The Art and Psychology of Gaming - Searching for the Answer
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Searching for the Answer
It's also worth mentioning that some truly believe that games should never be considered an art because they involve fabrication of tens of thousands of copies. They say it is extremely un-artistic to do it for raw profit. Regardless, what would you say about Hollywood then? Forgive my ignorance but how many copies of a movie or other video can you buy?
I truly think that mass production shouldn't be a considerable factor. Neither should the activity of playing. So what if the gamer plays utterly non-aesthetically, exploiting the game engine with cheats, and acting immorally? This is acceptable. Do you consider music an art? Yes, of course! Then what about remixes? Or what if the passionate fan acts sinful and nefariously? These are factors that you cannot control.
(Screen shot from the game called Crysis.)
Pay close attention to the screen shot above. If the game engine allows the player to attack his very own team members then there's no point believing that the video game per se loses its prestige. It's the player not the game. Another factor was shot down.
Furthermore, another element that shouldn't be forgotten is sparking emotions. Art is well known for its ability to ignite particular emotions in us- feelings of happiness, sadness, sensuality, passion, and so forth. These feelings can be ignited by a song, movie, poetry or picture.
This emotional aspect is fulfilled by video games too. It would be quite pointless naming scientific studies that backed up the emotional attachment of players to their characters, especially in genres of MMORPGs. Thousands of gamers ultimately stick to their characters as alter-egos, and therefore the ignition of feelings makes sense.
It shouldn't surprise anyone because there's so much going on in the virtual world of MMORPGs. Once a player becomes familiar with the population of that particular game server s/he will gradually develop friendships but also enemies. This is expanded by countless unpredictable trades with strangers, likewise collaborations and creations of teams or even guilds built up by hundreds of players longing for the same cause.
(Screen shot from the game called World of Warcraft.)
Another ingredient that is a requisite of art is the creation of personalities - celebrities, heroes and heroines. A persona from a book or a character from a movie can leave a deep impression on us. And thus it's part of an art because it is touching in a particular way that's unique, affecting our souls.
Even though this ingredient isn't met by masterpieces and top-notch artists we can't underestimate it completely. The video game industry does not have a past of hundreds of years or even thousands like other art forms have, but show the attached picture below to a gamer and the hero will be recognized. Also, it isn't uncommon to create a movie based on a successful video game (Resident Evil 1-2-3, Hitman, etc.).
(Agent 47 from the video game franchise called Hitman.)
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