Art in Videogames

Too busy to post pics, but go google "Okami".

And Shadow of the Colossus.

Too busy to post pics, but go google "Okami".

And Shadow of the Colossus.

jethrovegas

what he said

any mreMiles0T0Prower

Yeah, Killer 7, Bioshock, and ICO.

man...dude you can't just approach this from a purely visual angle.

Check out a bioware rpg (baldur's gate 2)or an FF, or a metal gear solid and simply explain to your teacher the narrative devices employed; how in mgs things like archive footage and dynamic cutscenes(sometimes making use of P.O.VS) are used which gives it that cinematic feel. Kojima emulates hollywood and creates his own over the top reality.The fact that kojima leaves all these themes and messages in his games, easily makes his stuff worthy of being called art. Ironically he wouldnt call it that.

i think a good way of arguing your point is drawing a comparison with participatory art in galleries. In these installations the artist usually tries to inspire a certain feeling fromhis/her audience; revulsion,fear, anger.

Well in games the designers do they exact same thing; from the earlier resident evils and silent hill which inspire fear to games like shadow of collosus which can make you feel really isolated and then strangely elated after conquering those collosi

EDIT. and obviously with the last games i mentioned, and all games for that matter we as an audience are participating, by pickingup the controller

You're teacher seems a little closed-minded. You should remind him that film was once considered to be "not an art".mattbbpl

every game is art

your teacher is an idiot

Intro movie to Persona 3 (great art style), Psychonauts (level design), and the games other people just listed (especially Okami and Shadow of the Collosus).

I would like to ask you a few questions though. What grade are you in and why doesn't your teacher think video games are art? I think a good start would be for your teacher to explain why mediums such as music, books,and movies are art, but not video games.

man...dude you can't just approach this from a purely visual angle.

Check out a bioware rpg (baldur's gate 2)or an FF, or a metal gear solid and simply explain to your teacher the narrative devices employed; how in mgs things likea rchive footage and dynamic cutscenes(sometimes making use of P.O.VS) are used which gives it that cinematic feel. Kojima emulates hollywood and creates his own over the top reality.The fact that kojima leaves all these themes and messages in his games, easily makes his stuff worthy of being called art. Ironically he wouldnt call it that.

i think a good way of arguing your point is drawing a comparison with participatory art in galleries. In these installations the artist usually tries to inspire a certain feeling fromhis/her audience; revulsion,fear, anger.

Well in games the designers do they exact same thing; from the earlier resident evils and silent hill which inspire fear to games like shadow of collosus which can make you feel really isolated and then strangely elated after conquering those collosi

Korrigan777

I agree with this guy. Like film, games are a media that employ not only visual art styles, but also narrative and cinematic art styles.

However, since he's an art teacher. I assume he's looking for visual types over the others. If that's the case, that should be easy. You might even be able to go into the construction of a character or level to illustrate how the graphical artist renders the model (Wire frame, testures, etc). In fact, on a visual scale, it's done roughly the same way that Pixar movies are done, just on a less advanced level.

every game is art

your teacher is an idiot

tidus222

[QUOTE="Korrigan777"]

man...dude you can't just approach this from a purely visual angle.

Check out a bioware rpg (baldur's gate 2)or an FF, or a metal gear solid and simply explain to your teacher the narrative devices employed; how in mgs things likea rchive footage and dynamic cutscenes(sometimes making use of P.O.VS) are used which gives it that cinematic feel. Kojima emulates hollywood and creates his own over the top reality.The fact that kojima leaves all these themes and messages in his games, easily makes his stuff worthy of being called art. Ironically he wouldnt call it that.

i think a good way of arguing your point is drawing a comparison with participatory art in galleries. In these installations the artist usually tries to inspire a certain feeling fromhis/her audience; revulsion,fear, anger.

Well in games the designers do they exact same thing; from the earlier resident evils and silent hill which inspire fear to games like shadow of collosus which can make you feel really isolated and then strangely elated after conquering those collosi

mattbbpl

I agree with this guy. Like film, games are a media that employ not only visual art styles, but also narrative and cinematic art styles.

However, since he's an art teacher. I assume he's looking for visual types over the others. If that's the case, that should be easy. You might even be able to go into the construction of a character or level to illustrate how the graphical artist renders the model (Wire frame, testures, etc). In fact, on a visual scale, it's done roughly the same way that Pixar movies are done, just on a less advanced level.

[QUOTE="tidus222"]

every game is art

your teacher is an idiot

hamstergeddon

every game is art

your teacher is an idiot

tidus222

[QUOTE="hamstergeddon"][QUOTE="tidus222"]

every game is art

your teacher is an idiot

Miles0T0Prower

man game art is really diverse.

You've got a game like Half-life which has a protagonist who is pretty much just a vessel that is designed to make the player feel really immersed. Then you've got a character like Zidane from FF9 who has a defined character. If his character was missing the drama wouldnt really have worked. Obviously squeenix want you to feel immersed but in a different way.

finally show your teacher 2 demos, or clips from the demos.

The L.A. noire trailer for ps3

and the Heavy rain trailer (seriously it speaks for itself)

heavy rain was developed by a french dev who's main goal is to create more complex stories in videogames.

Instead of going on gta type shooting sprees you have to balance out conversation, using these really innovative command systems (check out indigo prophecy). there are action sequences however.

the sims is a god simulator

then there's Grand theft auto

in the future game art will be at the fore front. it probably wont be called that though.

http://e3.gamespot.com/story.html?sid=6176543&pid=939671

I found this interesting.

http://e3.gamespot.com/story.html?sid=6176543&pid=939671

I found this interesting.

tool_rage

Zelda TP had a very unique art at times. Especially in the twilight realm. Same with Wind wakers art style.

[QUOTE="tidus222"]

every game is art

your teacher is an idiot

Super-Trooper

Heh, bad art is still art, although I wouldn't recommend putting Big Rigs in the report.

A game it's self is not art by definition. Get that past yourself and come to terms with it.

BUT

Games have a lot of art in them. Heck, just have him/her view the opening to shadow of the colossus. That is simply art.

A game it's self is not art by definition. Get that past yourself and come to terms with it.

BUT

Games have a lot of art in them. Heck, just have him/her view the opening to shadow of the colossus. That is simply art.

goblaa

Go get the September GameInformer (issue 173). It has an interview in it with Henry Jenkins, a professor at MIT, and a major supporter of the video games is art arguement. Include quotes in your paper or project or whatever it is (make sure you cite the magazine properly). When you are done with the class (and your grade is finalized) tell your teacher what an ignorant loser he is. Video games are everybit as much art as books, movies, television, or any other kind of story-telling medium. Not all art is a 2-dimensional image or an orchestral piece of music. And even then, many games today feature artwork as good as any you'd find in any museum, and feature brilliant scores being performed by some of the best working orchestras in the world. (Feel free to quote me as well (and you don't even have to cite me--unless you really want to ;p )

Are we talking art as visuals, art as music or both? Because videogames clearly incorporate both.

Also, if your teacher grew up around the early NES days I can certainly see how he would consider videogames to not be art (because those covers were horrible for the most part).

Ok heres the story my art teacher is making me do a report on art stlyes and art or what. I chose video games and he tryed to prove me wrong in saying video games are not art. So my grade is on the line here. Show me some great art in video games(art stles). I can use to convie him and get me a A Miles0T0Prower

Okami

Shadow of the colossus

Kingdom Hearts

Final fantasy

Zelda TP and Wind Waker

sorry to say this but your art teacher is an idiot if he is to blind to except Games as a form of art

Are we talking art as visuals, art as music or both? Because videogames clearly incorporate both.

Also, if your teacher grew up around the early NES days I can certainly see how he would consider videogames to not be art (because those covers were horrible for the most part).

Runningflame570

This is true beauty :cry:

A game it's self is not art by definition. Get that past yourself and come to terms with it.

BUT

Games have a lot of art in them. Heck, just have him/her view the opening to shadow of the colossus. That is simply art.

goblaa

Why is a game not art in itself? Art is any medium that can be used to express ideas. Movies are art. Books are art. Music is art. Paintings are art. Photography is art. Yes, the visuals in a game are art. Yes the music is art. The story is a form of art as well. But the game put together where all those elements are used to express an idea, or shape thought or evoke emotion or just plain entertain, is art as well, and not just the individual pieces, but the sum.

I remember when people had a problem with kinetic art as a sub genre of sculpture, or interactive art.

Isn't that what videogames are? Not only do they have an aesthetic appeal to them, but part of the experience is a game's interactivity.

[QUOTE="goblaa"]

A game it's self is not art by definition. Get that past yourself and come to terms with it.

BUT

Games have a lot of art in them. Heck, just have him/her view the opening to shadow of the colossus. That is simply art.

ianuilliam

Why is a game not art in itself? Art is any medium that can be used to express ideas. Movies are art. Books are art. Music is art. Paintings are art. Photography is art. Yes, the visuals in a game are art. Yes the music is art. The story is a form of art as well. But the game put together where all those elements are used to express an idea, or shape thought or evoke emotion or just plain entertain, is art as well, and not just the individual pieces, but the sum.

I remember when people had a problem with kinetic art as a sub genre of sculpture, or interactive art.

Isn't that what videogames are? Not only do they have an aesthetic appeal to them, but part of the experience is a game's interactivity.

VoodooHak

Some, such as Roger Ebert, claim that games inherently cannot be art specifically because of that interactivity. He (not I) believes that art is what the author makes it, and that it ceases to be art if no longer molded in the hands of the author.

try showing him some of the bioshock pics(preferably the opening movie where your in the little sub and you see rapture for the first time), along with okami, shadow of coloussus, and maybe some FFRagashahs

While I agree it won't hurt to take some amazing screenshots to show (some of the HS artwork is great too), and also wouldn't hurt to take in some music sample (pick up some of Nobuo Uematsu's work from teh FF series, for instance), ulitmately, the point is not that games CONTAIN art, you need to convince them that games are a form of art unto themselves. Movies weren't accepted as art. Now they are. This is actually a major debate that is occurring in teh VG industry/art industry right now. You, my friend, picked a topic for your project that is on the very cutting edge. Do a little googling, theres tons of oppinions by respected people on the subject.

[QUOTE="VoodooHak"]

I remember when people had a problem with kinetic art as a sub genre of sculpture, or interactive art.

Isn't that what videogames are? Not only do they have an aesthetic appeal to them, but part of the experience is a game's interactivity.

Zeliard9

Some, such as Roger Ebert, claim that games inherently cannot be art specifically because of that interactivity. He (not I) believes that art is what the author makes it, and that it ceases to be art if no longer molded in the hands of the author.

I'm not the only one who disagrees with him. There's a whole school of art dedicated to it to the point that it has it's own category is most art exhibits around the world.

But whatever. I like a form of art that's not dictated to me.

A game it's self is not art by definition. Get that past yourself and come to terms with it.

BUT

Games have a lot of art in them. Heck, just have him/her view the opening to shadow of the colossus. That is simply art.

goblaa

That begs the question: What's the definition of art?

He's right, Games arent art, they're entertainment, a piece of art is something you can always return to and have a connection to that is at least as strong or stronger than the first time you approached, that just cant be said about video gamesDamien_Torrence

That can't be said about a lot of movies. Yet movies are now accepted as art. That can't be said about many books. Literature is art. That can't be said about many songs. Music is art. That is a bad definition. Games, just like any accepted form of art, have degrees of artistry in them. Some are timeless masterpieces. Some are entertaining for a while. Say I see a painting that I really like, totally blown away by it, so I buy it and look at it every day. Eventually, I am intimitely familiar with it. I know the details. When I look at it, it no longer amazes me. I still think it is great, but I don't stop and say 'wow' everytime I pass it in the hall. Does that mean that that painting is not art? By your definition, yes.

He's right, Games arent art, they're entertainment, a piece of art is something you can always return to and have a connection to that is at least as strong or stronger than the first time you approached, that just cant be said about video gamesDamien_Torrence

I'm sure many people here can name titles they can always go back to.

[QUOTE="Damien_Torrence"]He's right, Games arent art, they're entertainment, a piece of art is something you can always return to and have a connection to that is at least as strong or stronger than the first time you approached, that just cant be said about video gamesianuilliam

That can't be said about a lot of movies. Yet movies are now accepted as art. That can't be said about many books. Literature is art. That can't be said about many songs. Music is art. That is a bad definition. Games, just like any accepted form of art, have degrees of artistry in them. Some are timeless masterpieces. Some are entertaining for a while. Say I see a painting that I really like, totally blown away by it, so I buy it and look at it every day. Eventually, I am intimitely familiar with it. I know the details. When I look at it, it no longer amazes me. I still think it is great, but I don't stop and say 'wow' everytime I pass it in the hall. Does that mean that that painting is not art? By your definition, yes.

Not every song, movie, or painting is art, and no game can ever be a timeless piece of art because the way we play video games constantly change, sure its fun to go back and play an old game, but its not the same experience, our instincts as gamers evolve from generation to generation, but we always view movies and paintings the same way adn listen to music the same way, and I wont lie and say that no video game has ever stirred up emotions in me, but they fade away quickly because I have to keep playing, by its own design, video games kill what real art does to people, and no, that painting is not art, but again, what art is subjective, the mediums of art, arent, look I love video games, if I didnt why would I even be on here? but they dont evoke the same emotions or reactions in me as a song or a good movie, not because it cant, but you have to completely ignore that emotion seconds after to continue to it, and no, a great ending is not a great piece of art.