Games as Art Debate Research Part 3

Game: Grand Theft Auto IV
Link #6
The criticism this article brings to light in interesting because it does not address the violence of the Grand Theft Auto series and more of what people see in the story. He rants about how the story is nothing special and "Sub-Tarantino" but also admits that he never gets very far in the games at all. This is a common pattern against people who criticize the value of gaming, they rarely ever put a lot of effort into finishing the game or never play the game at all. In this case the writer is criticizing those who are impressed with GTA IV's story, even though he has no idea what it is.

Game: Metal Gear Solid Series
Link #7
The Metal Gear Solid series has been a big component of the "games as art" debate. With it's sprawling story of political espionage along with the brilliant writing and directing it is often considered the absolute best you can get out of a game. Director of Metal Gear Solid, Hideo Kojima, often thinks differently. He is notorious for being very critical and negative about his own work even though it is almost universally praised. It is a shocking blow for the man behind some of the greatest games of all time to declare that he does not think games are art. It is his belief that artists try to appeal to one specific group, while game creators try to appeal to a broad group. Once again his opinion is subjective, but nonetheless it is shocking to hear this coming from the creator of a critically hailed game series.

Link #8
This article addresses how in America specifically, games are being given limits that do not allow them to become art. The ratings system is broken, the creativity is too far and between, and no one seems to be arguing against it. If a game receives an AO (Adults Only) rating, no store will carry it, the developers censor their game to avoid the rating. How can the art form grow if someones creative vision is automatically limited by the ESRB?

The Road 1-60

The Road by Cormac McCarthy is a story about a father and son. Some implied tragedy has burned across America, leaving nothing but ash in it's wake. So far we do not know their names or much about them at all except that they are heading south to get warm. The first 60 pages focus mainly on their journey and introducing their characteristics. We find out that the son is easily scared and that the father, while comforting to his son, is more scared of their possible death than he lets on. "If we get wet, we'll die" he says. It is interesting how Cormac McCarthy describes nothingness. All around the father and son is a baren wasteland but he finds a way to describe the ash flowing through the air and the glassy ground.

The novel appears to be building up to something. There is frequently very short moments of suspense that so far have led to nothing. The father hears drums in the distance, the boy suspects someone of being in his fathers old house. I am excited to see what happens when they finally encounter another human, I have a feeling it is not going to be a peaceful situation. There is a brief flashback of the father remembering going to a concerty with his wife. This part is interesting because we find out that whatever happened surely happened recently. Although it appears that the son only knows this post-apocalyptic America, this is most apparent in a scene where he does not recognize what a Coca-Cola is.

I am intrigued by The Road, but I can definitley feel it building up to something much bigger.

Slutlamp - A bottle of oil with a cloth wick.(From: Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage)

Games as Art Debate Research Part 2

Game: Shadow of the Colossus
Link #4:
Controls as an exercise in art
This is interesting because we see a new side to how games can be labeled as art. Sure the visuals of the game are astounding but the controls which are arguably the most important part of any game are sparsely discussed in the games as art debate. This article takes Shadow of the Colossus and shows us how through subtle tweaks in how the game handles, it becomes a work of art.

Game: Okami
Link #5
The Game of Art
Okami is one of the most discussed games in this debate because of it's revolutionary paint brush gameplay mechanic. What this Wired article asks is if the game feels like art or if the art feels like a game. Attempting to answer the question appears to be futile, since everyone will have something different to say.

Game: Bioshock
Link #6:
Objectivism in Bioshock
This article approaches different literary and philosophical connections within Bioshock. Approaching the story of a game is where most "games as art" debates lead to, but there are so few games that really try to have a good story like Bioshock. This game singlehandedly raised the stakes for stories in games and it's effect will be long lasting.

Games as Art Debate Research Part 1

Link #1
Games vs. Art: Ebert vs. Barker
by Roger Ebert

This is Roger Ebert's response to Clive Barker after Clive commented on Ebert's "video games are not art" stance. Roger easily wins this argument as Clive is clearly not suited to be the one defending artistic video games. Clive's argument is weak and full of holes making it easy for Ebert to pick it apart. On the other hand Ebert also seems ignorant in how he talks about games(something he clearly has little knowledge of) and is obviously categorizing them all into more mindless fodder. In all honesty while Ebert's argument is stronger, both sides go about the issue the wrong way.

Link #2
The Arty Party
by Jim Preston

This piece by EA producer Jim Preston does not so much address the "games as art" debate as much as it addresses controversy over what art is in general. The article makes the question "what is art?" and ultimately comes to the conclusion that art in America is so many different things to different people due to our rich cultural landscape. We cannot define one thing as art and another thing as not, because everything is art to somebody. A urinal becomes art when it is placed in a museum, but as Jim Preston says, you can find Pac-Man in the Smithsonian.

Link #3
Once Upon A Time, Will Video Games Ever Have Their "Moby Dick" or "Citizen Kane"?
by William Vitka

This piece focuses more on the story aspect of video games and how it needs to be improved if it wants to be considered art. Story in most video games comes in as an afterthought to the game design, this is of course a large problem. Games have come very close to art but as long as the story sits behind concept and design, we will never get our "gaming classic". The article also addresses player control and actually argues that it provides a stronger narrative, not the other way around.