A picture of me at Wonder Con, my natural habitat.
One of the biggest debates right now involving nerd culture is whether or not video games can legitimately be considered art. There are a ton of positions people have taken in the debate- some say yes simply because it is a form of entertainment and that's enough to qualify it as art; some say yes because they think well made games have artistic merit beyond entertainment; some say no because they don't think games have any artistic merit; some say no, not out of disdain, but because they believe the interactive nature of games qualifies it as something else instead; some don't care because they think "real" art is a bullshit concept; some don't care because they simply don't care what their games are considered, they just want to play them.
Obviously, gamers as a whole have responded overwhelmingly in favor of considering games to be art. As for me, I fall somewhere between "yes, video games at their best have artistic merit to them" and "I don't really give a shit because 'artistic merit' is an ambiguous, ever-changing, and often elitist concept" in the way I view it. I personally play most of the video games I do because I enjoy the narratives in them, and I think the interactivity games have between player and character can add a certain dimension to story telling that other mediums don't have. I don't really care about the opinion of the type of snobs who debate what "real" art is. But, since I do think games have a lot to offer as an artistic medium for people who are serious about story telling, I'd therefore like them taken seriously by aspiring story-tellers so that we can continue to see great games get made. I've written about poignant moments in video games before, and have used video game stories and characters as examples in other posts I've written about story telling.
Yet I've also noticed an alarming double standard in a substantial portion of the gaming community. We want to claim our games are worth the classification of "art", and therefore have merit to them. But, at the same time, whenever someone critically examines our medium in a way we don't like- especially when it comes to serious social issues like racism or sexism- a lot of us collectively lose. Our. Shit.
On second thought, nah, creating a game where you beat up a woman for gently calling out sexism
in games is a totally healthy and productive form of discourse, and not at all horrifyingly atrocious.
in games is a totally healthy and productive form of discourse, and not at all horrifyingly atrocious.
Aside from hordes of misogynists trying to run women off the internet (or out of campus speaking engagements with threats of school shootings) for speaking up about misogyny in games, one of the most common responses from gamers to these types of criticisms is "leave us alone, it's just entertainment!" And yes, games certainly are entertainment, too. But if we want our medium to be taken seriously- and it's pretty clear that most of us do- then we have to stop throwing a violent tantrum every time someone critiques our medium in a way we don't like.
Don't get me wrong, I get it. We used to constantly be given shit for our past time, with criticisms ranging from gaming being a waste of time to it being used as a scapegoat for horrible acts of violence like school shootings. Now, just when society is starting to take the medium more seriously, and with it also now becoming a popular activity that a substantial portion of the population enjoys, there are social critics saying our hobby has issues with sexism, or racism, or homophobia? I just want to play video games in peace and have that be respected, damn it!
But here's the thing: we should be happy this is happening. Because serious conversations about these topics don't happen for shit that no one takes seriously. Has anyone ever had an in depth, nuanced conversation about race and gender dynamics in Family Circus? Of course not, because nobody gives a shit. The only time Family Circus has ever brought anything worthwhile to the table was when the comic was dubbed over by a PG-13 Robot created by a mohawk-sporting badass who wanted to teach that robot about the human concepts of friendship and absolute despair.
Thanks, PG-13 Bot.
We're living during a time where people are having serious conversations about video games through the lens of different social science, humanities, and social justice lenses. When I went to Wonder Con, there were actually panels about these sorts of topics. Panels about video games (and comics) and where they intersect with different topics like psychology, sociology, feminism, ethnic studies, anthropology, political science, economics, and more. This isn't something that would be happening if we didn't take games seriously.
Taking something seriously as an art form doesn't only mean praising what it does well. It means critically analyzing it, examining the medium through various lenses and trying to make thoughtful observations about what you experience. We can't expect all of those observations to be ones we as gamers like. And creating a shit storm each time that happens is like a teenager begging their parents for a car, getting it, and then getting upset whenever they have to pay for gas or take responsibility whenever they get into an accident.
I love gaming, and I will continue to think games have merit as an art form. For that very same reason, I will also continue trying to think critically about games when playing them. Including thinking about serious topics that might bring up uncomfortable observations. Because both games and the gaming community do have some serious issues that need addressing (and subsequent action to be taken). Not because there is inherently anything wrong with gaming or the people in it, as these issues can be found in anywhere; rather, because these games are created within societies that have these same issues. And if we can't come to terms with the idea of games being analyzed in ways we don't like, then we have no business claiming games should be taken seriously.
But I think we should. Because games are awesome for so many reasons, and have a lot to offer beyond only entertainment. It's on us, as gamers, to decide if we want to recognize that, and everything that comes with it.
