Artistic Opinion

By definition art is: “The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.”

Therein lies the question.

Are videogames the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination? And are videogames appreciated for their beauty and emotional power?

As with any younger brother, video games struggle for their position to prove their maturity and complexity. The enthusiasm to be seen as a genuine outlet for expression and not just a child’s toy, is something the industry battles with as a whole.

The expression of videogames as art often shines through games that display a devotion to the craft and not just the economy. When a developer decides to follow and ambitious art style rather than conforming to the norm, works of art are produced.

When you look at games like Flower, Braid, Grim Fandango and Shadow of the Colossus, each one can be appreciated for their beauty and emotional power. But they are the eventual product of a process that has countless moving parts.

If you were to deconstruct a videogame you would have to appreciate the layers of art that unite to give birth to such a unique creation. Videogames have evolved to become a tapestry of design, architecture, painting, music, writing, sculpture, cinematography, acting and technology. The final product is an amalgamation of imagination, a device that provides interaction to art.

In recent years a growing number of mainstream art exhibitions have been devoted to videogames. Among them the Smithsonian American Art Museums exhibit, “The Art of Videogames”.

The Art of Videogames

In 2012, The Art of Videogames showcased the medium heralding videogames as a platform that “offers artists a previously unprecedented method of communicating with and engaging audiences.” The exhibit which is on national tour until the start of 2016 boasts the “forty-year evolution of video games as an artistic medium, with a focus on striking visual effects and the creative use of new technologies” and incorporates playable pieces including; Pac-man, Super Mario Brothers, Myst and Flower.

While there is no doubt compared to music, canvas or performing arts, video games are very young it’s the ambition of youth and the ever growing potential of technology that drives the exponential evolution of videogames.

It sure is an exciting time to be a gamer.

And whilst there is little resistance for games to be further accepted as art it’s great to see developers (artists) finally get the recognition they deserve in the artistic community.

The Short Road To Addiction

Look, I could be addicted to far worse things.

It’s probably what most addicts say.

Well I’m past the denial stage, and up to fully fledged acceptance of my addiction.

As gamers we constantly have one foot in another world. I would be lying if I didn’t admit it is addictive.

We pour our time in to what seems like an unobtainable goal. The quest to beat and complete. But there is always a new game to beat and always a new quest to complete. The next game comes out before the last is finished so it becomes a perpetual chase for the pursuit of excellence.

My mind constantly waivers between the worlds and characters I embody and my ‘normal’ life. I’m not an escapist; my real life is actually fantastic. I have a loving partner, good health and amazing friends. I do not wish for anything more.

Something in video games speaks to me. It has to be the right game or the right rationale behind it but I can get sucked into a world. I love exploring all elements of the world, and I get engrossed in the complexities of it. The lore behind the worlds and characters hold me in that universe.

In my everyday life I contemplate elements of the video games I’m currently playing. I always have an expansive number of concurrent games running at any time. I ponder; what can I make? How can I get better? Where do I explore next? I’ve been playing Pokémon since high school and I still reassess how to balance teams, and what move sets to use (Currently Torterra, Swampert, Charizard, Mewtwo, Garchomp and Darkrai).

For me a good game is exactly like a book you can’t put down, one more page is very much the same mentality as one more level. Sure I will lose track of time now and then but rarely does it affect anything other than my sleep pattern.

On a regular basis I will doodle video game references whilst I’m on the phone. I’ve been known to draw rough plans of a vehicle I want to build in Kerbal Space Program or Robocraft.

I write video game articles to post on my blog (seriously who does that?) to share with the wonderful world of casual and full blown gamers alike, with utmost certainty you experience these same things.

Thankfully, in the last decade video games have transgressed beyond the stereotypical “nerdy gamer” look and become something far more socially acceptable and even trendy.

I’m not fully sure if this just means the old school gamers got new jobs and hair cuts, but I’m very thankful video games have gone beyond dark basements full of sweaty boys playing Starcraft.

Mainly because, I no doubt would still be stuck in that dark basement.

Recently I’ve found video games have become far more about the journey than the finish line. I don’t consider myself a ‘completionist’ and prefer the emotive power and interaction that great games provide.

It doesn’t mean I’m any less addicted, I’ve just found a new element to my addiction. Like it has evolved.

It’s curse that I have come to bare.

But look, I could be addicted to far worse things.

The 5 Levels of Gamer

Level 1:

Non gamers can be like fully fledged atheists. They couldn’t comprehend your religion even if they tried.

They have no childhood ties to video games, they still think computers are just a fad and their Nokia 3220 has a game on it called snake they will never play.

Whether for lack of skill or will they decide it’s best avoid videogames, because eventually all the people involved will get square eyes. Obviously.

You are forgiven and forgotten when videogames are raised, because more than likely you are too old to have played anything that wasn’t a pinball machine.

Level 2:

Casual gamers don’t actively seek out to play video games but somehow get involved in the odd Call of Duty or FIFA game at a mates house. You don’t actually own a videogame console.

People think that just because you’re a little younger you should understand how videogames or computers work. You don’t.

It happens, you’re at your friends house with nothing to do and they say something like “Hey wanna play FIFA?” to which you reply “OK cool, but im not very good.”

Look you’re always going to get beaten with that mentality, and if you ever play Call of Duty you’re just making up the numbers.

You literally have no thumb dexterity.

On the rare occasion the controller will be thrust into your lap but you will never actively seek out a game.

You do however have angry birds and candy crush installed on your iphone 3G and you constantly annoy all your facebook friends with endless requests from Candy Crush Saga.

Level 3:

You actually own a videogame console. Which is a start. It is more than likely a Nintendo Wii. Sigh.

No look I don’t hold it against you and your willingness to get fit based off the balance board which is now far more functional as a dust gatherer in your entertainment cupboard.

Even I love Wii fit and Wii sports, but by the time it takes us to find the controller, buy new batteries and work out what channel your Wii is attached to I’m already exhausted.

On the plus side you actually understand how video games operate so you won’t come dead last when we play Halo. You manage to camp in an area covered by one of your highly skilled friends and you kill your casual gamer friend until they crack the shits and give up.

You claim to be awesome at Solitaire, which I don’t doubt. Given that you literally have no other game of interest installed on you Windows 98 PC.

Level 4:

You own a console and play games on your PC. And when I say games I mean other than Solitaire and Minesweeper.

You hold your own in a death match and you even won a couple of games at one stage.

For Christmas your uncle buys you video games, usually the latest version of Call of Duty, FIFA or Need for Speed. You play them for a couple of hours but you will never finish them before the next Christmas comes and you receive the next game in the series.

Your PS3 is hooked up to the internet though. Every now and then you play online. It’s good fun but your dad uses the same TV to watch his shows and you rarely get the chance to play the PS3.

It’s ok you have FIFA on your iphone 5 and all your players are 90 overalls which means Manchester United has won every championship in the last 5 years.

One day you have the potential to develop into a gaming addict when you accidently come across a game called DOTA that you decide to devote 20,000 hours of your life becoming the very best at.

Level 5:

You own more than 2 consoles and a high end PC. The standard Intel fan that came boxed with your processor was insufficient. You have an extensive array of headsets, mice, keyboards and controllers and over the years you’ve amassed quite the collection.

Your gaming library dwarfs most but you never have enough to play. You have actually had to consider at some stage what other storage space will be potentially viable for you collection to flow onto.

You have more than one online gaming account, usually Steam, Xbox Live and PSN.

You have been to a midnight release of a video game. More than likely one you pre-ordered that got delayed 5 times before you could actually go and pick it up. You bought DLC for that same game even though it was a farce that it was DLC.

You have bought limited releases of games just for extra items such as; figurines, extra content, beta access, limited edition controllers or access codes.

Some people have decided they will no longer play certain games with you. But you don’t care because you’re level 5 and leveling up is what gaming is all about.