Are video games art?

This is a topic that we have touched on a lot in class and I think that games, without a doubt, are a form of art. Art is defined as "works produced by skill and imagination," and well, I think video games fit very well into this definition. Although, games are different from what society defines as art, they take just as much, if not more, effort than paintings, music, or movies.

Games have storylines, visuals/graphics, and audio. All these things take time and careful consideration to make the game appealing and to evoke some type of emotion from the players. I'm not sure what anyone else’s opinion is on this, but what games involve/do sounds pretty much like what artists want to transmit with paintings or what movies are about.

I found this USA Today article and think it ties in well with our discussion in class. It talks about "The Art of Video Games," an exhibit that opened at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Although the Museum isn’t encouraging anyone to agree that video games are art, it does a good job of showing the significance of games and how they have become part of our ‘modern’ society and is a very good step toward finally validating games as art.

Here's a little of what the exhibit is about:

"The Art of Video Games is one of the first exhibitions to explore the forty-year evolution of video games as an artistic medium, with a focus on striking visual effects and the creative use of new technologies. It features some of the most influential artists and designers during five eras of game technology, from early pioneers to contemporary designers. The exhibition focuses on the interplay of graphics, technology and storytelling through some of the best games for twenty gaming systems ranging from the Atari VCS to the PlayStation 3."