Blasphemy, you say? Come with me on a brief journey of art…
All art starts with an idea, a word. Sometimes these ideas are linked together, creating a sequence of words, as is the case in most modern writing. Other times, we take these ideas and string them together in ways out of sequence, bringing out different meanings, as is the case in poetry.
Other times, we put these concepts to canvas and create a painting. Or similarly, we can create a statue or other sculpture. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I believe it is worth all that and more. Further, I submit that there is nothing in writing that cannot be represented equally in such art, as we could simply write the same words on a different medium and call it a painting.
Now, let’s take such pictures, those works of a thousand words, and let’s run them at 60 frames per second. Now we’ve created a film. That’s at least 60,000 words-ideas-per second. Amazing! It’s no wonder that film has surpassed the writing and art industries so quickly. I taught myself to speed read in order to get through college, but I still can’t come anywhere close. Nobody can. Plus, films can create a sense of pacing and suspense of which a book is incapable.
Finally, let’s take those 60,000 words per minute and multiply them by the infinite possibilities inherent in human interaction. When a user is allowed to choose the direction of the medium, the possibilities are truly endless. Plus, we can introduce a number of factors not present before, such as skill, challenge, interaction, strategy, fun factor, etc.
Now I’m not saying every video game is art. Most of the ones based on a separate intellectual property are complete crap, but there are many that surpass even the highest of literature. If Shakespeare were alive today, he wouldn’t be doing theater; he would be making video games.
roll, man, roll
May 12, 2008 at 11:43 am
I agree whole heartedly and have been saying this for years. How many hundreds of years were books burned? People are afraid of new, potent forms of individual expression. Which explains the recent media attack on videa games.
Unfortunately, the more main stream gaming becomes the less artistic games get published. The more gaming becomes about money, the less likely we’re going to even be exposed to the masterpieces.
May 12, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Jenashmen, I totally agree. Art is at its nature contraversial, and it really is a shame that people have such a difficult time recognizing the hypocrasy inherent in these witch hunts. Trying to ban a game really isn’t any different than trying to ban a book.
However, I disagree with you just a bit on what you said about not being exposed to the masterpieces. It is very true that games are largely a commercial art and many games are becoming quite soulless thanks to that trend.
There is a new development that’s gaining speed, though, which I believe holds the solution. Thanks to increased bandwidth, it’s becoming easier and easier to be exposed to independant games through online downloads. The “big three” all have online services that focus largely on smaller games, many of which are designed and programmed by a single person. My prediction is that as this becomes more common, it will become more profitable. Licensing prices will drop to encourage developers, and I think it will give the studios much more artistic legroom because they won’t have to worry about appeasing a publisher or retailer.
Does anyone think I’m wrong? Thanks for the comment!
May 12, 2008 at 3:47 pm
I too agree. 90nights comment about banning video games is like banning books really puts this into perspective. I mean back in the day, when there were no video games and everyone was reading and looking at art, things were banned because they were too this and too that. Now that technology has taken over just about everything, it comes as no surprise that video games are being attacked. They are everywhere, they are based on movies and vice versa, they come from books and comic, etc. Even when you look at the video game itself, there is a rhyme and reason (for the most part) The music adds to certain scenes to make you feel like you are the video game (just as a painter would want you to feel as though you are in the picture).