Media Cultures

The explosive growth in the gaming community that happened during the pandemic has shown that many have found a new outlet for connection. Video game enthusiasts have been using this technology to build friendships online and stay connected for years. With the rise of social media, gamers have perfected the art of building communities in and around video games.

Gamers don’t just compete with strangers on the internet, but forge genuine, enduring friendships. A whole social phenomenon has developed around video games creating virtual bonds. Studies have shown that 84% of gamers say that video games allow them to meet people who share common interests and 77% say that they help them stay in touch with their friends. These figures show us that these social interactions that arise from the world of video games and the community are the opposite stereotype that these games are isolating and for antisocial gamers.

All over the world there are children, teenagers, parents, and grandparents all playing video games via tablets, smartphones, or PC’s. By fostering inclusive communities to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities, traditional mental health services are often not enough to meet the needs of people at risk for suicide. Stack Up, a non-profit veteran organization, uses video games to bring veterans together by combining aspects of virtual gaming communities, veteran mental health, and community-based peer support. For some people these games are lifesaving, grounding, and therapeutic. Research has shown that playing video games can help with trauma recovery, anxiety, depression, and has been adopted by some mental health professionals in treating PTSD. For example veterans suffering from these mental health challenges often find solace in gaming. Organizations such as AbleGamers create opportunities that enable play in order to combat social isolation. 

In 2010 film critic Roger Ebert publicly battled against the perception of video games becoming art from 2006 to his death in 2013. In a piece he wrote titled “Video Games Can Never Be Art”, quote – 

“No one in or out of the field has ever been able to cite a game worthy of comparison with the great dramatist, poets, filmmakers, novelist and composers. For most gamers, video games represent a loss of those precious hours we have available to make ourselves more cultured, civilized and empathetic.” 

He stated that games can never be art because they are essentially just about fun and the act of interactivity in art ruins it. Throughout history the idea of “Art” has always been seen as a performance of some kind, a way of communicating engaging ideas to an audience. To most people, art is creative, emotional and purposeful. In contrast to Marcel Duchamp, a french painter who suggested that art is anything presented as such. Games fit all these criteria, they are designed artifacts presented to people that elicit specific emotions whether the creator intended it or not.

 

Pacman

Sunflowers (Van Gogh series)

 For many of the true gamers video games are definitely art. However for those who don’t play, it is a wasted effort to try and convince them otherwise. I believe video games in a way can transcend art as we know it today. We are still in the infancy stages of what video games can develop into and they already can convey more emotion; create more meaning, inspire more people, and bring gamers from all around the world to play together. Similar to traditional paintings, modern movies, novels and so on, video games occupy hundreds of different genres and tackle many subjects that have surfaced throughout history.

 The creation of a video game may be considered an art form that only exists in the digital space, nonetheless physically playing the game is not considered art. A large amount of games include forms of traditional expression such as – 3D modeling, illustrations, narrative arcs, and music, that when combined together rises above any one type of art form. In my personal opinion, I believe art is subjective. If it makes you feel; whether it would be happiness, sadness, anger, indifference, fear, or at least a little bit less lonely, then the artist and/or game developer has completed what they set out to do.

Games are art in more ways than one. We engage with and discuss them in meaningful ways, while they can also affect people deeply. There are still people out there who say video games are not art, and they may be right. There are many games that are not art, similar to how there are books and movies that are not art. It is subjective. There is a beauty in play, and just because something is fun does not mean it is not art.

Bibliography

• Melissinos, Chris. “Video Games Are the Most Important Art Form in History.” TIME.com, TIME, 22 Sept. 2015, time.com/collection-post/4038820/chris-melissinos-are-video-games-art/.

• “Why Video Games.” Stack Up, www.stackup.org/why-video-games.

• Lufkin, Bryan. “How Online Gaming Has Become a Social Lifeline.” BBC, 16 Dec. 2020, www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20201215-how-online-gaming-has-become-a-social-lifeline.

• Jones, Jonathan. “Sorry MoMA, Video Games Are Not Art.” The Guardian, The Guardian, 30 Nov. 2012, www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2012/nov/30/moma-video-games-art.