One writer’s take on the big argument.
Over the last decade (and perhaps even beyond), there has been increasing debate on whether or not video games should be considered as an art form.
Their most famous critic, the man who believes that video games can never be considered worthy as an art form like movies and literature, is famed movie critic Roger Ebert. While he believes that games can be “elegant, subtle, sophisticated, challenging, and visually wonderful”, he doesn’t believe that their craftsmanship elevates it to the status of “art”.
This is an unfortunate, and entirely misguided, opinion.
How does one judge the level of craftsmanship needed to create an excellent game? Is it the level of graphics, the type of storyline created, its addictiveness, or simply how much laughter and joy it brings? It is all these and MUCH more.
While movies have long been heralded as a great art form, it is time for people to open their eyes and mention video games in the same breath.
Why? Here are the reasons:
Game storylines and dialogue take as much craftsmanship as novels.
Many video games have a lot of storyline, and the depth of feeling that these can incite amongst players is beyond what simple entertainment can bring. Video game writers are tasked with creating worlds that hold meaning. If one were to play through Bioshock, one would see the world of Rapture, a nightmarish former utopia that could chill you to the bone.
Playing a game like GTA IV would introduce you to a rough protagonist (who shoots a LOT of people), that has been made believably human (and thus endearing), by the game’s writers. Every moment of his story has been carefully thought out, which is why gamers can feel a connection to him.
There are countless more games that can be used to exemplify the power of writing in modern video games. For example, 4 Elements, Youda Fairy and Around the World in 80 Days are all games that have convincing story lines.
Games aren’t all about graphics.
Video game graphics have become so important in the modern scene that many naysayers have begun to claim that many games rely only on special effects to get by.
Wait… isn’t that what some older people claim about new movies? Let’s not forget that one of the world’s highest grossing movies, Avatar, was not created until the director felt that technology had caught up.
Both games and movies have their bad seeds, but as a whole, the graphics are instrumental in making many a classic title. One should also remember that long before 3D cards were around, text-based games were wildly popular amongst the gaming population.
For an example of a game with great graphics, check out Tower Bloxx Deluxe!
Users have to be immersed for FAR longer in video games.
Movies have the advantage of only lasting 2 to 3 hours. Great games often last 10 or more, and sometimes take over 100 hours to complete.
The level of skill needed to create virtual worlds within a game where such immersion would be possible cannot be quantified. This phenomenon is quite similar to when avid readers re-read their favorite books from cover to cover. Games now have the power to create this type of immersion.
Do you know that a man played Bejeweled 2 for 2205 hours, nearly straight and landed himself a special fan page for his achievements?. His final score was 2,147,783,647. Try beating that.
Games could never be as witty as movies.
Movies such as Fargo have long been celebrated as excellent examples of dark comedy with a satirical twist. Many other movies have also been praised for their ability to use metaphors to comment on real world issues.
Well, just as District 9 was able to use the treatment of otherworldly aliens in South Africa to comment on[Apartheid, many games have been able to take a stab at real-world issues through their storylines.
For example, Red Dead Redemption was able to use extremely intelligent dialogue to openly mock the decidedly racist and imperialistic notions that were believed during the taming of the Wild West.[GTA IV was also another stab at culture, except it was a funny and witty look at the dark recesses of modern American society.
When one doesn’t look beneath the surface, it’s easy to assume that games don’t take as much effort as movies. This is simply not the case. It is hoped that those who read this article understand that, and learn to appreciate one of the modern world’s greatest art forms: gaming!
Carlo R. Coloma
Carlo is the Community Manager at MatchMove Games
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