Videogames are one of the most important artistic mediums in the world...
...It's just too bad that this notion may never be fully realized. Thanks to soaring production budgets, the buisiness model, money hungry corporations like EA, and the nature of the industry, truly artistic games - games that can be considered as something more than a game - can be counted on two hands.
In fact, I don't think I could even fill up one hand.
I've been wanting to make some sort of entry about this because it's been bugging me for a while now. Each year more and more sequels come out and less original games made. It's understandable given the nature of the industry, but that doesn't make it any less depressing. I want to see *new* products, I want to see creative games, and I want to see some people trying to make experiences - NOT games.
I think the potential for video games as art is enormous. You can make people feel any emotion, take them to any world you create, do anything... and it's all INTERACTIVE... making it that much more powerful when compared to film.
I direct your attention to the playstation 2 game, "ICO". ICO is what one would probably think of first when asked "What video games can be classfied as art (or is an artistic statement)?".
ICO was (and still is) revolutionary. It came out a few years ago to critical acclaim but was met with lackluster sales.
If you are a gamer and have yet to pick up ICO, I urge you to do so. This is a game in a league of its own. Through brilliant use of impressiont inspired visuals, audio, gameplay, and storytelling, ICO manages to be more than a game.
You are a young boy who has to lead a girl out of a castle and away from her evil mother (a sorceress). The story sounds simple and cliche, true, but it's presented in a way that couldn't be any more original.
The story and character development is all done visually and without dialogue. There's also a very small amount of cut scenes to further the story. It's the interaction you have with the girl while you play (done visually and in-game - without the use of recognisable dialogue) that creates an incredible emotional attatchment to this character.
ICO is not the only artistic masterpiece in the game industry. There are others. But first, I want to show some pictures from the astounding Shadow of the Colossus... it's done by the same team that made ICO.
SotC brings back the same atmosphere of ICO and creates a game that just might break through into the mainstream due to the shift of focus on action instead of puzzles. In SotC you are a young man with a horse trying to save a girl from death by performing a strange ritual. You have to slay colossi, often as big as sky scrapers, in hopes of bringing her back to life.
Here is the website if you want to get a feel for the game:
http://www.us.playstation.com/Content/OGS/SCUS-97472/Site/
Again, there will be no dialogue. In fact, there are no enemies except for the colossi! Basically, the team created a huge world for you to explore full of ruins and beautiful landscapes. You can ride through and explore at your leisure or you can make your way for the next colossus you have to fight. To take down the colossus you will have to climb up it's body and stab it. One of the most brilliant aspects to the game (and it's subtle) but the colossus, though huge, intimidating, and dangerous do not look all that evil. In fact, they have an innocent look to them. It almost makes you feel bad for killing them (The game has not come out yet and won't be out till mid-october, but I hear that this is something the story delves into as the game progresses).
Other games I would consider art:
- Katamari Damacy (I'm sure many of you guys reading this know what this game is)
- Rez (A on-the-rail shooter that is completely driven by the soundtrack (everything you do makes noises to the beat)
- Killer 7 (I'm not a fan of the game, but it is very unique)
- Okami (though it hasn't come out) - The game is made to look like Japanese sumi on rice paper. Absolutely brilliant visually. It's supposed to play similar to a Zelda game.
And there you go. That's the list I could come up with. However, these are all the games I consider that try to make an (artistic) statement both visually and gameplay wise.
There are other games I consider art for reasons such as perfecting cinematic style, atmosphere, emotional involvment, and dialogue/writing. Games like the Metal Gear Solid series are pure genius. They create a world unlike any other, there is cinematic genius (it's intentionally over-the-top for anyone that doesn't realize that), and visually the art is some of the best around. Half-Life 2 is another game I'd consider a perfect gaming experience. The System Shock and Thief series on PC are both shining stars in the gaming industry as well. I'd also like to mention Beyond Good and Evil as well as Psychonauts. Planescape: Torment (an RPG for the PC) is flat out one of the best written stories I've ever read. It's as compelling as any book you could pick up. I'm serious... try it out if you don't believe me. The person that penned the story/dialogue in that game is a brilliant writer.
There's some good stuff to look forward to, though this notion of video games as art may never be fully embraced.
Although I realize it's sort of hypocritical, I can't wait for Katamari Damacy's sequel "We Love Katamari". It will basically be more of the same, but I'm not going to complain when that "more of" is something I can't get anywhere else. It comes out in a couple weeks.
Shadow of The Colossus releases in mid October, and from the demo I played, there is no doubt in my mind that it will be every bit as important as ICO was. Keep your eye on this game if you are intrigued, it will be worth it.
In fact, I don't think I could even fill up one hand.
I've been wanting to make some sort of entry about this because it's been bugging me for a while now. Each year more and more sequels come out and less original games made. It's understandable given the nature of the industry, but that doesn't make it any less depressing. I want to see *new* products, I want to see creative games, and I want to see some people trying to make experiences - NOT games.
I think the potential for video games as art is enormous. You can make people feel any emotion, take them to any world you create, do anything... and it's all INTERACTIVE... making it that much more powerful when compared to film.
I direct your attention to the playstation 2 game, "ICO". ICO is what one would probably think of first when asked "What video games can be classfied as art (or is an artistic statement)?".
ICO was (and still is) revolutionary. It came out a few years ago to critical acclaim but was met with lackluster sales.
If you are a gamer and have yet to pick up ICO, I urge you to do so. This is a game in a league of its own. Through brilliant use of impressiont inspired visuals, audio, gameplay, and storytelling, ICO manages to be more than a game.
You are a young boy who has to lead a girl out of a castle and away from her evil mother (a sorceress). The story sounds simple and cliche, true, but it's presented in a way that couldn't be any more original.
The story and character development is all done visually and without dialogue. There's also a very small amount of cut scenes to further the story. It's the interaction you have with the girl while you play (done visually and in-game - without the use of recognisable dialogue) that creates an incredible emotional attatchment to this character.
ICO is not the only artistic masterpiece in the game industry. There are others. But first, I want to show some pictures from the astounding Shadow of the Colossus... it's done by the same team that made ICO.
SotC brings back the same atmosphere of ICO and creates a game that just might break through into the mainstream due to the shift of focus on action instead of puzzles. In SotC you are a young man with a horse trying to save a girl from death by performing a strange ritual. You have to slay colossi, often as big as sky scrapers, in hopes of bringing her back to life.
Here is the website if you want to get a feel for the game:
http://www.us.playstation.com/Content/OGS/SCUS-97472/Site/
Again, there will be no dialogue. In fact, there are no enemies except for the colossi! Basically, the team created a huge world for you to explore full of ruins and beautiful landscapes. You can ride through and explore at your leisure or you can make your way for the next colossus you have to fight. To take down the colossus you will have to climb up it's body and stab it. One of the most brilliant aspects to the game (and it's subtle) but the colossus, though huge, intimidating, and dangerous do not look all that evil. In fact, they have an innocent look to them. It almost makes you feel bad for killing them (The game has not come out yet and won't be out till mid-october, but I hear that this is something the story delves into as the game progresses).
Other games I would consider art:
- Katamari Damacy (I'm sure many of you guys reading this know what this game is)
- Rez (A on-the-rail shooter that is completely driven by the soundtrack (everything you do makes noises to the beat)
- Killer 7 (I'm not a fan of the game, but it is very unique)
- Okami (though it hasn't come out) - The game is made to look like Japanese sumi on rice paper. Absolutely brilliant visually. It's supposed to play similar to a Zelda game.
And there you go. That's the list I could come up with. However, these are all the games I consider that try to make an (artistic) statement both visually and gameplay wise.
There are other games I consider art for reasons such as perfecting cinematic style, atmosphere, emotional involvment, and dialogue/writing. Games like the Metal Gear Solid series are pure genius. They create a world unlike any other, there is cinematic genius (it's intentionally over-the-top for anyone that doesn't realize that), and visually the art is some of the best around. Half-Life 2 is another game I'd consider a perfect gaming experience. The System Shock and Thief series on PC are both shining stars in the gaming industry as well. I'd also like to mention Beyond Good and Evil as well as Psychonauts. Planescape: Torment (an RPG for the PC) is flat out one of the best written stories I've ever read. It's as compelling as any book you could pick up. I'm serious... try it out if you don't believe me. The person that penned the story/dialogue in that game is a brilliant writer.
There's some good stuff to look forward to, though this notion of video games as art may never be fully embraced.
Although I realize it's sort of hypocritical, I can't wait for Katamari Damacy's sequel "We Love Katamari". It will basically be more of the same, but I'm not going to complain when that "more of" is something I can't get anywhere else. It comes out in a couple weeks.
Shadow of The Colossus releases in mid October, and from the demo I played, there is no doubt in my mind that it will be every bit as important as ICO was. Keep your eye on this game if you are intrigued, it will be worth it.