boo boo

This is EXACTLY the argument people made for motion pictures way back in the day.

I also think your definition of art is an incredibly shallow one. Art is many things, it dosen't always have to reflect the human condition and indeed art can have escapist qualities to it, without reducing it to mere entertainment.

Art is by it's simplest definition, an aesthetic experience, a man made creation that can provoke thought, awe or curiousity, and if you knew your post-modernism you'd know that art can be pretty much anything you want it to be.

And I do think video games reflect the human condition, I think games and sports in general can be considered an art form. They require quick thinking, problem solving, memorization, exploration, alertness, teamwork and patience. It's a balance of these things that makes a good gaming experience. And because I look at video games as being an experience rather than just a diversion, I think there is great artistic potential in it.

Games are not just for fun, throughout history games are looked at metophorically, they teach you a lot of skills that are also good to have in real life. Chess is looked at that way, Baseball is looked at that way, so why not a video game?

I'm not even talking about games with artsy graphics, I'm saying that gameplay in itself, can be considered an art. If video games were only escapism, everyone would just play them casually, why even care to make so many websites about video games or even write about them? Obviously it's something that means a lot to a lot of people.

You can look at it as just a hobby, but I see all hobbies as being a form of artistic expression, it's taking an interest to something that speaks to you and your "human condition". If art is just about expressing yourself, then video games are without a doubt a way you can choose to express yourself, especially those that allow free reign and control over your environment. Sure, the developer still has some control over the environment and what can happen, but that's where the video games feel like a cooperation between the player and the developer. That's brilliant when you think about it, you can't do that with any other form of art or entertainment.

Now you're right to say that for the most part video games appeal to our escapist desires, so does action films. But unlike action films, video games actually let us act them out and experience them like we're really there. That alone makes it a step beyond literature and cinema in the sheer amount of potential it has.

This is all just my opinion of course. But please feel free to tell me I'm objectively wrong because that's how snobs like you roll.

Actually, I think Nintendo fans can be just as guilty of what I was talking about.

You can call me a Nintendo fanboy. But I don't see it that way, yes, I do love Nintendo a lot f*cking more than the normal person.

But I see the word fanboy as being part of "the cult". I don't participate in any Nintendo fansites or forums, and in general Nintendo fanboys can piss me off just as much as everyone else, they're guilty of many of the things I've been complaining about so far, and many more things I will bring up in the future.

There's nothing about this thread that should lead you to believe that this is anything other than an excuse for me to rant about my subjective opinions because that's the entire point of these kinda threads, just ask Urban.

If you can't take my opinions then you don't have to, I still have plenty more to rant about, and yes I am saving some things for last, not even Nintendo fans will be safe from my rantathon.

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