Are video games art? I think so. I think art can be a number of things. Literature, music, paintings, drawings, graphic design, television, movies, and yes, video games.
Think of the detail these games require. My favorite game of the year so far is Rockstar Games’ triumph Red Dead Redemption, which puts you in control of a man named John Marston in the early 1910s. Marston needs to complete a serious of tasks designated by an evil federal agent or he’ll never see his family again.
You grow with Marston, connect with him. His plight can become yours, and the characters you meet are eclectic and memorable. You feel for them too, or you laugh at them, or you just watch them with bewilderment.
I don’t think video games are much different than movies or television. I think anything that can grab your attention can be art. I’m not an expert, though.
Maybe I just want to define art as anything that entertains me. Is that bad? I don’t know. But I can understand if that doesn’t seem… a good enough reason for those who have the knowledge to define such things.
I’m messed around with writing novels before, but I never get very far. It’s hard for me to stay that dedicated to one thing. Maybe that’s why I like reporting; it’s a different thing most everyday, even if the general process remains static.
How do some of these creative minds develop these ideas? How did J.K. Rowling develop the Harry Potter universe? How did George Lucas develop the foundation of the Star Wars universe? (Some credit there goes to the writers that Lucas has let run with his baby in what they call the ‘Extended Universe’ of Star Wars, which basically means everything but the six episodes.)
How did J.R.R. Tolkien develop the incredibly deep and detailed Lord of the Rings world? I don’t know. It baffles me. Those are some seriously talented people.
Don’t let me stick to just movie or book people. Think about David Shore, the brains behind Gregory House. One character with his all issues and his personality can lift a show up, despite a somewhat weak supporting cast. House isn’t critically acclaimed as a show, but the ratings come in. People love House.
I think one of the best shows of the last decade was Scrubs. Bill Lawrence was the genius behind it (he also did Spin City). It featured an unbelievable amount of strong characters, lead by John Dorian (J.D.). Dorian develops in a very strong way over the course of the show, and you see the good and the bad. You live with the character, feel everything he does and watch him grow.
I like the emotional connection with movies and television. Video games can give you that. Not all of them, of course. I doubt many people will leave Madden 2011 with a strong emotional connection to the game. But no one should be leaving the next Ashton Kutcher film that way either.