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Phillip
Emu Egg
Joined: May 03, 2007
Posts: 8
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 Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 6:24 pm Post subject: Games As Art |
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A lot of gamers are angry with Roger Ebert's theory that videogames are only art, but I'm sure he only said that because his definition of "art" is different from that of others (Art is universal, after all.) Which games or game series do you consider as "art" because of what they do?
Here are my picks:
ICO
Shadow of the Colossus
Killer 7
Okami
BioShock
Half-Life (series)
The Legend of Zelda (series)
Super Metroid
Metroid Prime
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy X |
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twoshots
Honorary Vertebrate
Joined: Nov 27, 2007
Posts: 1811
Location: NJ
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| Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 7:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Shadow of the Colossus |
QFT. The classic example.
For complete "huh?" factor, I submit:
Ikaruga
Panzer Dragoon Saga (this one takes some justification, but I can rationalize it) |
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Quatermass
Yahtzee's Protege
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 16805
Location: Somewhere with a sweet hat and a chip on my shoulder
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| Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 7:45 pm Post subject: |
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In terms of overall aesthetics and wow factor, I have to pick Final Fantasy XII and Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Those games are high art in their own right.
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At moments when monsters spawn in by rising up from the ground, it turns the action into a gory, protracted session of Whack-A-Mole.
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Veresae
Putrescent And Flummoxed
Joined: Feb 25, 2006
Age: 20
Posts: 3181
Location: California
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| Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 8:25 pm Post subject: |
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Visually: American McGee's Alice
In terms of writing, storytelling: Planescape: Torment
In general: The Oddworld series, Grim Fandango. |
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Whisperer
Velociraptor
Joined: Oct 14, 2007
Posts: 458
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| Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 8:59 pm Post subject: |
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I regard my modding as an artistic endeavour in a sense.
Some approaches to go about playing a game can have art in them too just as some might consider life itself a work of art. |
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ToadOfSteel
Extremist Moderate
Joined: Sep 24, 2007
Age: 20
Posts: 2395
Location: New Jersey
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| Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 9:29 pm Post subject: |
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| 95% of rpg's (not mmo's though) out there can qualify as art. They have all those wonderful things like plot and narrative that are present in drama (which is in itself an art form), although they usually allow for some player interaction that can alter events in the game. But in a sense, those drama elements are still there... |
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Cyberman
Phoenix
Joined: Apr 25, 2008
Posts: 875
Location: Telos
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| Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 11:13 pm Post subject: |
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Any game which was made with some creativity is a work of art. Games are an art form. Just like drawing, sculpture, music, writing, films, whatever.
Each art form has a specific way of being experienced... You "look at" paintings... you "listen to" music... you "read" books... you "play" games. Many games are also a combination of other art forms, the same way most films are (visual and audio.) |
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SpectreWithin
Sea Gull
Joined: Nov 17, 2006
Age: 34
Posts: 216
Location: in the shadow of our pale companion
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| Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 11:54 pm Post subject: |
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"Art" is such a subjective term - and I don't really care at all what Roger Ebert thinks of it. But my personal view is that games are capable of being the highest of art forms - since they can combine all the other art forms and have the additional element of being interactive. In games you can have story-telling / creative writing, visual art, music, sculpture, cinematography, architecture, socio-political critique, acting (role-play), spiritual elements... pretty much anything you can imagine. Film has all of these elements but games go one step further and let you interact with it.
I think most games are some kind of art - even if it is just the art of great gameplay. I would argue even a really simple old arcade game like Tempest (one of my personal favorites) is art. Of course some seem more artistic than others but that is a matter of personal preference. RPGs definitely have some of the greatest depth artistically of any genre. I would even say MMOs do to - because of the interesting social / political and role-play dynamics that can come about.
This thread reminds me I really need to check out Shadow of the Colossus and Planescape someday. |
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Veresae
Putrescent And Flummoxed
Joined: Feb 25, 2006
Age: 20
Posts: 3181
Location: California
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| Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 1:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Gaming is indeed an art form, but I find it hard to classify most games as "art," because so many games are so commercial. Modern games in particular are achingly lacking in the creativity department, in my view--with some exceptions like "Little Big Planet" or "Spore." Yes, every game that has advanced 3D graphics has constant artwork on display, but by and large it's just so commercialized and so homogenous that it's hard to call it true art. So many games these days are just clones of each other. |
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Belfast
Vast Ambivalence
Joined: Jul 18, 2005
Age: 35
Posts: 1685
Location: New England
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| Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 2:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Cyberman wrote: | Any game which was made with some creativity is a work of art. Games are an art form. Just like drawing, sculpture, music, writing, films, whatever.
Each art form has a specific way of being experienced... You "look at" paintings... you "listen to" music... you "read" books... you "play" games. Many games are also a combination of other art forms, the same way most films are (visual and audio.) |
QFT.
Understand that thread was intended for video games, but subforum is "games & video games" & thread title says "games as art"-so I'm taking it as including games not of the video sort.
I draw/create/design mazes by hand, and they are both "works of art" (pretty to look at, as mere decorative doodles) & also-depending on whether one's "into" them-fun to "do" (solve/complete).
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*"You cannot administer a wicked law impartially-it destroys everyone it touches, its violators as well as its upholders."* |
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SamuraiSaxen
Owner of a lonely heart
Joined: Sep 12, 2006
Age: 21
Posts: 3252
Location: Mexico
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| Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 2:41 pm Post subject: |
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I think Metal Gear Solid games could be considered as art.
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. . . Pictures in your mind will tell you what to do. Listen to the voice from nowhere sayin' to you "My son, my world will soon revive" . . . |
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Veresae
Putrescent And Flummoxed
Joined: Feb 25, 2006
Age: 20
Posts: 3181
Location: California
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| Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 9:27 pm Post subject: |
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| SamuraiSaxen wrote: | | I think Metal Gear Solid games could be considered as art. |
Agreed. Those I see as far more than commercial products, due to their fascinating storylines.
Another one I'd forgotten was Deus Ex. |
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Local_Outcast
Raven
Joined: May 08, 2008
Age: 15
Posts: 100
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| Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 10:12 pm Post subject: Re: Games As Art |
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| Phillip wrote: |
Here are my picks:
ICO
Shadow of the Colossus
Killer 7
Okami
BioShock
Half-Life (series)
The Legend of Zelda (series)
Super Metroid
Metroid Prime
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy X |
I pretty much agree with you on some of them.
Mine:
Okami
Shadow of the Colossus
Kingdom Hearts series
Ico
Baten Kaitos series
Star Ocean series
Folklore
Tales series
Lost Odyssey
Halo series
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Last edited by Local_Outcast on Thu May 15, 2008 10:02 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Chibi_Neko
Phoenix
Joined: Oct 24, 2007
Age: 26
Posts: 979
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
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| Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 1:26 pm Post subject: |
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One word... Okami
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Humans are intelligent, but that doesn't make them smart. |
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strawman
Tufted Titmouse
Joined: May 05, 2008
Posts: 41
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| Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 5:40 pm Post subject: |
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There's a free game available for download on the Net. It's called Passage.
I dare you to say that games can't be art after playing this game. |
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