artsy games

[MeechMunchie]

Any game that sacrifices something because it compromises the art style immediately becomes art of its own kind.

[Wings of Fire]

Like how Heavy Rain sacrificed good story for forced drama?

Or how Mirrors Edge sacrificed playability for awkwardness?

[OANST]

Or how Alan Wake sacrificed being a game for trees?

[MeechMunchie]

I don't get the Heavy Rain comment as I've never played it. Why would forced drama fit better with an art style? If they were trying to make an over-the-top melodrama, then sure. At that point being what they had defined as art was more important than telling a good story.

And I thought the problem with Mirror's Edge was that it was all arty and good to play until they started putting in combat elements to please the average gamer?

EDIT: Speedy shit. Also, I'm pretty sure Alan Wake was more of an interactive movie. Not intentionally, but still deliberately. The difference being that though they didn't want it to be an interactive movie, they still wanted it to be what they had defined as a game. Which was, unfortunately, an interactive movie.

[Wings of Fire]

Oh I was just ripping on Heavy Rain, because Japanese porn games from a decade ago are better written interactive fiction.

[OANST]

Of course they are, dear. Of course they are.

[Manco]

"I only play them for the story, man!"

[STM]

Well we didn't play fallout 1 for the graphics did we?

[Mr. Bungle]

The gameplay, more than anything.

As previously stated, art is entirely subjective - someone could make a crappy flash game about a stickman playing basketball, and call it art. It's all up to the person.

[Wings of Fire]

You all seem to think I'm glorifying decade old porn games rather than deriding Heavy Rain.

[abe619]

Oh one piece of art I just remembered was The Dig.
It had that atmosphere...it's like the game sucks you in.

[Mac Sirloin]

Joe watches Gundam.

[DarkHoodness]

Going back to something that was mentioned earlier:



(bit weird that the moon doesn't seem to move, though)

My opinion: If an unmade bed can be art, even games like Mortal Kombat can be classed as art too. :P But I think someone said that earlier in a better way than I did.

Everybody's definition of art is different - Much like everyone's definition of music (for example there are people who think the sound of traffic going along a street is music even though I wouldn't agree with them - I won't go into that though). My definition of art are objects or items that are created for the purpose of looking or sounding nice, so I don't think games themselves can be defined as art since they're made for the purpose of entertaining people, however they can have fantastic artwork inside them which can be an important part of their entertainment value.

It's like if you have a tool or a weapon with a decorative handle, I wouldn't define the tool itself as art - But I'd define the artwork on the handle as being art. I'd only define the entire tool as being art if it was made to look nice rather than to serve a practical purpose. (Hmm, this may be a bad example, though)

Flower for PS3 is a game that fits into my definition of being artwork:



There are gameplay aspects to it, and you have goals (collect petals), but it really does seem that the emphasis on the games content is on its artistic value, rather than its gameplay.

[Dynamithix]

I'm jealous that Flower is on PS3, but not on 360. I really want to play it.

[Crashpunk]

Video Games are an Artform. so many diffrent games have such in depth art styles.
Don't know if anyone has post this but an kinda obvious example of Video Games as Art.

Oddworld

Seriously, with all the consept art of the locations and the designs of the characters. its pure Art work.

[STM]

Wow that is the prettiest game I've ever seen!

EDIT: Coincidentally found this article while reading for a new art game to buy, check number four, a pleasant surprise. http://www.cracked.com/blog/defendin...as-modern-art/

[Crashpunk]

Portal and Ico are great examples indeed.

4. The Oddworld Series

[Gwan-Thwei]

I felt that the game SPORE was very good, since I like creating shit, but I didn't like how there were set patterens, and you couldn't paint your own animal.
So, like, maybe with the put-together...ness of SPORE, and the paint-ability, of say, GIMP.

[Wings of Fire]

You might like this uber xtreem expansion coming out called DARKspore.

It's EDGY

[Dynamithix]

Totally RAD broski.

[Gwan-Thwei]

OH I BET I WOULD! IZ IT CREEEPY?
I can't do sarcasm on the internet.

On topic: What is it with girls and Dress up games? I get that with them, you can create you're own persona, or whatever, But really? They're not that great.

[Wings of Fire]

On topic? Which topic would this be?

[Dynamithix]

Silly WoF, don't you know that dress up -games are defined art?

[Wings of Fire]

That's stupider than me and my porn games.

That's just plain dumb.

[OANST]

On topic: What is it with girls and Dress up games? I get that with them, you can create you're own persona, or whatever, But really? They're not that great.

Translation: Some girl I know plays dress up games. I want to touch her vagina, so I started playing dress up games too. Unfortunately, she now thinks I'm a faggot, and won't let me touch her vagina.


On topic. What is it with asians and Math games? I get that with them, you can understand the totality of the universe, or whatever, but really? They're not that great.

[Mr. Bungle]

What is it with black people and fried chicken games? I get that with them you can learn to make fried chicken, or whatever, but really? They're not that great.

[OANST]

What is it with guys named Joe and Japanese porn games? I get that with them you can look at young girls and pretend it's not pedophilia, or whatever, but really? They're not that great.

[enchilado]

flOw.

[DarkHoodness]

That's interesting. it reminds me of Osmos.

[enchilado]

Aquaria.

An absolutely stunning game. The graphics are beautiful, the music is brilliant and the story is... well, hard to explain - killing the bosses made me feel awful, especially the unnecessary ones.

I played most of the way through and then deleted my save files accidentally, and the second time through it felt incredibly strange. I was so drawn into the story the first time that it felt unreal the second, as though I was living my life a second time, knowing what was going to happen - and just to reach a point, rather than to enjoy it. Returning to the first, peaceful areas and Naija's (the main character's) home after I'd been exploring forgotten cathedrals and battling ancient gods filled my with a weird feeling of nostalgia.

Anyway... I don't know if it's the same for anyone else, but Aquaria made me feel incredibly sad while I was enjoying the game at the same time. It's pretty much art, IMO, and definitely a great game.


Also, if no one wants to buy it I can PM them my Humble Indie Bundle key, thus allowing them to download Aquaria for free (along with World of Goo, Gish, Lugaru HD, Penumbra, and Samorost 2). Which reminds me, definitely check out Samorost 1. It's almost certainly art.