Everything is art, just not necessarily good art

There has been a loud outcry against the comments made by Mr. Roger Ebert in regards to his belief that video games are not art. One needs only look at many other game sites or blogs to see the large amount of people responding to his claim. In that way I feel almost as if I am jumping on the band wagon, so I want bother talking about how games can inspire emotion, the art in Prince of Persia or Okami is a like moving paintings, or the comparisons between games and movies. I will however say that I do agree that all video games are art. The thing is that nearly everything is art, and it all comes down to one's own subjective opinion.

Stick with me. The cook in a kitchen at a fine restaurant may see what he does with food as an art form. The construction worker building a new house may see placing the boards and hanging drywall as an art. The child who glues Cheerios to a piece of paper and hangs it on the fridge sees what he's just done as art. The value of the artistry in each of these events will likely vary among different people, and each has value for different reasons. In this way, every event in life holds the potential to be held as an art form, and it is up to the individual to find the value in that form, regardless of what the majority may hold.

This idea carries beyond the inclusion of all events as an art form and applies to specifics within different forms, whether they be movies, paintings, sculptures, books, or video games. Different things may hold a different value for a variety of reasons. Citizen Kane is regarded as one of the greatest movies of all time. Having seen this film I personally don't find it that interesting, but I can understand what others see in it and why it is valued so highly. I find District 9 to be an emotionally moving film. The first time I saw the film I was visibly moved by some of the brutality present, and because of this I hold much more value with this movie than many others. The same goes for every other form of creative work.

Video games are a relatively young creation, but this does not limit there ability to be an art form. Some people are emotionally invested in the characters in Mass Effect 2. Others find the story of Braid to be emotionally moving and surprising. The art in Okami or Prince of Persia is like looking at a moving painting. Obviously, as Mr. Ebert is an example of, not everyone will agree on the artistic merit of a certain game. The thing is, every game is an art, it just may not hold the same value of others.

Just look at Sneak King and you'll understand.