The discussion about whether video games constitute an art form is not recent. With technological and productive advancement, games have progressively become richer in beauty, interest, and narrative. Recently, there have been significant changes in the institutional sphere, with governments and organizations beginning to recognize games as cultural and even artistic expressions, although debates and challenges persist.
Evolution of artistic recognition of games
The concept that video games are art was first introduced in 1983 in the magazine Video Games Player, which stated that video games are both an art form and any other form of entertainment. In the same decade, there were notable institutional actions, such as exhibitions of arcade machines and video games at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York, highlighting their artistic value.
Similar movements occurred in the 90s and 2000s. In 2006, the French Ministry of Culture classified games as a form of artistic expression and awarded three game designers the Order of Arts and Letters. Concurrently, the US NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) began accepting games as artistic projects starting in 2012.
Status of games in Brazil
In the Brazilian context, financial support for video games as an artistic manifestation began in 2004. In 2016, games could access resources through the Rouanet Law, and since 2023, they have been formally included in the audiovisual transfer policy of the Paulo Gustavo Law. Such classifications not only facilitate fundraising but also validate games as art and culture.
Criticism of the artistic status of video games
Roger Ebert, a well-known film critic and historian, generated controversy in the mid-2000s. During debates, such as one held at the World Affairs Conference, he maintained that games do not explore human meaning in the same way as other art forms. Even in deep and philosophical titles, Ebert questioned the presence of rules, objectives, and how multiple endings could compromise artistic expression.
He argued: 'An obvious difference between art and games is that you can win a game. It has rules, points, objectives, and an ending. Santiago could cite an immersive game without points or rules, but I would say that in that case, it ceases to be a game and becomes the representation of a story, a novel, a play, a dance, a film. These are things you cannot win; only experience.'
This statement was made by Roger Ebert during the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference.However, there are severe criticisms echoing even within the industry itself. Hideo Kojima agrees that games can have artistic elements but points out that the popular nature of games, focused on achieving 100% audience satisfaction, transforms them more into a service than an artistic work.
Michael Samyn and Auriea Harvey, founders of Tale of Tales, which develops more artistic independent games, share a similar view. They argue that games fulfill a human need for fun, while art aims for distinct purposes, but they maintain that this does not disqualify games.
Current challenges and industry perception
Although the view that video games are art has strengthened since the 80s and is legally recognized in several countries, including Brazil, certain industry trends move against this concept. Game preservation faces obstacles imposed by the sector itself, aggravated by the decline of digital media. Additionally, the constant re-releases of old titles seem to be more a revenue generation tactic than an effort to preserve gaming memory.
Another point divergent from art is the apparent lack of innovation, where there is a constant preference for established formulas for safety reasons, neglecting audacity, questioning, and defiance, characteristics common to art. All these issues raise a fundamental question: are video games truly being treated as art?