RE: Can certain video games be considered a form of art?
This an interesting point raised. I do believe that it might be hard for some people to consider video games as a form of Art because of predjudice. Your point on elitsm is probably valid too, however I feel it might just touch this very deep philosophical question on its superficial level.
To consider the place of video games -or any kind of computer designs -within Art raises the question of what is Art itself. There are many ways to approach answers to this question. If Art is "the expression or application of human creativity and imagination for the creation of works that are meant to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power" then it does indeed include a wide range of creations, with all their different cultural, educational, generational and sensitive backgrounds. Although I do not disagree with this perception it has its limits, that can be witnessed in all the debates on Modern Art and the fine line between Pop entertainment and Artistic artworks.
Some claim that Art in its purest form is an Absolute: when Art happens, it is beyond creativity and it is merely recognisable on a none spiritual level. This utopia of Art also has its own limits, but it also allows to understand the reluctance some could have to include absolutely all forms of creativity unnder the umbrella of Art.
On this note, I do not deny the artistic talents of most creators behind video games and I find it very exciting to see new technologies as a new tool for creation. On the contrary, I find it beautifully fascinating to see how many more doors have been open thanks to the virtual world.
Thank you for the meaningful comment, @astralaglae. : )
I understand the reluctance some people have with classifying absolutely all forms of creativity as art. It is very hard to draw the line in such sensitive matters. I think that, for something to be considered art, in addition to being creative, it should have the ability to evoke strong and complex emotions in viewers/participants.
It is funny this conversation has been in my head since my last comment and I have been raising this point with a few people.
Definition of Art is definitely an unresolved question and in many ways I love the fact that it is. I do believe it is one of the mysteries of life that allows creativity: because art is still undefined, subjective standards about what we consider as Art gets higher, so whatever we will want to create to our subjective satisfaction will have to be of the highest quality we can give.
Trying to find a representation of Art through our creativity is probably a way for artists to never be satisfied with mediocrity.
I'm really glad to know that our conversation got stuck in your head. Most of the topics I write about are something that I've been thinking about for a long time.
Interesting thoughts. Probably many people do tend to strive to achieve greatness more when there are no clear standards - no standards, no limits.
Cheers! : )