If you haven't heard anything about what movie critic Roger Ebert said about the status of video games in the art world, take a gander. This statement has hit a mark in the gaming world and pissed off plenty of people. So really, I'm late to the party when it comes to posting an opinion.
In my opinion, video games can be art. However you must carefully study the operative word in the previous sentence: can. Some games, I think, can be considered art. How can games not be considered an art form when they have artists working on them? Check and mate, Mr. Ebert.
Seriously though, some game developers spend plenty of time working on polishing the living hell out of their graphics so that they look better than whatever everyone else is churning out. (On the opposite side of the spectrum, some games coming out for the Wii still look like they're on the Gamecube.) Why would they worry so much about a graphic portion of their work if they didn't consider it "art?" It seems ridiculous to me that video games have come so far and some people still can't see their potential.
Video games are a medium with infinite possibilities, and its time that we realize this. Computers and the internet especially have changed the way humanity developed as a species and will continue to shape our culture. There is no going back. In California, a politician runs on an MMO-inspired platform. In Texas, a video game-centric academy promises to prepare students for work in the industry. A DS game boasts being able to boost self-esteem in young girls. The effect of video games upon us is profound, yet they are still not considered "art?"
In closing, Ebert should be ignored and left to his critiquing of films. How seriously should we take a man who enjoys Miley Cyrus films, after all? That's like the goddamned litmus test for if people should listen to you.
By the way, the gaming industry made $1.52 billion dollars last month. With or without the blessing of critics, the industry marches on.
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