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If a book can called art, then some games are, too.
I often play for the story. The medium is irrelevant, if the it can get a meaning across, or has some other affect for the player.

So, a co-ordinated tank attack into a valley in Planetside 2 is art, in the same way a movie is.
A well written quest chain in a MMORPG is art, in the way a novel is.

 Brother SRM wrote:
If you say Painkiller isn't art, I will fight you I love Painkiller. The story in Painkiller is absolute trash, but the visceral reaction I get from that game is something that would qualify it as art for me. It made me feel a certain way (the way it intended) and that is what makes it art for me.

That is indeed valid put that way. As for Minecraft being art:

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Brother SRM wrote:
When you're looking out over a sunrise from the top of something you created and this serene music starts playing, it just washes this relaxing calm over you. Conversely, the tension and fear when you're underground with loads of diamonds and you're trying to escape monsters is palpable too.

With this point, I'ma also have to agree.

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Mr Nobody wrote:
I would argue that minecraft can be considered art because I've seen people create art within the game.

As for this point, I disagree. The medium itself is usually not considered art just for being the medium. If it were, bags of concrete mix would be art since they have to potential to become art.

Hanith wrote:

Mr Nobody wrote:
I would argue that minecraft can be considered art because I've seen people create art within the game.

As for this point, I disagree. The medium itself is usually not considered art just for being the medium. If it were, bags of concrete mix would be art since they have to potential to become art.

Normally, I would agree, but minecraft here is not simply a medium, it is being physically turned into art. A dirt block in minecraft IS minecraft, as are all the other blocks. Arranging these blocks into art is turning minecraft into art. The trouble with comparing it to concrete mix, or even paint, for example, is that they are not gathered under a single title. You take paint, you take a brush, and you take canvas, and with those you can make art. With minecraft, everything you do on it is simply altering minecraft. You are morphing it into art, as opposed to mixing several mediums. Art creation in minecraft turns minecraft into the art created, because how else was it possible to create it? A dirt block or cobble block does not exist outside of minecraft, you cannot mix them to create minecraft, they are minecraft.

 Avatar 720 wrote:

Normally, I would agree, but minecraft here is not simply a medium, it is being physically turned into art. A dirt block in minecraft IS minecraft, as are all the other blocks. Arranging these blocks into art is turning minecraft into art. The trouble with comparing it to concrete mix, or even paint, for example, is that they are not gathered under a single title. You take paint, you take a brush, and you take canvas, and with those you can make art. With minecraft, everything you do on it is simply altering minecraft. You are morphing it into art, as opposed to mixing several mediums. Art creation in minecraft turns minecraft into the art created, because how else was it possible to create it? A dirt block or cobble block does not exist outside of minecraft, you cannot mix them to create minecraft, they are minecraft.

By this logic then tools like Blender, 3DSMax, and Rhino3D would be art. Those abstract points, surfaces and methods/functions don't exist outside of those programs and yet their composite parts can be arranged into art. This would also include programming languages (functions, variables, classes) and forums (text/fiction). To elaborate, you've effectively said art in minecraft makes minecraft (itself) art because minecraft art cannot exist without minecraft. This is like saying origami makes unused paper art because origami cannot exist without paper or that plastic models make lumps of unprocessed plastic art because plastic models cannot exists without it. People can still make pixel art out of other things than minecraft blocks or sculpt with substances other than plastic. Minecraft is an art because of the feelings it invokes, not because people can use it as a medium.

Hanith wrote:
For a game to be considered art for me, it has to tell a good story. This rules out games like Farmville, Counter Strike, League of Legends, Minecraft and most Sports Games.

Hanith wrote:
Minecraft is an art because of the feelings it invokes, not because people can use it as a medium.

And there you go.

Video Game art falls under the catagory of kitsch. Even the Legend of Zelda.

 Radiation wrote:
Video Game art falls under the catagory of kitsch. Even the Legend of Zelda.

You think there's nothing of worth or original concepts in video games? What does video games as a whole copy, or imitate? I mean, I understand how people can't view games as a medium as art but calling it kitsch just seems low.

I think video games are art and as people have pointed out, not just games I like either.

If the crap at the Tate Modern is art, then even Cooking Mama is art.

Lord-Loss wrote:

 Radiation wrote:
Video Game art falls under the catagory of kitsch. Even the Legend of Zelda.

You think there's nothing of worth or original concepts in video games? What does video games as a whole copy, or imitate? I mean, I understand how people can't view games as a medium as art but calling it kitsch just seems low.

I think video games are art and as people have pointed out, not just games I like either.

Worthless is not the definition of kitsch. Don't use my post to make your own point, make your own point by yourself with your own words.

Most videogames I have played have fallen into the realm of simulation or are set in pre-established genres. Most videogames I play are also on their third or forth iteration, like Fallout 3 or Street Fighter 4. What original concepts have you found in videogames?

Kitsch is a classification of art. Placing it as low has no sentimental value to me. I enjoy low art just as I enjoy high art. There is little moral value to the division.

I am glad you agree video games can be looked at through the lense of art criticism.

Radiation wrote:Most videogames I have played have fallen into the realm of simulation or are set in pre-established genres.

Being interactive is what sets video games apart, this is the first ever fully interactive medium, having the viewer involved in the story, immersed in it, is what writers and visual artists have striven for, forlike ages. Does the number of sequels matter, I mean, some series are obviously done just for money but sequels for video games are obviously different to books and films. Alot of time games don't have there full vision 'realised' because of budget constraints and what not so it's understandable that there might be a sequel with a larger budget with a very similar narrative. Authors write multiple book series in the same universe and that's the way I see series like Fallout, they're just exploring the world they created in a different way.

Games have many unique genres and I don't think the fact that some of games fall into pre-established genres as a problem. All a genre is is a kind of category of what kind of experience you want out of the book/film/game/art whatever, there is defintely a problem with genres in video games but it's more to do with the way we have genres like FPS and not romance, comedy and horror.

Is there any better way to relate to a character and explore them and yady yady ya then to actually carry out their actions?

Personally think video games is the best medium for storytelling ever and it's only going to get better and better.

Radiation wrote:I am glad you agree video games can be looked at through the lense of art criticism.

One of my favourite thing about Dear Eesther way that no matter whether people liked it or not, it was discussed as art and not about the shooting mechanics.

Minecraft art is only good when real blocks are used. (so no netherbrick,netherrack,glowstone,endstone,redstone,lapis lazuli or bedrock) (obsidian does exist DON'T QUESTION IT)

orkdestroyer1 wrote:
Minecraft art is only good when real blocks are used. (so no netherbrick,netherrack,glowstone,endstone,redstone,lapis lazuli or bedrock) (obsidian does exist DON'T QUESTION IT)

But netherrack is a real block...I even built a pyramid out of it.

I mean blocks that exist in normal life as well as minecraft.

orkdestroyer1 wrote:
Minecraft art is only good when real blocks are used. (so no netherbrick,netherrack,glowstone,endstone,redstone,lapis lazuli or bedrock) (obsidian does exist DON'T QUESTION IT)

Paintings are only good when they're of fruit in bowls.