Video Games: The Ultimate Art Form
At first glance, the concept that video games such as Halo, Super Mario or even World of Warcraft being art, may sound somewhat ludicrous to some.
However, I and many others would argue otherwise. Video games are manifested from layers upon layers of various art styles, all coming together to create something truly magnificent. Many an art-loving narcissist, will shun the millennials for their lack of interest in sculptures, paintings and Beethoven... But maybe, now that we can create more advanced music, beautiful virtual worlds and amazing effects via modern cinematography, the past is no longer as relevant and interesting to most in the present day.
In my opinion, video games are the combination of taking lots of different art forms and pushing them to their absolute limits. In most mainstream video games, there is a collaboration of musicians, artists, writers, graphic designers, and many, many more creative and intelligent individuals working together to create something extraordinary.
These aspects are not always purely corporate either. Amazing and passionate people draw these indulging stories and ideas from their own imaginations. Some video games even go the extra mile and create the grounds and tools for the consumer to be an artist in their own right.
Minecraft is a great example of this. Minecraft gives its players the tools necessary to not only play the game but to do much more than that. Almost anything is possible in Minecraft, with few limitations. Players are encouraged to use their own imagination, with no set structure to how the game should be played.
This becomes even more fulfilling when done with other players, as group projects such as towns and villages can be incredibly gratifying, and player-created towns can act as immersive virtual realities. There’s also often competitions within Minecraft communities, sometimes for real money, of who can create the best build.
All in all, it is to my belief and many other gamers that video games are the pinnacle of modern day art. Layering stories, visual art, music and more, whilst being interactive, they create something that we have previously been unable to achieve and give so many people pleasure to view and play.