8 bit Mona Lisa?

games in the museum

Video games are art! or at least they belong in a museum. The Smithsonian is asking for the best games in history for a show, displaying all their electronic 8bit glory! With video games now entering such a prestigious place, it begs the question, will video games someday be viewed on the same artistic level as movies? At first thought i would say no. They are usually  simplified versions of a story where the player moves through levels for the sole purpose of beating the game. But the more in depth the games get, the more dramatic, personally invested, and affected we are by them. Take  Left 4 dead, a hilariously fun game where the entire point is to kill as many zombies as possible without dying yourself. Even with great graphics, this is still "space invaders" in a much prettier, or gorey, skin. This would be the first thought type of game. On the other hand, you have the recent Fallout 3, or Fallout New Vegas. Here you get a post-apocalyptic world with monsters, mutants and outlaws, but instead of running through town launching grenades, this game lets you form relationships, make decisions, and has endless possibilities for how your player can "complete" the game. You can be good or bad, trustworthy or a liar, and the game experience changes with the decisions you make.

In some ways, games are moving beyond movies. With graphics almost as good, stories that rival the best blockbuster, and the ability for the viewer to literally control the storyline, games are becoming (if they aren't already) the dominant entertainment platform. Now, with games that can shift and adjust to the individual, you get a movie that you have a hand in creating.  Hmmmm....interesting.

Now does that make it art? they could be the best form of interactive art ever created! but where do we draw the line between something being art, something being artistic, and something being creative. Can a coloring book be art? does it depend on the depth, quality, or importance? What makes Mario art and not Contra? I don't think the general video game will ever earn the distinction of art, whether it deserves it or not. We like a certain importance or purpose given to our art which is greater than simple "entertainment." I guess someone just has to do it and figure it out for us...Who will be the first "video game artist" to exhibit at MoMa...wait, forget that last sentence, I found my path to becoming a millionaire...