Since I have arrived at Champlain College, eagerly enrolled in the Game Art and Animation program here, I have heard this same question quite a few times: “Are video games art?” Well I don't want to force my opinion on anyone, and while I do believe it is pretty factual, I will leave it open, and state my reasons for believing so.
Let's look at what a video game is made up of. It usually begins with an idea of a game mechanic (these days, it is likely it must be unique). A game designer passes in this idea to the higher-ups, and if it gets approved, different fields of workers are pulled into the job. We have more designers, artists, and programmers (and producers, etc.).
So, designers – what do they do? Well, a VERY BASIC explanation would be that some write stories and some design levels (among the ones that work on mechanics, which were already mentioned).
Literature. It's something we consider art, isn't it? Stories and the like? Well, we have our designers writing narratives so that our video games have plots. So we have our plots and stories in our game. There may even be some character development. A story, whether it is in a video game or not, is art. And level design is an art in that the designer is almost an architect, placing themselves in the shoes of a game player, deciding what would not only function in the game the best, but what would be aesthetically pleasing also.
Artists' place in this debate is almost self explanatory, but here we go anyway. Typical “big name” video games have a vast department of many, many artists. Lead artists decide the overall look of the game, and instruct their department. Big video games have can have their departments divided up so much that some artists work strictly on animating water (like in Bioshock).
"We've hired a water programmer and water artist, just for this game, and they're kicking ass and you've never seen water like this." - Ken Levine, Designer of Bioshock
As Anthony DeLuca says in the interview, everything in Bioshock has to work together, simultaneously, as one living, breathing thing. It's the designers', artists' and programmers' job to get this done effectively, so that the player is immersed and has fun.
If you consider cooking, or culinary arts, a true form of art, this may be a stretch of a relationship, but please follow. Culinary art is another thing I'm into. It requires A LOT of thought. You might be thinking, “What's the big deal, it's just cooking and it looks nice.” Cooking is a science. Chefs add certain ingredients and have certain techniques to have effects like add to flavour, or to add texture, etc. For example, if you mix muffin dough too much, your muffins will come out dense, instead of light and fluffy. Here is a video from The Food Network Challenge – a show that has a lot of great examples of cooking as a science and an art:
See a sugar and chocolate sculpture!
With all of that said, I think video games are the same. They are a combination of science and art. Science, because a lot of thought must go into the psychological reactions of the player, relating to the aesthetic of the game, and the story of the game, and because of the programming aspect of the creative process. I think the science aspect is an argument people could use against video games being an art. Science does not overshadow art. It, in fact, works quite harmoniously with it.
Another reason I think people would argue against video games being art is that the point of video games does not get across to them. Someone who does not like a video game is probably less likely to consider it as much of an art form as oil paintings or marble sculptures. This might be behind the theory that a lot of people think video games are a lot of “KILL KILL KILL” action. My entire family pokes fun at me while I'm playing video games with questions like, “What are you killing today,” and statements like, “DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!” While a lot of video games require destruction, that is not always the point of the game. Most games I play are more for the social aspects. Yes, it is in our human nature to have fun destroying things in a world that is not ours, but that doesn't mean that's all we (game players) are about.
I admire game artists more than any other artists because of their ability to create worlds, usually completely from imagination, write it, sketch it, sculpt it, and make it “real” so that a player can interact with their world. The reason why you've ever become immersed in a video game is because of the art. If the art was not what it was, it would have been much more difficult. So, this art, to me, is the greatest form of art.
Works Cited:
1. “Bioshock Water Effects and Enemies Interview”. Perf. Anthony DeLuca. 23 September 2010. YouTube. 6 October 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixqJ1ff5mdw
2. “Exteme Candy Carnival – Food Network”. Perf. Tracy DeWitt. 21 July 2009. YouTube. 6 October 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SofWyy0MrEA
