What Defines Art? By Brett Martin

Aaron Smutz, a philosophy professor at Rhode Island College, in his rhetorical essay “Are Video Games Art?” asserts that video games are indeed art. He first puts forward three critically well-received games to be considered art, then determines what can be used to determine art by considering “sister media” like art and music as well as competition such as chess, football or ice-skating. After establishing an “informal” definition of art, Smutz comes to conclude that since the games he provided cover several facets of game-types and since those games can reasonably fall into the definitions provided of art, then most video games should be considered art. Smutz forms his essay in order to explore the artistic merit of games. Smutz also writes

Video games have become a massive icon that has spanned decades, technology and even cultural boundaries. Whether you play on a computer, tablet, phone, or console: at some point in your life, video games have been a part of what you do. Strike up a conversation about games and you can make lasting friendships or bitter enemies. Even if they might not know the specific game, everyone knows what the genre is, and because of this, video games have taken their lasting place in our pop

Numerous studies have been done, showing no direct correlation between video games and actual violence. “The US Secret Service conducted a review in 2004 aimed at identifying causes of school shootings, and it found just 12 percent of studied attackers -- that's 5 out of 41 -- expressed an interest in violent video games”(Conditt, 2018, para 6). It was found that video games actually decrease violence in the real world. There was an economic study conducted in 2016 that found, ¨a reduction in crime in the weeks after major video game releases¨ (Conditt, 2018, para 7). This is because the video games give people an outlet to release violent thoughts and frustrations in a safer, virtual environment. In fact, video games actually decrease violence on the

Throughout history, art has changed and transformed dramatically as empires have fallen and new civilizations have formed. There have been many different forms of art and extremely different tastes of art based on which civilization you decide to focus on. According to this opinion, out of all the different types of art, “the highest form of art is realism.” The writer then claims how many civilizations have undergone intellectual and creative declines when creating unrealistic art. This, of course, is simply an opinion, but the the thoughts and ideas of this writers bring up many intriguing questions about art and how society perceives art.

Violent video games do not cause violence. Just because a kid plays video games and shot someone does not mean it was because of the video games. According to an article written by Henry Jenkins on www.pbs.org, “But young people, in general, are more likely to be gamers - 90 percent of boys and 40 percent of girls play. The overwhelming majority of kids who play do NOT commit antisocial acts.” This shows two things. Just because a kid that happens to play video games and did something violent, does not mean it was because of the video games. His older sibling probably bullies them at home. This also shows that playing video games cause violence, but quite the opposite. Now speaking from personal experience, If I’m playing video games, I’m not thinking of how I am going to bully the school nerd, or shoot someone, I’m focused on the game and how to beat it. Me thinking of how to beat the game is preventing me from doing something else violent. It also means I’m sitting in the dark in my room, not out and about doing things to people that

Videogame violence is nothing new. As was noted in a recent Washington Times article by Eric Rozenman, one of the earliest videogames, Death Race, created controversy back in the mid-1970’s: “The game involved an automobile driver running down pedestrians. The later expired with unconvincing moans, the skilled motorists recording a tally of crucifixes.”

Video games in their entirety do not cause violence. When you look at the games that are out now, most depict events in life past or present. Others go on a fairy tale ride that most people can discern the difference.

Video games are highly designed with artistic expression in the digital world. There is a

To quote the famous game designer Santiago Sir “Games are not just art, they are the most revolutionary form of art mankind has ever known about”. Video games are a hybrid form of art that brings together multiple forms of art. Video games are very aesthetic. They achieve this through the use of their realistic graphics, in depth development of the story, and the emotional attachment built overtime with the game.

“Art Form For The Digital Age,” by Henry Jenkins is about gaming expanding and how it's being considered a digital art. The growing game industry is said to be the most growing form of art in the economy today.

Although, there should be no fixed definition of art as it is different for each person. People try too hard to find the definition and can sometimes forget to appreciate the effect that it has on their

Video games have come a long way since Pong rid children of their quarters in 1972. In the past few years, a dramatic shift in the publics’ view of games has occured. What was once considered a kid’s toy capable of turning brains into mush is now enjoyed by the average age of 35 (Essential Facts). In recent times, another paradigm shift has begun for gaming: the road to becoming an art form. Today, museum curators from across the globe continue to accept video games into their collection, adding to its legitimacy. However, just as movies struggled to be considered art in the 1970s, the path for video games has not been smooth sailing. Many critics, such as the late Roger Ebert, have been increasingly vocal about their reasoning for why a

The concept of art is very complex, and the question “What is art?” tends to not have a certain answer. However, most agree that art is any form of expression, and this statement is what everyone knows art as. For years, many people have gotten into heated discussions on whether video games could be considered as art or not. Though these screen-based games have been legally recognized as art, the topic remains a controversy. It is imperative to understand that video games have many artistic qualities contained within them.These games contain many forms of art, including visual art, music, and storytelling. Therefore, video games should be considered an art form because of the artistic efforts that go into making them.

Art has numerous purposes to many people. Some use it as a hobby to experiment with media. Others have a way of using it for commercial purposes. Back in the day it was used to tell a story. To some it’s a form of entertainment. It’s to make people happy and put a smile on faces. To others

Since the ancient world, the concept of art has been disputed. From claiming it was mere imitation, instruction or craft to defining it in terms of significant form and intrinsic characteristics, these formulated purposes force a cookie cutter mold on a creative process. While I do not believe that art can be defined, the search for an all encompassing concept is a debate crucial to art culture and must evolve alongside artistic trends.