Where Can I Find Games That Have Great Art?

Continuing from the last post about if video games are considered art, I wanted to show some games that many consider to have amazing visuals and scenery that have captivated many gamers over the years.

Okami:

Creator/s: Hideki Kamiya, Clover Studios
Idea:  Hideki Kamiya was Inspired by an old painting he created in Junior High. The painting, White Wolves. involved nature and beauty and that is the elements that he wanted when creating this game.
Industry Commentary:  Didier Malenfant, president of game company Ready at Dawn, said that "To me [Okami] will forever be the turning point in games where looks stopped being about realism and realistic graphics and started being about art (Leone, 2009)." 

Flower:  

Creator/s: Jenova Chen, Kellee Santiago, thatgamecompany 
Idea: when thatgamecompany creates a video game, they create the game around an emotional tone and add gameplay mechanics around it. Kelle Santiago, president and co-founder of thatgamecompany, describes Flower as their video game version of a poem where players find balance between nature and city (thatgamecompany, 2009). 
Industry Commentary:  Winda Benedetti from MSNBC wrote that "...as artful and artfully implemented a game as I’ve ever seen. Its dazzling graphics drop you into the middle of a magical-yet-familiar place that comes alive with music as you swoop through it. And the controls are as intuitive as they come (Benedetti, 2009)."

References

Benedieti, W. (2009, February 12) MSNBC Retrieved from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29148421/#.UIuV3oa1x8E 

Leone, M. (2009, May 28). www.1up.com. Retrieved from http://www.1up.com/features/hideki-kamiya-profile 
thatgamecompany. (2009, February 12). Flower®. Retrieved from http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/flower-ps3.html

But is it art?

For many years, people have debated if video games are considered art. Many game developers and avid gamers would say that video games are art. However, there are many people who would disagree with this thought. Film critic Robert Ebert is one of the many who say that games are not art. Ebert has actually said that “Video games can never be art” but later changed his statement to say that gamers alive right now will not be able to see the medium become art within their lifetime (Ebert, 2010). Ebert claims that games can't be art because they must be won, they have a point system, and if you take these things away from games they are nothing but visual novels (Ebert, 2010). While I do not agree with Ebert's opinion on video games, I respect that he has stated why he thinks games are not art. I believe that games are art because they are a collaboration of art.

These elements compose video games and I have given examples of each of these:

• Creative Storytelling - as seen in a game like Bioshock.
• Visual design- concept art and model creation.
• Sound design-  sound effects and the soundtrack.

How can each of these parts of a game be considered art but not the game as a whole? I don't think that is possible to separate one part from another. Also, games have recently been featured in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  However, I would like you to decide if you believe video games are considered art and to leave a response in the comments. I think it is important for everyone to truly decide for themselves if they believe games are art or not.


References

Ebert, R. (2010, Apr 16). blogs.suntimes.com. Retrieved from http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2010/04/video_games_can_never_be_art.html

About "Video Game Impact"

Video games have been on the market for more than 50 years, and many people around the world frequently play these games. While games were originally enjoyed in arcades and in homes, now you can play these games on your cell phone. With the increased accessibility of video games it might be important to ask yourself a few questions:

• Are video games psychologically harmful to children and adults?
• Do video games help or harm our economy?
• Can games be considered a meaningful form of expression?
• Is playing video games socially isolating?

As someone with a desire to create games and a drive for social development, I have noticed that these questions lack in-depth responses online. Mainstream video game websites, such as ign.com or GameSpot.com, rarely discuss the influence of video games.  These writers often write about how entertaining a video game is, such as a review of Borderlands 2 (Gallegos, 2012).  However,  the topic of the impact of video games is discussed on some websites like www.theesa.com. The Entertainment Software Association does provide facts about video games, but the association is compromised by members of the video game industry. Therefore, a discussion on the impact of video games that uses a wide varied of sources needs to exist.


I propose a blog addressing the issue of video games influence in the world we live in today with an emphasis on the psychological, artistic, financial, and social implications of video games.  I believe that an in-depth look into these areas using interviews and research from professionals is needed to have a good understanding of video games.  After gathering information, I will give tips and advice on how to enjoy video games without negatively effecting your life and people around you.

This blog will also include these topics:

• Online interactivity in video games
• How have video games helped in the U.S. economy
• How to play games and have an active social life
• Game spotlights on games that have shaped the world

About me:

I have played video games since I was 4 years old and I have vast experiences interacting with many other people who have played video games.  I have first-hand experience on how games can have a positive effect on someone’s life and how game addiction can be terribly harmful to some.  I also am an extended school day aide for the Lewisville Independent School District so I interact with children in kindergarten to fifth grade.  I have also seen the positive and negative effects video games can have on school children when they discuss games such as Angry Birds and Modern Warfare 3.


References 

Gallegos, A. (2012, September 13). Borderlands 2 Review.  IGN. Retrieved from http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/09/14/borderlands-2-review.