Perfecting a craft.

3absh

Dear game developers,
I just wanted to share some ideas with all of you out there. This is a recent certainty I've reached in the past few years that is of upmost importance.
Most of this I'm going to say is a personal philosophical conviction, a belief I've held on to for the past couple of years that I wish I have discovered earlier in life. Now this does not conclude only games, but any forms of art and craft.
1. I truly believe games are a modern form of human expression and art. I believe them to be as important as literature, journalism and theatre. Some may disagree, but seeing how games have impacting my life quite more profoundly than the other form of media I've mentioned, I'm inclined to hold on to my claim.
2. Since I do believe games are an art, they should be taken as seriously. Some arts require a lifetime to craft, and truly great games are no exception. Great works of art require skill, dedication and hours upon hours of hard work.
3. We do not create beauty, beauty seeks it's own existence through us. This is also something I am entirely convinced of, and once you believe that what you create is something that is greater than you, you tend to have a different perspective towards the art you are working on.
4. Your art is an immortal piece of you, a self reflection that will last forever.

Just some thoughts I wanted to share with you guys.

gamestudent

I think the philosophy of games has ben developing a lot recently! Great post.

Hopscotch

I don't like the games = art thing,
it is a concocted excuse, subversively pushed onto public consciousness by publishers
to pull the great developer = starving artist card when negotiating deals.

Read all about it in my new Ebook - Ten Tinfoil Truths

No, I do think the discussion is very interesting @abuabed84

tintran

I think it's an art form because it inspires others to create more works like it or mixtures of different games.

gamestudent

@Hopscotch

James Knudsen

Why Video Games Are Artistic
Video games are a very effective medium for artistic expression because they allow the player, the game, and the developer to communicate at a very complex level through the use of visual displays, auditory cues, storytelling, and, most importantly, user input. There are, surprisingly, several ways that make these games artistic.
First, in the same way that a painting is made to evoke a response, Video Games are designed to stimulate a response in the player, wether it be frustration and accomplishment, or more emotional responses such as wonder and amusement(Bateman). Even if the response, like many have to modern or abstract art, is “Thats not art!” that in itself is artistic. The reaction evoked is a part of what makes it art.
Second, game designers are similar to other artists in that they are both really storytellers (Skolnick). In the world of video games the player is either told the story directly or is given bits of information around which a story is created in their heads. The very same as in paintings. This can be either a very simple or complex story, of course. An example of this is the hit iOS game Monument Valley, a critically acclaimed “art game” by Indie Development team Ustwo. By using subtle story points through gameplay, the game creates a viable narrative in the head of the player, which is what has made this particular game so enticing to players (Adamou).
Third, a part of the painter goes into his works. Michelangelo lives on in the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Artists invest a part of themselves in their works. Game developers often do the same thing. This little part of themselves also adds to the artistic value of the painting.
Finally, art is in the interaction between the player and the game. The most in depth view of art in Games this: The game creates an event that the player reacts to by inputting information into the game. (Because of the relatively new technology of video games, the information the game outputs is generally visual and audible, whereas the information that is received is tactile.) This input is then processed by the game and the game then generates another response, thus looping the cycle. This process is very much like a dance.
With all of these things in mind, one must also remember that there has always been high art, and low art (Morehouse). Masters and amateurs. The same is applicable in video games. Many Developers create games that are really less than quality. A few create decent games that you would play now and again, and a selection of the best might make games that you would be proud to “hang in your living room.” Maybe one or two create games that get played for generations because of their excellence.
Video games are going to be the next great art form. This is because of the higher levels of effort and soul going into them. They are becoming more and more the preferred medium of expression for the 21st century. Game designers, programmers, and developers are artists in their own right. Games will one day be admired like any of the great works of history.

Works Cited

Batman, Chris. "Top Ten Videogame Emotions." 'Only a Game' Chris Bateman, 9 Apr. 2008. Web. 02 Apr. 2015.
Skolnick, Evan. "Video Game Storytelling: From Tutorial to Book, and Back Again." Gamasutra. N.p., 2 Feb. 2015. Web. 02 Apr. 2015.
Adamou, Betty. "The Most Beautiful Game I've Ever Played: Being Ida in the Monument Valley." Research Through Gaming. Research Through Gaming, 09 Apr. 2014.
Web. 02 Apr. 2015.
Morehouse, Isaac M. "Video Games as High Art." Isaac M Morehouse. Isaac M Morehouse, 30 May 2013. Web. 02 Apr. 2015.

Hopscotch

@gamestudent, @abuabed84

in my view games can most definitely be art, but are not necessarily such.

It is hard enough to define what art is. The usual definitions are so broad and all encompassing that they include all creative expression, thus losing meaning.

Definitions that try to be more specific, are by nature also more subjective and individual, thus again becoming meaningless.

What do you define as "art"?

3absh

My personal definition on art is a continuum of what the universe aims towards. I believe art to be that significant.
Human beings work and create because they are a reflection of the essence of the universe, homo sapiens are a reflection of the soul of this universe like no other species.
As for the debate to weather games are an art form or not, I thought this issue was settled when Half Life 2 was released.

3absh

A refined craft also reflect s the state of mind of the craftsman. There are no boundaries to creativity, only infinite dimensions.

BigDave

Flappy Bird, Angry Bird.. = Pop Culture
Flappy bird clone = Pathetic
Monument Valley = Art

Since im currently in a struggle with my own work I like this discussion. Insightful.

Lovejoy

@BigDave said:
Flappy Bird, Angry Bird.. = Pop Culture
Flappy bird clone = Pathetic
Monument Valley = Art

Since im currently in a struggle with my own work I like this discussion. Insightful.

Makes me what to shed a tear every time i see your new profile pic.

BigDave

@Lovejoy thanks i think i slowly recover, having cleaned my app portfolio slowly cleans my mind too

floatingwoo

@abuabed84 I was with you all the way until ........Half Life 2. Really? This is your idea of art? A first person shooter game handled so realistically there is little left for the imagination? This is what the universe aims for?

tintran

@abuabed84 said:
A refined craft also reflect s the state of mind of the craftsman. There are no boundaries to creativity, only infinite dimensions.

http://www.zombo.com/