| The central premise of this book is that computer games constitute a new and as yet poorly developed art form that holds great promise for both designers and players.
This premise may seem laughable or flippant. How could anybody classify the likes of SPACE INVADERS and PAC MAN as art? How can TEMPEST or MISSILE COMMAND compare with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Michelangelo’s Pieta, or Hemingway’s A Farewell To Arms? Computer games are too trivial, too frivolous to be called art. They are idle recreation at best. So says the skeptic.
But we cannot relegate computer games to the cesspit of pop culture solely on the evidence of the current crop of games. The industry is too young and the situation is too dynamic for us to dismiss computer games so easily. We must consider the potential, not the actuality. We must address the fundamental aspects of computer games to achieve a conclusion that will withstand the ravages of time and change.
There are many definitions of art, few of which make much sense to the uninitiated. I will present my own pedestrian definition: art is something designed to evoke emotion through fantasy. The artist presents his audience with a set of sensory experiences that stimulates commonly shared fantasies, and so generates emotions. Art is made possible only by the richness of the fantasy world we share. Art is nevertheless difficult, because there are so many practical problems associated with stimulating fantasies deep inside another person’s mind. A major problem is getting the attention or participation of the audience. Most art allows very little participation. You sit quietly and listen to music that other people created and perform, or you stroll through a museum and stare at pictures or statues other people made. You sit passively and read a novel, or a poem, or a short story. With all of these art forms, the role of the audience is passive. The artist does all the active work, makes the biggest emotional investment. The audience is expected to absorb quietly the fruits of the artist’s exertions. Active participation is severely curtailed. Without participation, attention dwindles and impact crumbles away. |