I was reading my dad's Game Informer Magazine a while back and there was an article defending video games as an art form. I spent about fifteen minutes listening to these writers defend their games before I realized that I didn't even have my own solid opinion on the subject. I like video games so I always figured my opinion would be biased if I only gave it moments thought...
SO... I am using this blog space to put some good solid consideration on the subject, and here is what I've come up with - video games are not art. My main motivation for this opinion comes from the term 'art' being used too loosely... and because I like the challenge of criticizing something I enjoy.
The hardcore gamers that defend games as an art form make the same mistake that the writers in Game Informer made, and that is comparing video games with other forms of art like music or film based on their characteristics and structure. For example, video games have a story and plot with characters like films do. There is music composed in the background, and who can deny music as a form of art? The gamer uses his controller as an instrument similar to how a pianist plays his piano. These are only details that dress up the video games one true function, which is playing the game. That is why it's called a game, just as Scrabble is a game or Checkers or DVD Scene-It! To even address this point would be to compare the greatest video game story lines with the greatest story lines in cinema, or the greatest video game scores with the greatest musical compositions. How shall we do that objectively? Based on how renowned it is, perhaps? Or popularity? If so, we'd be comparing Michael Jackson's Thriller album with the theme song to Super Mario Bro's. Which I suppose you could do but...C'mon son! That is exactly what I mean about using the term art too loosely. A line has to be drawn somewhere.
The only element that is truly worth a damn is the gameplay; its other characteristics cannot stand alone without it. Strip away the gameplay of a video game and what you're left with is a poor excuse for a movie. If anything, playing a video game is more like playing a sport rather than an instrument. Video Games have that competitive edge just as sports do; in fact, the most popular video games are designed for nothing but competition: Massively Multiplayer Online games such as World of Warcraft, Online First Person shooters like Call of Duty, or fighting games like Street fighter or Mortal Kombat. The gamer is no more an artist than the athlete; they both strive to be the best in a competition designed by someone else.
Creating a video game is more like creating a puzzle. No matter how well you dress it up, it is useless if there is no one to solve it.
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