, that allows you to go back in time (1-2 min) and try it again in a different way. I wish most games would come with such a playback feature, it's really great and useful. And games could limit it to eg 5 playback activation per level like Codemaster games (depends on easy/medium/hard level).
Comments
Where is the need to validate games as art coming from? I don't hear Kasparow insisting chess is art (at least continuously). Since we lack a conclusicve definition of art I can't for the life of me fathom why it would be important to get this label.
There is stuff people do on the higher steps of Maslow's hierarchy of needs (i.e. spending time on other things than survival). Some of it is about creative self actualization and self improvement, other stuff is just about enjoying one self.
The best non-survival stuff improves the individual and provides epiphanies. The worst kind creates repetitive non-value adding habits which people are compelled to do.
Video games are a medium which provide both. Modern video games are packed with industrial art and design. Some provide a playground for creativity. Others provide incredible unforgettable scenes. And others are just slot machines. Is a slot machine art? What's the Venn diagram of the sets 'art' and slot machines like? Which one is truthier statement - "All video games are art" or "some video games are art".
I have no answers. All I know is that claiming "video games are/are not art" is silly. Maybe it's about being jealous of the fame and meager stipends artists get. Or creating a defence againsr nasty relatives who conside video games a waste of time?
Where is the need to validate games as art coming from?
The whole thing really kicked off a few years ago when famous movie critic Roger Ebert stated that computer games are not art (while at the same holding that movies obviously where). After that everybody and their dog has been on a crusade to prove him wrong.
It comes from governments inability to censor art.
Good comment! As you mentioned video games provide both. On the one side there are games that are like slot machines, that attract causual players woth repitive grinding mechanics and be addictive and maybe even harmful for longer consumption. On the other side there are great games that let the player express himself, let him be creative, let him shape the world, let him decide which path he goes. The later category brought us superb games like GTA V, Deus Ex, Minecraft, Mafia, Age of Empires, Flight Simulator, Last of us, etc
I think that the addictive quality is a key component of all games -- perhaps especially the great ones. In a good game the compulsion is balanced with the creative/rewarding aspects to create an positive experience.
But even then I often find that the addiction outlives the reward. If I play a great game for an hour, it's engaging and satisfying. Two hours in, I may be tired and frustrated, but the addictive quality keeps me going past the point where I ought to take a break.
For me, the experience often ends up a net negative. I play longer than I intend to, neglect other activities, and am left feeling restless and unsatisfied.
You are right. Interesting. It may also depend on the gaming device. On PC I am used to be able to save a game at any point. (except for some console ports) I think that makes a huge difference, as there is then no need to play another level or play past another save point, I just hit ESC and click on save and close the game when I want.
Sadly more and more games are multi platform and even if they allow you to save it's often only outside/after of a mission, or even if they allow you to save at any point, if you load the save game you are reset to the last invisible save point and have to replay it from there. That's the most off-putting experience and I am pretty sure it also manipulates people to play longer than the want, and as many don't know better (don't even know the free saving possibility from PC) they don't have a bad taste about it.
Quick save and quick load also is or was part of popular PC games, I mentioned above. It allows one to try out something, if it turns out that it was a really bad idea, I can go back and try it in a different way - something that's invaluable in Deus Ex 1 and RTS like Age of Empire series. With console games like Uncharted series or GTA series it's not possible, and I wish it would be possible (at least on PC were the disc space for save games is let's say near infinite). A really cool feature that I know only from Codemaster racing games (and Braid) is the playback feature, that allows you to go back in time (1-2 min) and try it again in a different way. I wish most games would come with such a playback feature, it's really great and useful. And games could limit it to eg 5 playback activation per level like Codemaster games (depends on easy/medium/hard level).