Comments on: Art as Human Expression and Philosophy in Video Games http://mikebbetts.wordpress.com/2008/07/25/art-and-games/ Video game philosophy. Fri, 16 Jan 2009 03:55:26 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: mikebbetts http://mikebbetts.wordpress.com/2008/07/25/art-and-games/#comment-28 mikebbetts Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:14:06 +0000 http://mikebbetts.wordpress.com/?p=62#comment-28 It is possible to create a video game with the right tools. I suppose you can't do it with things found around the home, like spoons and chalk or whatever, but you can easily download a game creator tool and hammer out something interesting in about 30 minutes. I did it in my old school with ProjectFUN, and I do it now and then with RPG Maker. I even did it with Lode Runner back in the NES days. Many of these tools are idiot proof as well, so I think that, yeah, everyone can do it if they find the right tools. But it's certainly possible that game design is more of a high art. That's still art, though. It's still an outpouring of human creativity. And you raise a good point about the dancing and Wiimotes and so on. But I think we need to draw a line, especially with games, between simple innovation (even radical innovation) and "true" art. Innovation may be exciting, but that doesn't make it significant in the context of the human experience - not necessarily. Ultimately, I think dance pads, toy instruments, and Wiimotes are simply fun new ways of "recreating" the immersive experience. That does not make them "true" art. Certainly the potential is there for Wiimote control to be meaningful as related to the overall experience, but I don't think it's been done yet. Thanks for the comment! It is possible to create a video game with the right tools. I suppose you can’t do it with things found around the home, like spoons and chalk or whatever, but you can easily download a game creator tool and hammer out something interesting in about 30 minutes. I did it in my old school with ProjectFUN, and I do it now and then with RPG Maker. I even did it with Lode Runner back in the NES days. Many of these tools are idiot proof as well, so I think that, yeah, everyone can do it if they find the right tools. But it’s certainly possible that game design is more of a high art. That’s still art, though. It’s still an outpouring of human creativity.

And you raise a good point about the dancing and Wiimotes and so on. But I think we need to draw a line, especially with games, between simple innovation (even radical innovation) and “true” art. Innovation may be exciting, but that doesn’t make it significant in the context of the human experience – not necessarily. Ultimately, I think dance pads, toy instruments, and Wiimotes are simply fun new ways of “recreating” the immersive experience. That does not make them “true” art. Certainly the potential is there for Wiimote control to be meaningful as related to the overall experience, but I don’t think it’s been done yet.

Thanks for the comment!

]]> By: drewmcgee http://mikebbetts.wordpress.com/2008/07/25/art-and-games/#comment-27 drewmcgee Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:18:45 +0000 http://mikebbetts.wordpress.com/?p=62#comment-27 One point I would like to make is that art should be something that anyone can do with relative ease. The masters are the ones that take something simple and make something grand, but anyone can pick up a chalk rock or water colors and create "art". Until anyone and everyone can quickly make a video game, it is hard to define it as art - maybe the term "high art", as in, there is a high entry level to create this art. My only point of contention with what you have here is the mentioning of game controls not being artistic. This may be a little myopic (or dated), especially in light of DDR pads, Rock Band controls and Wiimotes. If people are dancing to your game, isn't dancing an art? The dancing is the control to the game. If they're tapping out beats or singing, again, we have art. Otherwise, a good piece. One point I would like to make is that art should be something that anyone can do with relative ease. The masters are the ones that take something simple and make something grand, but anyone can pick up a chalk rock or water colors and create “art”. Until anyone and everyone can quickly make a video game, it is hard to define it as art – maybe the term “high art”, as in, there is a high entry level to create this art.

My only point of contention with what you have here is the mentioning of game controls not being artistic. This may be a little myopic (or dated), especially in light of DDR pads, Rock Band controls and Wiimotes. If people are dancing to your game, isn’t dancing an art? The dancing is the control to the game. If they’re tapping out beats or singing, again, we have art.

Otherwise, a good piece.

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