Video Games are Art?

There is a lot of hubbub about video games and art again, with Roger Ebert speaking his mind on how video games can NEVER be art. Penny Arcade has weighed in on the subject as well as everyone who has replied to Ebert's blog entry.

I'm very curious as to why this is even an argument... Frankly, art is something completely subjective. I'm sure that there are some people out there who feel that movies are not, or could ever be, art. Kellie Santiago, of thatgamecompany, gave a speech at USC making the argument that games already ARE art. So, who is correct?

As Kellie started her argument, the definition of art must first be explored. She looked at the definition on Wikipedia, which one could argue isn't the best place to get the definition. In fact, the top of the page states that "the article has multiple issues"! While Kellie uses the definition at the beginning of the Wikipedia article, further down is a definition from Britannica Online which says, "the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others." With this definition, one could definitely say that video games are art. Arguments exist concerning the definition of art, however. I won't go into gross detail here, as one can easily research the fact that there is no definitive answer to the question, "What is art?"

With that being said, how can one say with any certainty at all that video games can NEVER be art? The idea of something being a "piece of art" is entirely in the eye of the beholder. Does the piece stir emotional feelings inside? Does it make you feel passionate, strong, heart-broken, or intense? If so, then what you are seeing/feeling/experiencing is probably art. At least, that piece is art to you, the beholder.

It is pretty funny to me that this topic has come up yet again at this moment in time. This past weekend, I finished the storyline for Final Fantasy XIII. As we watched the ending together as a family, my daughter begins to cry because of the tragedy (I'm avoiding spoilers here...) that occurs during those final moments. This was the first time that she cried during a video game. If the game could stir that sort of emotional response in my seven-year old daughter, and if she could hold such an emotional attachment to those characters, then I could argue that Final Fantasy XIII is a work of art to her, according to some of the definitions out there. I can't help but remember various moments in my own life of particular games that I was playing at the time and the feelings that I had while playing those games. Games like the Final Fantasy series, Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross, the Metal Gear series, Xenogears, and others have affected me deeply and have potentially shaped the person that I am today. You can see Juri and I telling the folks at Penny Arcade about our emotional connection to Final Fantasy VI on Penny Arcade: The Series (around 1:48).

So are video game art? I happen to think they are. But then, something is only a "piece of art" if you feel that it is.

A Juggling Act

What a weekend I just had! I definitely think it tops as one of the greatest weekends that I have ever had in my life! Making a statement like that is a pretty tall order, especially when I was so busy. However, I know this to be true...

Being a parent, a Chief in the Navy, a gamer, a student, and a husband all at the same time poses an incredible challenge. Somehow, I have to be able to do everything that I need to do, that I want to do, and tend to the needs of others. So, when I was presented with the challenge of completing a paper for my class, running a couple miles for my kids' school district, visiting with old friends, playing some games (of course!), and spending quality time with my wife and kids, Juri and I took a step back and made a plan!
I'm hard at work on completing my Bachelor's in IT Management by currently working on a class on finance information systems. Unfortunately, with my hatred for anything involving money and economics, this class isn't as easy as others for me. I am taking the material very seriously, attempting to squeeze every drop of knowledge out of the key terms and concepts. So, I wrote my first paper for the class earlier in the week and attempted to work on my second paper (due on Monday, today) while I was on 24-hour duty at work. Unfortunately, things kept coming up and I was too busy to concentrate on school at all. In between my duty days, being at home wasn't any calmer. So, once Friday rolled around and I still hadn't written anything, I needed to come up with some sort of plan to make everything happen. Juri and I talked it over and came up with a schedule that would allow us to get it all done.
That night, I read the majority of the information that I needed to review for the paper and started to jot notes. We had signed up for a "Run for the Arts", a fundraiser for the kids' art programs at their school. That was going down first thing Saturday morning. This would be followed by a meet-up with old friends that moved to the San Diego area at Breakers Beach in Coronado. We also decided at the last minute that we would go out on a movie date night, so we needed to get a babysitter. I would then spend Sunday morning writing my paper and then go jet skiing with another set of friends that afternoon. Sounds like a good plan! Oh, I made time for some Final Fantasy XIII that night too!
Saturday morning, we get up and head out to Lindo Lakes in Lakeside for the "Run for the Arts." I'm running competitively, Juri runs to run it, and the kids walk the course. It was a great event and I managed to get 21st place overall with a 14:40 run time, coming in first in the 30-39 age group! I went back up the course, cheered Juri on, and then walked in the rest of the way with Sean and Maia. Once we got near the finish, I encouraged Sean to run it the rest of the way in. Maia didn't want to, so I threw her up onto my shoulders and ran in with her. After word, we had some lunch and I found out that I got first place and received a medal. We then went home and started to clean the house while I took some more notes for my paper. I began to have a clear direction that my paper would take. We called for a babysitter from Marion's Childcare but didn't know if we would be able to get one or not, since it was last minute.
Next, we headed to the beach. I was feeling pretty damn good at this point, so I started running around the beach with the kids, climbing up the frame of the swing set there, and playing wave tag. I even took the opportunity to get some sun, attempting to become less stark white! After a great visit with our old friends, we returned home, finding out that we did secure a babysitter! So, we finished cleaning up the house, I finished my notes for the paper, and Juri and I went to the movie. We saw Hot Tub Time Machine (which she talks about below) and enjoyed the crap out of that! Once the movie was over, we still had an hour to kill. So, we headed over to Eastbound Bar and Grill in Lakeside for some drinks and conversation.
The next morning, I wake up and start typing my paper. I managed to get it all wrapped up quickly, having it proofread and submitted by 11am. While I was writing the paper, Juri finds out that we aren't going to jet ski after all, so our day opened up. With the paper done, I relax by playing some Final Fantasy XIII. We then take the kids outside for a while to play with our neighbors and then invite them over to play DJ Hero at the house. It was tons of fun with pizza and good music.

Thankfully, I managed to get my paper written successfully, spend some quality time with the kids and Juri, get my work done, and make some progress in my games! It is definitely a juggling act getting all these tasks done and it may sound weird to plan on playing games, but sometimes it is absolutely essential in order to meet all of your obligations to your work, your family, and yourself. Especially for games like Final Fantasy XIII! Overall, I had one of the greatest weekends of my life. I was able to get so much accomplished and I feel completely satisfied because of it. Oh, expect a review from me for DJ Hero soon. That game is incredible and it has an awesome soundtrack too!

ONE TV?

Anyone who knows us may be surprised that we only have ONE functional TV in our house. ONE TV?? YOU LOVE VIDEO GAMES, HAVE CHILDREN THAT LOVE VIDEO GAMES AND ONE OF YOU HAS AN ADDICTION TO NETWORK TELEVISION AND YOU ONLY HAVE ONE TV?!!!??? That's the level of surprise that this news usually creates. But yes, we only have one tv that ALL of our systems and cable box are plugged into.
HOW do we manage the needs and wants of each individual??? That may be the next question that pops into your head. Well, its simple; we SHARE. It's a radical idea in this materialistic world, but my husband, my two children and I SHARE the TV. During the work/school day it is mostly turned off, although I may occasionally have a lunch break that I'm HOME and can sneak some TV in. In the evenings after homework and before bedtime is when most of the negotiating happens. If Jeff has a video game that he's been playing, that's usually what we watch. Otherwise its cartoons for the kids. After bedtime its nearly ALWAYS Jeff's video game, unless he has school work. And on the weekends we trade off. And we don't use a timer! We've ALWAYS had ONLY ONE tv, so the kids have grown up sharing. They know to ask politely for their turn, and as adults we know to mediate appropriately. Its actually a system that works out nicely.
Your third question after learning of this ARCHAIC condition is probably "WHY??? You own every console ever made! You have three computers! Its obvious that you can AFFORD another TV! In fact EVERY ROOM IN YOUR HOME HAS A CABLE HOOK UP!" Well LONG ago when Sean was first born I was voraciously reading Parenting magazines. And in that reading I read about a study that linked tvs in bedrooms to childhood obesity and lowered GPAs. Having been a very heavy child, that is something I want to avoid AT ALL COSTS for my own children. So I became NAZI-MOM about tvs in bedrooms. Later readings would reveal studies that linked tvs in adult bedrooms to lack of sleep and poor sex drive. NO TVS IN OUR BEDROOMS EITHER. And although I was pretty heavy handed about it before, I've relaxed since. But we still have yet to move a tv into another room besides the FAMILY room. We've found that we're closer as a family, brought together by our mutual love of video games and cartoons. We've found that our kids have learned patience in a practical but useful way. And while my husband disagrees, I think our choices in video games have been subtly changed by the fact that we HAVE to play in front of the kids. I think we dont' just run out and by the newest greatest game that comes out. We think about our TIME investment, the effect it'll have on the kids. I think we've invested more time in really engaging games that the whole family can enjoy, like Little Big Planet and Katamari Damacy just because we CAN.
One TV has really brought us together as a family. I wish more people would try it.

Jeff's angle: Juri makes a wonderful argument for one TV in a household. As I think about it more, I do begin to wonder if my choices in games HAD changed since having children and having only one TV in the house. I'd like to think that I still play games that I've always wanted to play through since my kids were born. Yeah, my tastes have definitely changed over the years. I don't find first-person shooters to be as fun any more. Granted, I have still played some of them: Bioshock being the most recent example. I'm finding that action games are getting harder for me as I get older too. Of course, that doesn't stop me from playing them, or twitch music games like beatmania. Juri and I played through Bioshock at night only after the kids have gone to sleep. We have done that for other games that we don't want the kids to see as well, such as Metal Gear Solid 4 and Dead Space. I would say that most games we play in our house though are family friendly and we definitely make an informed choice about the games we buy. That choice isn't just about the kids though, it is also about the time investment. If there is anything that playing RPG's has taught me, it is that I ensure that I only play games that I ensure will be worth the time spent and that it will be something that the majority of the family can enjoy together.