Are video games "art"?

[phoenix1967]

My vote is yes. Some are more artistic than others, obviously. But overall I believe that, good or bad, they should be considered as artistic endeavors.

[Ghost Soldier]

I consider videogames a art form.

[den68]

no question they are.

[James]

There was an article in a magazine I read a while ago commenting on this. Some top art boffin said they can't be art because they're controlled by the player and not by the creator. "Art is one person inflicting their views and impressions on others." I agree a little with the last comment. However, they also said movies can be artistic because there is no input from the viewer. That bit made me not understand why games can't be art. The player doesn't control the style or storyline of the game. (Unless it's a multiple option game.)

I think games can be artistic but there are an awful lot that aren't. The ones that aren't are like TV soaps. They can be entertaining but don't really have a style. The ones that are artistic are like Oscar winning movies. They have the style, the storyline and the "pizazz".

[Magewout]

They most definately are. I, and with me many others, see art as a way for any person, artist, or in this case, programmer, to express him-/herself.

A bad video game could be interpreted as a painting you find ugly.

[phoenix1967]

A bad video game could be interpreted as a painting you find ugly.

I agree 100%. A bad game being the artistic equivalent to a velvet Elvis or a paint-by-numbers landscape.

[Tynstar]

Sure is

[Tan]

I think there are games that tell better stories than movies and games that have music worthy of oscar nominations.

The difference is a lot of older critics like Ebert still consider video games  a kid's hobby and don't give them the respect, much like many parents of kids growing up in the 70's early 80's for the most part.

[hXd]

Ico and Shadow Of The Colossus.

'Nuff said.

[The Metamorphosing Leon]

MGS: 3 was a good work of art.

[TraderJake]

If movies are art, so are games.

Ebert can go to Hell.

[DarthKur]

Yes, absolutely.

[Cobra]

I'll vote yes.
I mean, there are so many different forms of media that create a game.
Their soundtrack for example, music is often described as a work of art.

Also going back to 2D games, some had beautiful artwork around the 32bit era.

And just like with art, you also get tasteless pieces of rubbish too.
So by all means, games are art.

[Kevincal]

17 yes ... 0 no ...

[shoes23]

It's probably easy to vote no for people who do not like videogames.  For most of us though, we dredge through so many subpar crappy games that when you find that one that really rocks your world, it's better than any novel, movie, or painting that you've ever seen. 

For the record Kojima (sp? creator of the Metal Gear Series) stated that he didn't feel that videogames had risen to the level of art yet in EGM about a year back.