Abstract:
Video Games have been around since the early 1970s. As decades have passed, they have grown more complex, and have also grown more popular. However, they are still typically not seen as art. Figures such as the late Roger Ebert adamantly denied any ability for video games to ever be considered an art form. Video game scholars have researched other aspects of the medium, with some focusing on games as narratives. However, there has not been adequate research or discussion on whether or not video games qualify as art. What exacerbates the problem is that there is no definitive definition for art. In this paper, I first examine definitions of art from various scholars before settling on one from Denis Dutton that blends objectivity with subjectivity. I then take an in-depth look at Dutton's definition, before applying it to three games- Heavy Rain, The of Us, and Journey- in order to examine their candidacy as works of art.
