On Games as Art

Art: The quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.

There has been some debate as to whether or not a video game can be considered an artistic piece. There are few who would argue that aspects of a specific title can be artistic, but few will go so far as to say that Metal Gear Solid, for example, is an artistic masterpiece. Certainly it has elaborate cutscenes and fantastic voice work, but because they are part of an experience which is typically looked down upon as childish it cannot be 'art', as it were.

Art is for ancient portraits. Art is for Shakespeare, for dance and romance. Art is for the stuffed up upper classman who all agree about what is beautiful. Art is also for someone installing a toilet in the middle of a city, taking a picture, and commenting that it has never been done before. Apparently if I play a video game in which I blow up a Hind helicopter with a rocket launcher I lose any artistic flair.

I'm not one to throw a fuss and demand that video games be taken more seriously. I don't care if someone hates them or even thinks I waste my time if I like to take a couple hours to play Final Fantasy IX instead of watch a movie. But let's be honest with each other; if someone's going to call a painting drawn with excrement 'art' because it is edgy I'd like a little more respect thrown at the video game industry.

Like with any form of art there is good and there is bad. Likewise, there are bad games which I wouldn't dare to call art because of the way they were thought up only to increase the wallet size of a company as they cash in on the latest blockbuster movie releasing in theaters. At the same time you can see some absolutely fantastic ability go into the marketing for beer and cigarettes but that doesn't mean all drawing cannot be artistic.

I do not consider Superman Returns: The Video Game to be a work of art. I do, however, find much to appreciate from many other games and not only in the areas they borrow from other artistic mediums. When a game has an incredible musical score, or a brilliantly directed cutscene that is all well and good, but gameplay itself can be an artform. The speed and accuracy required for Tetris, the zen feeling you can get while in the middle of a game of Rez, the scares you get from walking down a dark hallway in Silent Hill . . . there is simply something about the interactive experience that brings the player in even more.

And now, for no reason, an abridged list of games I consider artistic masterpieces...

-Metal Gear Solid
-Metal Gear Solid 3
-Chrono Trigger
-Final Fantasy I
-Final Fantasy IX
-The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
-The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
-The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
-Super Mario Bros. 3
-Super Mario 64
-Super Mario Galaxy
-Silent Hill 2
-Super Metroid
-Metroid Prime
-The New Tetris
-And probably some others I will soon remember after posting this and feel bad for leaving out.

There are others, of course, but these are the cream of the crop. I like MGS2 and 3, for example, but I must remind you that while I think they have incredible artistic merit and are art I just don't consider them 'masterpieces' as it were.

That is all.