Absolutely, they're one of the most art intensive media in existence if not [i]the[/i] most art intensive medium in existence. Anyone who says otherwise has no idea of what actually goes into game development.
@BlueMetalChick: Maybe the purpose of most games is just simply for players to play, but like what you said, the designs from concept art of the setting, character design, to the SFX are all designed effortfully and specifically. Even so, as a multi-media student, I have to say artworks CAN be interactive too. There was this subject teaching us to make instsllation arts with programmes and ideas, artwork is no longer be formed in only the first three demensions, but also involved light projecting and the way people interacting with them. We can see many installation art nowadays in those exhibition, they stand as only a half piece of artwork until you go and mess with them. Like in some artistic adventure video games, you nee to play to see how the story go, walk to see and explore the full environment in the game. So imo video games are a FORM of art more or less, not every games tho. Blah, my words can only express so much...
@Marshmallow: Some video games require a lot of visual art, like Ratchet & Clank for example. My favorite video game series, Halo, has one of the most stunning and brilliant soundtracks of any game, and music is art. Art can be a component of video games, although I don't know if I'd straight up say that a game in itself IS a piece of art.
Though what if every element of a game is beautifully, masterfully handcrafted? Music, mechanics, graphics, level design, character design. Though even in other art forms, often artists focus on certain elements whilst paying less attention to others, I don't think games need to necessarily be beautifully expressive in all aspects in order to be considered art.
SW-User
The making of a video game is art. Playing it? I don't know, I don't think so lol.
Yes, just [i]look at them.[/i] They are like drawing, animation, writing, acting, and then some all combined into one interactive beautiful to look at work of art.
@BlueMetalChick: Well, yeah, art has a specific meaning or else it wouldn't be a word. That's just how language works. But the definition of art can be quite well summed up as simply "creative activity," which requires no standard of beauty to be judged as such.
@AmbivalentFriability: [i]definitely[/i] just as in other mediums of art, every aspect of a video game can be deliberately shaped in order to communicate meaning & ideas with fullness & in beauty. I agree also with Bluemetalchick that not all games are art, at least, their aspects are crafted as chess boards & footballs are crafted.
@Winterwanderer: Which, amusingly, both chess boards and footballs can be considered pieces of art from a very technical point of view. Both had to be creatively designed by someone. Chess boards especially, with the design of the individual pieces and checkered board serving a primarily aesthetic role. It's such a [i]wide reaching[/i] term, one can practically encompass much of human society in it.
