The “Art” of Gaming

Hmmm, this debate is hot on the teh internetz and I find myself feeling rather strongly about it. Gaming as art… It’s certainly an interesting concept and the implications are rather profound. Roger Ebert, who I respect as an authority on media criticism (that is, of course, not synonymous with complete subscription to his views), has explicitly stated that video games can never be art.

Cliche as it may (does) sound, I learned a long time ago not to say “never”. The universe, nature, mankind, everything around us; has consistently proven itself capable of accomplishing feats that generations previous probably never imagined could be possible. I truly believe that just about anything is possible.

But wait, that’s not even really the issue I want to address. What I really want to get at here is that Ebert (and probably many others) are claiming that gaming cannot be art.

Art.

Maybe I’m missing something, but last I checked, there is no quantifiable or universal definition of art. In fact, at least, for me, the true nature and subsequent beauty of art, is derived from the very fact that art is an analogue we have fashioned from our interpretation of the expressions and intentions of various creators. In other words, I honestly believe that art is simply the expression and appreciation of the human element.

Art.

We have defined many things as art throughout history, have we not? Paintings, song, film, acts, writings, even declarations and atrocities. Expressions. I am not advocating that absolutely everything EVER is art. Far from it. But if someone is stirred by another’s willful dissemination, then who am I to say that that thing isn’t art to them? Video games have evolved into incredible tapestries of emotion, participation and technological prowess. Rich narratives are told, sounds swell and beat and visuals paint our screens in myriad hues, shapes and styles. For many of us, these games are paramount experiences in our lives. Sound trite? I don’t think so. Remember the first time you sat down and played Super Mario Bros. and watched that cheeky little plumber jump around? Remember Pac-Man? Jump forward. Remember Silent Hill and the way it reached into your psyche and toyed with you? Shadow of the Colossus and the goosebumps you felt when the game translated its motivations into such simplicity and beauty? Little Big Planet, a game that literally provides a digital canvas, ripe with player fabrication and ingenuity?

Today, the medium is more elaborate and prolific than ever. Developers collaborate with writers, composers and get this: artists, to create games of such startling quality, that it simply transcends the possibilities and considerations of yester-year. That’s the point. In every conceivable step of game creation, there is an abundance of creativity and personal divulgence being crafted. Video games are designed to elicit emotion: excitement, laughter, sadness, satisfaction, anger and joy. They are successful (as many of you know) in this regard. Gaming has evolved to stimulate society as well as our minds. They are topical, comedic, violent, intelligent and sometimes, downright bad. I suppose I can’t be sure, but I’m reasonably certain the same can be said for books, cinema, music and paintings.

For me personally, I love gaming for the experience it provides. Games tell stories through dialogue, music, cinematics and by requiring the observer to participate in the symphony of these elements. The engagement here is immersive; in every sense of the word.

Art. I’ll say it shortly now and express my thesis. To me, gaming is absolutely art. Ebert mentions that we shouldn’t care. That is doesn’t matter and that we should simply enjoy gaming for what it is. Fine Roger. I will. I will enjoy it as the cultivated, imaginative and dynamic medium that it is.

I will enjoy it as art.

Cheers,

~E.

Reading Is Great

Angels & Demons. Just finished this fine piece of work from Dan Brown and I have to say that I enjoyed it thoroughly. I saw the movie first and so, had an idea of the themes and basic narrative of the story, but I was still absolutely enthralled with the developments and scope of the storytelling. There were definitely things I had forgotten about and, as usual, the book provides a level of insight into the characters and driving elements of the story that simply cannot be properly translated into cinema. By the end of the book, things have accelerated so incredibly that my nights reading it became later and later as I found myself struggling to put it down.

I had previously read Dan Brown’s ‘The Da Vinci Code’ and loved it, so I expected a good read here too. It certainly helps that I have a strange but rather strong interest in religious symbology. I find it incredibly fascinating and alluring and the books touch on the subject with considerable intelligence.

I’m about 100 or so pages into ‘Coldheart Canyon’ by Clive Barker and I can tell you this right now: he is one of the greater authors I have read, period. His mastery of storytelling, prose and themes are simply spellbinding. There was a chapter in which he goes in great length to detail the death of a dog close to the protagonist. I never, in a million years, expected Clive Barker to tug at my heartstrings with an account of a man and his dog; but I’ll be damned if I wasn’t ready to cry after that. That’s how good he is. And I’m only about 20% in. This book is gonna rock the shit.

Cheers,

~E.

Been Way Too Long…

…since I’ve written. Just entirely too long. I’ve been focusing my energies on reading lately (hooray!) and have found that my writing has been replaced by said activity. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled to be reading again, but I most certainly do not want to give up writing.

I find that I am at a strange juxtaposition. I want to continue to write, but I find myself tiring of the “reviewing” process. Though I am in NO way at the same level, in either quantity OR quality, as professional reviewers, I can understand why they start to get jaded on the material they review, even when they love it as a whole. Whenever I got a new game in from Gamefly or go to see a new movie in the theaters, I found myself starting to formulate my approach to the review of the media instead of simply consuming it, enjoying it then expelling my thoughts.

This systematic approach began to limit the overall gratification I derived from games and movies. Not by any large margin, mind you, but I could sense it. The feeling was kind of simple, actually. A part of me was simply screaming out to take a step back and just play. Just play. Hmmm. It sounded and felt right. The whole purpose of gaming and film is to administer entertainment. You may experience side effects, including knowledge acquisition, conviction and sorrow (or anger); but the over-arching motivation is to captivate and indulge the consumer.

Fuck. I don’t really know where I’m going with this. I think the thesis I’m attempting to construct here is that I don’t really want to strictly review things here. I think I still want to discuss them and divulge my feelings about them (games, movies, tech) but not necessarily straight-up review them. Maybe that simply means not assigning a score. Holkins might be on to something, scoring is a completely subjective and esoteric process relegated for the industry as a whole, not personal assignment.

I want to start blogging a bit more on my opinions as well. I don’t really want this to be a diary, per se, but a digital canvas for me to express myself on. Short, long, geeky, possibly poignant (unlikely). Whatever.

I feel like this damn blog is constantly changing (we’ll call it evolving, it sounds better) and it frustrates me a little but I think it’s for the best. I’m still going to be writing about the things I love so fear not, the geekery will definitely continue and hopefully with that, so will the blogging.

Cheers.