By Ginny Ratcliffe
Before delving into an incoherent attempt at explaining ‘THE DEFINITION OF ART’ we must first establish what kind of art it is that is being discussed. All games are art. That’s a given. Each one has been graphically designed – conceptualized, storyboarded.
What defines art therefore depends upon perception.
Before delving into an incoherent attempt at explaining ‘THE DEFINITION OF ART’ we must first establish what kind of art it is that is being discussed. All games are art. That’s a given. Each one has been graphically designed – conceptualized, storyboarded.
What defines art therefore depends upon perception.
What effect did Journey have on you? Imagine it’s been a long day at work, with the kids, or at school or college. You dropped your dinner in the refectory and your manager cut your hours – again. You somehow survive the arduous trek home and flop onto the sofa. You reach for the controller, you’re safe now, cocooned.
The screen lights up in a flash of gold, wisps of violin caress you out of your body to… Somewhere else; the world melts away in a haze of beeps and dial up. What internal relief does a person gain from playing an arthouse game like Thatgamecompany’s Journey? Does floating ethereally across a desert provoke desires on wanting to travel, escape? Like the robed figure we control, are we all searching for a mysterious end goal? Does the lack of storyline cause the player to create a new plot in their own mind, firing up those creative synapses after a day of hardcore sandwich artistry? ‘Would you like salad on your giant, cloth eating sand snake?’
On a more grounded note; in a generation of Texting and Facebook, as well as people of various age, creed and colour screaming ‘NOOOOB’ at each other through online mics; a pleasant feature in the game is that our character can assist and communicate with other players through the medium of music notes – nothing more. No text, no names, no speech. Given that the game was released in 2012, are we to believe that the developers wanted to make some kind of political commentary about social networking and the debatable pitfalls thereof?
The screen lights up in a flash of gold, wisps of violin caress you out of your body to… Somewhere else; the world melts away in a haze of beeps and dial up. What internal relief does a person gain from playing an arthouse game like Thatgamecompany’s Journey? Does floating ethereally across a desert provoke desires on wanting to travel, escape? Like the robed figure we control, are we all searching for a mysterious end goal? Does the lack of storyline cause the player to create a new plot in their own mind, firing up those creative synapses after a day of hardcore sandwich artistry? ‘Would you like salad on your giant, cloth eating sand snake?’
On a more grounded note; in a generation of Texting and Facebook, as well as people of various age, creed and colour screaming ‘NOOOOB’ at each other through online mics; a pleasant feature in the game is that our character can assist and communicate with other players through the medium of music notes – nothing more. No text, no names, no speech. Given that the game was released in 2012, are we to believe that the developers wanted to make some kind of political commentary about social networking and the debatable pitfalls thereof?
Enjoying the beauty of Skyrim between fighting dragons. Historically, from a general viewpoint, video games have provided a platform to point and shoot, seek and destroy, explore; at least until you’re mid-kick flip and face-planting invisible walls to the tune of The Separation of Church and Skate. But with the evolution of RPG’s such as Blizzard’s World of Warcraft and Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls series, players are now diverting from ‘The Main Quest’ and finding themselves hunting and picking herbs, standing near lakes just to enjoy the scenery, assorting their bookshelves with a crafty Midas spell until their hut resembles something off ‘Wizards Home & Garden – Alchemy Room Special(!)’ Yes, whether you are to admit it or not, books, crystals, fruit baskets and the arrangement of the bloodied skulls of recently decapitated enemies have become just as essential as slaying the dragon, destroying the mother ship and claiming the throne.
Consumers, it seems, are paying real close attention to the little things. But then, this isn’t a new occurrence in any sense. ‘Video Game Art’ has been out there since the early 80’s with offerings such as Alien Garden from Atari, harrowing commentaries on the nature of our seemingly pointless existence, i.e. Deus Ex Machina for the ZX Spectrum, another stab at the digital age in the form of Font Asteroids where information itself is the enemy – the list goes on. Media Artist Erik Loyer talks about his website ‘The Lair of the Marrow Monkey’ and its 1998 acceptance into the San Francisco museum of modern art, one of the first websites to achieve such a feat.
The website itself is a series of chapters, consisting of memory sensitive ‘membranes’, typographic elements and exploding monologues.
(And can be fiddled with here)
Consumers, it seems, are paying real close attention to the little things. But then, this isn’t a new occurrence in any sense. ‘Video Game Art’ has been out there since the early 80’s with offerings such as Alien Garden from Atari, harrowing commentaries on the nature of our seemingly pointless existence, i.e. Deus Ex Machina for the ZX Spectrum, another stab at the digital age in the form of Font Asteroids where information itself is the enemy – the list goes on. Media Artist Erik Loyer talks about his website ‘The Lair of the Marrow Monkey’ and its 1998 acceptance into the San Francisco museum of modern art, one of the first websites to achieve such a feat.
The website itself is a series of chapters, consisting of memory sensitive ‘membranes’, typographic elements and exploding monologues.
(And can be fiddled with here)
Play 'Rez' drunk for maximum effect. His latest application for the iPad Strange Rain allows the user to manipulate rain. That’s the basic premise, give or take a few quotes. What people are attracted to is the interaction and ability to change their perspective by tilting the screen (plus, who hasn’t sat for hours in front of YouTube with Rainy Mood and Jazz Café on a loop; rain noise is never a bad thing – it makes us feel existential, which brings me to my next point.) With artistic and ambiguous games such as Journey (2012), Lullaby for a Dead Fly (2000), and Rez (2001) there is a common theme – a desire for knowledge; trying to find The Goal. This desire is an inextricable part of our DNA, it’s human nature. We may go about looking for the grail, the box of rings, the rabbit hole to Wonderland in entirely different ways, weeach take alternate paths through various levels of life – but, like our characters, we will eventually achieve gratification one way or another.
The best things are seen when you switch off the golden trail, and allow yourself to be swept into the unexplored corners of the world.
The best things are seen when you switch off the golden trail, and allow yourself to be swept into the unexplored corners of the world.
That was the sound of your mind being blown
Like, wide-open.
Do you see video games as a form of art? And what did you think of our interpretation?
Come find us on Facebook or Twitter, and let us know what you think!
Do you see video games as a form of art? And what did you think of our interpretation?
Come find us on Facebook or Twitter, and let us know what you think!
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