A Whole New Medium

gamestudent

A Whole New Medium

James Knudsen

Abstract

The intent of this paper is to argue that modern interactive entertainment, or video games, have the ability to be just as artistic as more conventional forms of expression such as painting, composition, writing, or the whole of long list of traditional art expression. It will concede common truths about video games, but it will also dispel generalizations and common assumptions. It will define art for a practical examination and continue to demonstrate how games potentially fall under those definitions. It will continue by displaying how games are uniquely artistic, and how they conform to the less traditional understandings of expression and art. From this point it will express the lawful protection of video games as an art form, and continue from there by acknowledging counterarguments and refutations for them. It will then observe and estimate where games are and how they are going to improve the arts in the coming future. Finally it will conclude by summarizing the body’s arguments, making a final comparison between games and traditional art creation, and stating a final repository claim.

Games are art. Perhaps an outrageous statement, but this paper will present a compelling case in the affirmative. Video games, especially those that are developed by small teams or studios are capable of being expressive just as effectively as other more conventional art forms such as painting or music composition. This is because they have the ability to conform to the traditional understanding of what art is through professional definitions of expression by wisdom and by law. They also expand this definition to new levels because of their unique place in the infrastructure of society, and will take the arts to new place in the future.
To begin, there are some notions that need to be understood. Games are artistic, as will be proved, but not all games are well made, high art, good for the mind or heart, or life enriching. In fact most games today don’t really seem to conform to the majority of these statements, and relatively few conform to all. And it is very true that games are also capable of creating negative effects on people. However this does not disprove that games are a form of expression as viable as traditional methods. It’s important to note that poor paintings are considered art, even if done by amateurs. Like poor quality games, they are not considered “high” art. Also, traditional expression has as much potential to be bad for people as games do. Several genres of music are definitely considered expression but its common knowledge that many believe them to be bad for the soul and society. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to say that games can have as much potential for both good and bad as traditional art does(Morehouse, 2013).
A second point: It may be necessary to define and distinguish video games. Put simply a video game is a form of entertainment that requires input from the user and relays output via a visual representation often combined with aural cues, and more recently with tactile output as well. Most video games have an objective to complete and a score, like any more traditional game(Mirriam-Webster, 2016).
Obviously any attempt to give an all inclusive, end of the line, matter of fact definition of art is a feat for the ages. Therefore the definitions used in this document are intended to be as practical and functional as possible to support and supplement understanding. The definitions are to be taken from reliable sources and sound reasoning.
What then makes something artistic? What parameters are to be used to understand what art is? Consider the several, following definitions as at least a foundation for this understanding.
To begin the process, here is the definition of art taken from the Noah Webster 1828 Dictionary: 1. The disposition or modification of things by human skill, to answer the purpose intended. In this sense art stands opposed to nature. 3. Skill, dexterity, or the power of performing certain actions, acquired by experience, study or observation; as, a man has the art of managing his business to advantage.
The first definition says that art is created by a person changing something from an original, natural state for a specific purpose. Consider this the process of creation from raw material to purposed objects. Imagine the art of woodcarving, sculpting and so on. The second definition says that art is the ability to accomplish certain things through skill, based on experience or observation. Consider a craftsman who makes fine goods.(Webster, 1828)
Here is a second definition:“Art is a way of telling a story, sharing a point of view or expressing an idea or feeling. Simply put, art is a form of communication that goes beyond language.”(What Makes Something a Work of Art, 2016)
This definition is more in line with traditional understanding, basically stating that art is a vessel for communication, wether that is a communication of feelings, of thoughts, or even of complex theories.
A third perspective of art comes form Writer and philosopher, Leo Tolstoy, who gave a comprehensive view on the subject in his book “What Is Art?” Here are several definitions from the book, “In order correctly to define art, it is necessary, first of all, to cease to consider it as a means to pleasure and to consider it as one of the conditions of human life. Viewing it in this way we cannot fail to observe that art is one of the means of intercourse between man and man.
Every work of art causes the receiver to enter into a certain kind of relationship both with him who produced, or is producing, the art, and with all those who, simultaneously, previously, or subsequently, receive the same artistic impression.”
[…]
The activity of art is based on the fact that a man, receiving through his sense of hearing or sight another man’s expression of feeling, is capable of experiencing the emotion which moved the man who expressed it. … And it is upon this capacity of man to receive another man’s expression of feeling and experience those feelings himself, that the activity of art is based.”(Tolstoy, 1960)
Consider that. He claims art is a relationship between creator, creation, and all of those that experience the creation. This is a very appealing definition to say the least. He also says here that art creates a response in the partaker. Combine this definition with the others and it presents a working definition of what art is. Tolstoy’s point of an evoking response plus the idea that art is to invoke thoughts or feelings creates a crucible where self reflection is made.
With these comprehensive definitions, here is a list of at least a part of what art supposedly is:
Art is the expression of thoughts or feelings.
Art helps us to understand the human experience and condition.
Art is about the interaction between the creator, creation, and experiencer.
Art is intended to evoke a response from the viewer.
Art is often a narrative experience, for example writing, storytelling, or poetry.
Art is partly about the effort involved in creation. For example a well prepared meal is more likely to be considered artistic because of the effort and skill invested in the making of it, distinguishing professional chefs from microwave dinners.
How then, do video games conform to this list? Are they really capable of accomplishing all of these things? Again, most games are not intended to be viewed in an artistic light, but there are several that were designed with the arts in mind. Here to follow are examples of games that conform to the above definitions.
For the first example, consider how some games have been designed to express very specific and thought provoking ideas or specific emotions through their design. A game entitled: Papers, Please, developed by Lucas Pope in 2013, is ultimately about government corruption and deterioration. The game has received several awards and is considered an artistic game by many critics(Pope, 2013). There are several more games designed to express feelings as well, with a variety in style and purpose. Acclaimed titles that do effectively express important ideas or feelings include Flower (thatgamecompany), UNDERTALE (tobyfox), and Dear Esther (The Chinese Room). These and several other titles are just as acclaimed and follow that specific definition just as well.

How games are able to help a person self reflect and understand their lives or experiences better is through interaction and vicarious decisions. They can help us to comprehend the human condition, and appreciate values above their superficial appearance. Take as an example the hit flash game, Every Day The Same Dream (Molleindustria). A Short 2D game about the difficulties of life that portrays a bleak outlook on existence. The game, honestly, is depressing at first blush but after contemplation and consideration of how it relates to the triumph or tragedy of human effort it becomes less carnivorous and more reflective of how humans act. An honest literary parallel is the book Lord of the Flies by Author William Golding. The game is not happy and does not end well, but it can be learned from(Pedercini, 2009).
The third definition is elegantly expressed by Tolstoy, who pointed out that art is the relation between creation, creator, and all who share in that creation(Tolstoy, 1960). With this definition it is apparent that games are conducive to being art according to it. Every person that plays a game not only interacts with the creation, because they are also able to see what the creator intended to say through its creation and they are able to share in that experience with any number of other people. The relation between the creation and observer is simply the most obvious.
Take a moment and imagine the relation between player and game. At a fundamental level it is almost like a ballroom dance. Dancers communicate to each other through motion in a cycle of prompts and responses(Mirriam-Webster, 2016). In a similar fashion a game and a player can communicate. The player sends messages to the game through its method of receiving input. Immediately, the game processes the received information and delivers the appropriate response, which it relays through its method of output. Upon receiving the information delivered from the game, the player then has to process it and relay new information to the game via the manner of input, and so the cycle goes.
The fourth way that games can be artistic is that they are especially good at evoking emotional responses from players. This can actually occur in a variety of ways. In modern art games, like several of the ones mentioned above, the intention is to produce a feeling or idea. Artistic games like the ones referred to in the above paragraphs are notoriously designed to stimulate a response in the player, wether it be frustration and accomplishment, or more emotional responses such as wonder, amusement, sadness, guilt and so on(Bateman, 2008). However a second way that games can evoke a response from players in the way that their won or lost.
For example when a player wins a regular game that is intended for entertainment they feel excited and triumphant and they might feel more competitive as well. When they lose they feel frustrated and may feel determined to do better. In fact throughout the entire process of playing a game they are going to feel several things along these lines(Bateman, 2008).
In defense of argument number five in the above list, that games are capable of being art because of their unique ability to tell stories, consider traditional creative writing. It is fundamental to good writing to bring the abstract down toward the real, through depicting experience with the five senses, details, dialogue, etc(Skolnick, 2015) Games are not the same as creative writing or poetry in the sense that they generally are limited in text and dialogue because the focus usually tends to be direct gameplay. The purpose of creative writing is to tell a story. In game design terms when you desire to tell a story its referred to as “delivering a narrative”. This because the characters, setting, and atmosphere are conveyed directly through the five senses. In intelligent design, even the game’s play mechanics ought to be a part of the narrative process. Designers are highly praised these days for effectively delivering narrative through gameplay. 
A splendid example of narrative through design is the hit game Journey by Thatgamecompany. The reason this game is such an excellent example of narrative through design is twofold. Firstly, there is no text in the gameplay and the player communicates to other players through simple musical chimes(Thatgamecomany, 2016) Secondly, the game’s story is remarkably parallel to Campbell’s writing philosophy of the Hero’s Journey, hence the title for the game(Extra Credits, 2012).
And finally the sixth definition, that games art artistic because of the effort put into them. The effort itself is not particularly artistic, so really the only point here is that game with more work invested in them are obviously better and therefore more valuable as well. However, consider a delightfully well prepared meal. The art of cooking is all about the effort, skill, and knowledge involved, so games with similar ingredients of quality are useful in the same way.    
In addition to conforming to this list of traditional art theory, games are artistic in a series of unique ways based on their nature as graphical representations and interactivity. Game design, level design, graphics, animation, sound design, soundtrack composition, as well as a variety of other fields of design, are all technical, mathematic, and yet creative things. Would it make sense to say that because something utilizes a multitude of art forms it can’t itself be art? Obviously not, so if a broad range of these elements are collected they can be combined to make an amalgamation of something artistic. The individual nature of these things are conducive to art as well.
In the first place,video games are extremely capable of having high quality or expressively designed graphics just based on their obvious nature. For example: the hit iOS game, Monument Valley (UsTwo), is accredited with being an art game for its gameplay and design:

        Obviously the game is visually appealing. Any student of art, upon viewing the game, will point out the intentionality behind the design. The game clearly is in part a tribute to the distinguished artist, M. C. Escher, whose work was famous for its distinctive, yet impossible perspectives and illusions. Monument Valley takes his vision and expounds it into an interactive three dimensional world, and expands the concepts the Escher inspired in his work because of the game’s innate interactive nature(Adamou, 2014).
        Secondly games are capable of having music that has been designed with an expressive intention. The hit game Fez, developed by POLYTRON CORPORATION is lauded for many things, but one of the most popular is its retro style of music, that was designed to encourage exploration and adventure(www.thchnobuffalo.com, 2013).
Thirdly, the way gameplay or mechanics are designed potentially could be called artistic. As the ultimate example of this idea take into consideration the iconic god of game design: Japanese designer for Nintendo, Shegiru Miyamoto.
It’s a known fact that his titles compose the pantheon of games: Donkey Kong, Super Mario Brothers, The Legend of Zelda, Mario Kart, And, Super Smash Bros, are just the tips of an electronic iceberg, with dozens of other titles that are directly influenced by his design skills(Polygon, 2015). And the acknowledged reason for these monumental successes, spanning the last three decades? Because Miyamoto has an eye for design that is almost legendary. His level design for World 1-1 of Super Mario Brothers is nothing short of genius(www.polygon.com, 2015). If he is a genius, than he is obviously a master of his craft. When he designs game levels, he's making something that is brilliant, intentional and precise to near perfection.
The third, and really gripping point is now presented. Games are artistic in the way that they are played. Wether it is the strategy employed, or the level of mastery involved, the way a game is executed is essentially a mastery of a craft.
To prove this, consider the traditional strategy game chess. Is chess artistic? Most people would probably say that no, playing chess is not artistic. Maybe the game isn't, but the player who is advanced enough to play at a grandmaster level is using strategy to accomplish his goal, to win the game. From this, is the claim that strategy is artistic absolutely ridiculous? Perhaps for the majority of concepts it is, but remember the definition given by Noah Webster over 150 years ago? According to him the mastery of a subject is an art.
If Webster’s definition will continue to prove useful, then consider his second statement on the definition of art. To paraphrase, art is the development of skill or ability. Therefore, even though becoming really good at the skill necessary to blaze through levels of the original super Mario brothers with ease, is not an important life skill or really useful to anyone, it is in a slight perspective an art. Obviously it is not an art that has any great amount of value but it does fit the understanding.
If both previous arguments are considered and understood, than the obvious extrapolation for the purpose of games being a unique art is that the combination of these things, strategy and skill, is what makes playing certain games an art form. Consider Street Fighter II. A classic genre defining fighting game, Street Fighter II is capable of being a simple non artistic button mashing game, or a crucible for the melding of skill and strategy to the ultimate mastery of the game. Some concessions are probably due at this point. Is playing Street Fighter or super Mario brothers at all comparable to the great artists, painting ability or skill? Of course not, that would be ridiculous. However, in their own right and specific place in the dichotomy of the arts, the mastery of a game can reasonably be considered a form of art. Perhaps there is still some doubt on the issue, so here is a fourth point for the argument.
The discipline of any martial arts is to a much higher degree the same artistic process. It takes years to master the discipline required to be considered a master, and it takes years of practice to acquire the knowledge necessary to be able to execute a string of movements in the most effective way possible(Mirriam-Webster, 2016).
Here is another supportive point. In 2011 the U.S. supreme court ruled that video games are a protected form of free speech and also a legitimate art form(Sutter, 2011). The ruling was definitive and precise. Allowing the justification of games as an art form which ultimately led to the creation of a smithsonian exhibit exemplifying the artistry of games(Smithsonian Magazine, 2016).
For the legitimacy of argument, here to follow are some of the most common and logical counter arguments and the refutations that debunk them. They are reasonable enough and of course are not without merit or legitimate truth in parts.
The first counter argument is that games cant be artistic because they are not on the same level of skill or depth as Starry Night, Ma Jolie, or the iconic Leonardo Davinci work, the Mona Lisa. Neither are they as moving as the great compositions of such giants of music as Handel, Mozart, or again, the iconic Beethoven(Jones, 2012). To this, apply the sweet aphorism: it’s comparing apples to oranges. Games and traditional art simply are too variant with each other to say that one is art and the other is not because it is not similar to the original. What artist would go about comparing the works of Andy Warhol to those of Michaelanglo? They wouldn’t. It would be insane to say that one or the other is definitively better than the first because of the superiority in this or that. When the impressionist movement appeared, critics said it wasn't art either because it did not conform to their preconceived notions of what art was. And yet today, impressionism is considered a classic just like the rest. The same phenomenon occurred at the advent of film, and obviously it is occurring now(Stuart, 2012).
Keep in mind also, the fact that as a revolutionary medium that has never existed in human history, games are still metaphorically cave paintings(Ebert, 2016). They are only just on their way to becoming something incredible.
Another argument against why games are not art is because they supposedly drain imagination. Admittedly there are many things that are honestly better things to be doing, and as with all things, games ought to be played in moderation, but games have already been proven to have the potential to make people think.
Another argument for why games are not art is that because when a game is played it is merely an interaction with a program of rules and variables and math. That is exactly what it is, However consider this. Observing a sculpture is just staring at a pile of rock or mud that someone brought inside and hit with a hammer for a while. The point is, that a game is not about what it is, it’s about what it means. The purpose, or the interaction, or the thoughts that it makes you think. The same as any sculpture.
There are obvious concerns about video games in general, and, for the sake of fairness, please remember that it’s very true that a wide selection of games are contrived for wicked intentions, and its also true that games intended to be just games can work negative effects.
The argument from this is that games are destructive. Accordingly, they cause addictions and can replace real experiences with virtual ones, thus eliminating the need for people to live real life. The argument is also that games cause violent behavior, and more than anything else, that games waste tremendous amounts of time that could be spent doing better things(Ebert, 2016).
Truly games have the power to work negatively, it is undeniable. However, as with all tools, games just are. It’s how they are used that determines their purpose and ability. Like water, which is essential for life, but a swift cause of death as well. With the ability to be incredibly destructive lies the ability to do incredible good.
Some games do incredible good. There are only a few right now though. Perhaps the most impactful is a very recent release, That Dragon, Cancer. It was developed by husband and wife Ryan and Amy Green, Josh Larson, and a small development team under the name Numinous Games. It was released this year. The game is about the green’s experiences with their son Joel as he went through his entire short life with destructive cancer. They started to develop the game as a way to cope with the illness, but it took on a whole new meaning after his death(Green, 2016).
The game is doing good, it’s helping people in the world, and that’s another reason why games are art. They have the hidden capacity to help people. Sure they can be harmful, but they are quickly turning toward being helpful(The Verge, 2016).
And that is the whole point. That video games have the potential to be so much more is the entire purpose this paper. They can be art, make you feel, think, believe, dream. In the future, as more and more people realize this, games will begin to mature and develop into more than just a fiddly time waster. They will start to raise important questions, make statements about politics, science, faith, and life. They will start to impact the world for good, and that is exciting.
To conclude, here is a compilation of the reasons stated throughout the paper in defense for why video games are, incredibly, a real, viable form of artistic expression.
Because they firstly conform to traditional perspectives of what art is. They Inspire introspection, express thoughts, feelings and ideas, facilitate interaction between the creator, the creation, and the viewer, provide a revolutionary channel for narrative, evoke emotional responses from interaction, and because they can be a vested effort.
The second series for why games are art is because they are very unique, have the obvious ability to have graphical aesthetic and aural vision.
Games that require an investment of skill, and the focus of strategy can become like an art of the body and mind, like martial arts.
Intelligent and effective game design, not just play is a mastery of craft that, according to Noah Webster, is an art
Thirdly, games are a protected right to expression, guarded by the United States of America as an art form.
Finally, while games are capable of being destructive, their also capable of being creative and useful.
That is why games are a whole new medium for art.
Works Cited
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Sorry the formatting's a little weird in the post, and my images dont seem to have transferred over, but I suspect most of you guys know what I'm talking about.

RThurman

That was a fun read!

Question -- You say that video games are art. Are all video games art? Is it possible to make a video game that is not art?

Question -- You write that, "Most video games have an objective to complete and a score." Don't all video games have an objective to complete? If an objective is missing (or if there are no objectives at all), then is it a video game? Is it even a game?