A Letter on the Rationale on Games as Art Expression

To whom it may interest,


Over the past century, entertainment media in form of movies and music have begun to be widely accepted as an art medium and are analyzed not only for their entertainment value but as an expression of self and human emotion. Thus, I have reached the conclusion that the definition of art is not necessarily as traditional as those with a limited scope tend to view it. Art is no longer just describing the act of putting a paintbrush to paper creating a portrait or landscape. Instead, art is well defined by Princeton WordNet as "the products of human creativity". By this definition art is defined as an ultimate catharsis, a means in which we can purge our emotions from our minds into physical form to create a representation of what it means to be human. While not all art is aesthetically beautiful, art is a beautiful analysis and time capsule of the emotions we feel as part of our society.


Most people (particularly in older generations) fail to understand the actual work and methodology that goes into the creation of video games. Perhaps it is because of their increasingly more misleading title as a "game" which is normally thought to be a simple pleasure or childish concept. I believe strongly that video games were not created for the sole purpose of generating revenue but instead serve as an artistic medium in which human emotion and feeling is expressed. These experiences are not just pixels on a screen designed to amuse a small child in the same way that a toy might be played with and cast off with no real value to the play that was had. Instead video games are crafted in such a way that is meant to be more along the lines of art and expression in that they are a means in which we can convey ideas and craft stories while involving the audience directly along the way. Differing from movies in this regard, games can break the barrier of understanding by directly involving the player in the events taking place on the screen and allowing them to create an experience with the medium in a way that may feel very personal. I will not deny that video games do and are intended in some regard to please an audience but this is not the a trait exclusive to games. Most art seeks to fulfill the conveyance of emotion to an audience of some kind such that the audience returns from the artistic experience as having felt a release (again, going back to the idea of a catharsis).


To all whom stand to challenge my affirmation that video games should be considered art; I invite you to view my blog over the coming weeks as I take an analytical approach to finding the artistic expression in games just as an individual might search a poem or work of literature for a deeper insight into the artistry in the text. Now before you go off scoffing at the idea by arguing "Well then! How would you consider the hyper-violence of games like Call of Duty and Dead Space as art? They are just mindless entertainment designed for pubescent boys who want their testosterone fix!", realize that I am not necessarily making the argument that all games necessarily stand at the same level of artistic value. Claiming that "Modern Warfare is not art so therefore no games are art" is basically the same claim as stating "Battle: L.A. is not art so therefore no movies are art". Although the logic in that assumption is that those reading this believe movies have artistic value, but I digress.


Overall, I hope at least this post encourages those reading to keep an open mind towards video games as an art medium. Most of the games I have selected for analysis in the upcoming creative blogs are freeware and indie games such that all those willing to attempt an adaptation of my view point might be able to search for the value in games themselves. In my consideration of the criteria of the assignment and that the topics covered this year in Dr. Forman are interesting positions for analyzing literature (Freud in Heart of Darkness and Hamlet, Kafka and Darwin/The Bible), these blogs will contain comparisons to poetry and literary themes that have served to present literature a timeless artistic medium for centuries before film. It should be fun and I look forward proving my position to those willing to view my blog.


Sincerely,
Tim DeVos