Is making games an art?

[Charlie Fleed]

This subject came out in the IRC, when I proposed TheLastArt as a new name for our community. The idea behind that was that making games could be considered a new form of art, especially considering how important a role visuals, music, design and all these factors play in modern games, which are not just about gameplay anymore.
Of course making games includes purely technical phases, think about programming them, but in my opinion these days the whole process has got more of an artistic activity than of a technical one.
What do you think?

[yamina-chan]

Why, of course it is.
Even though 'Art' is a word that can apply to much.
Making games is mostly a ceative process in my oppinion and I have heard the phrase "this game is a wonderfull pice of art" on more then one occasion. (And as a sidenote on your title suggestion you mentioned: I think it sounds like all other forms of arts are lost and this would be the only one left. Or as if there were no new forms of Arts left to discover. Either way, it's depressing. Sidenote End ;D)

[Charlie Fleed]

The intended meaning was just that game making is the most recently born.

[EJlol]

I think the process is more a technical one. Even though games can be made without any technical knowledge, most people don't like to do that. They make (small) modifications to the engine, or just download a script that someone else made. I also see a lot of PGC (procedural generated content) lately. But that might also because I'm just interested in that :P. PGC has a lot of potential, and it reduces the "art" part of the game. Minecraft is a good example IMO, it focuses mostly on the PGC, the sprites just sucks, it doesn't even have a story, and its still a lovely game. No art, just PGC and gameplay.

[deValdr]

If movies are art (which they are) then games are as well. After all, games consist of Graphics(art), Music(art), Stories(art), Programming (art?)

Is programming art? FROM WIKIPEDIA: Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging symbolic elements in a way that influences and affects the senses, emotions, and/or intellect.

Yes I think games are art.

[Kirito]

I wouldn't consider it a new form of art. It's merely become more accessible to a wider creative base. Also, art is in the eye of the beholder. There are some games that I, personally, would definitely not consider art.

[RosyPosy]

Actualy beauty-not art- is in the eyes of the beholder.
For instance. Music is art,But I dont think Limp biscuit is that great.Someone out there probably disagrees.
but see that dialog means nothing in its artistic properties.Being Art only really requires creating something as a form of expression and entertainment.

Eco is a good example of why games Is easily an art.
Its like the difference between House and ambient.At the end of the day,their both made for the purpose of speaking to you.
And whether that message rings or is flat,is just an opinion at best.

[deValdr]

It doesn't require expression, it's just better art if it does. Listen some of today's music. Not much expression there, is it?

[RosyPosy]

thats why entertainment is also there.

[deValdr]

Yeah, but entertainment (pop music, Hollywood movies, etc.) is art too right? It's just on a lower level.