Topic: Video Games Are Art

[NWR_insanolord]

At least according to the US federal government. Video games have been added to the forms of media that are eligible for funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.


EDIT: And I will ban anyone who turns this into political discussion.

[S-U-P-E-R]

In a related story, the Smithsonian is doing an "Art of Video Games" exhibition!

[Ian Sane]

This should provide videogames with protection against those that wish to censor or ban it.  Regardless of whether one regards videogames as art or not, I don't think any of us are too thrilled when watchdog groups jump on videogames and blame them for all sorts of society's problems.  If they're just regarded as mindless entertainment then they're vulnerable to these groups and to restrictive legislation.  If the US government formally acknowledges videogames as an artform then they also gain rights to artistic freedom.  Not that they won't still be used as a scapegoat but it just protects the medium that much more.

[Stogi]

I actually believe that one day, video games will be more popular than movies. In fact, the best writers will move to the video game genre to tell their stories.

I also think movie theaters are going to die.

[bustin98]

Just as comic books are dying.

[Ceric]

Just as comic books are dying.

Comic books are dying because their availability is poor, pricing is poor, and release schedule is slow.  That being said from someone who is subscribed to the Online comic thingy from Marvel >.<
 
My son is into Megaman, Ironman, Spiderman to an extent. Some Batman.  I like to get him say a Super Heroe Squad comic book, he's 3, but, in my normal life I don't ran into a place that sells comics.  I do games because Target, Walmart, Sears for goodness sakes sells games.

[Ian Sane]

Comic books aren't really the medium, comics are.  And in that case the art form of having sequential images with speaking bubbles is stil alive in well with webcomics like Penny Arcade.  Comic books specifically where it is a book where new issues are released every month and it stars a superhero are dying but the art form itself still has legs.

As for movies dying... nah.  Movies require so little effort from the viewer and that makes them incredibly accessible and popular.  Videogames require skill and effort.  It's also a shitty storytelling mechanism because the viewer has control.  So either you get a **** story because it has to be like a choose-your-own-adventure or you get a **** game because it has restrictive gameplay.  Movie theatres will die out but people will still want to watch films on TV or on their computer or their phone.

[Dirk Temporo]

Comics are dying in the same way that PC gaming is dying. Which is to say that they already had their slump, and they're actually coming back, but for some reason everybody thinks they're dying.

[Ceric]

Comics are dying in the same way that PC gaming is dying. Which is to say that they already had their slump, and they're actually coming back, but for some reason everybody thinks they're dying.

Comic book was the specific on and Dare anyone to point to something that tells me that that medium is surviving.  Now I think it has a lot more influence then it use to have ironically.  Especially with all the movies, games, web comics, etc that have their inspiration from comic books.  I think Comic's in general are seeing wide success online but, Comic Books thats a whole other story.

PC Gaming on the other hand went and hid itself when I wasn't looking in Digital Distribution.

[SixthAngel]

Comics are dying in the same way that PC gaming is dying. Which is to say that they already had their slump, and they're actually coming back, but for some reason everybody thinks they're dying.

Comic book was the specific on and Dare anyone to point to something that tells me that that medium is surviving.  Now I think it has a lot more influence then it use to have ironically.  Especially with all the movies, games, web comics, etc that have their inspiration from comic books.  I think Comic's in general are seeing wide success online but, Comic Books thats a whole other story.

PC Gaming on the other hand went and hid itself when I wasn't looking in Digital Distribution.

You do realize that there are a lot of webcomics that use the the comic book format to tell a story?  Doctor McNinja, Axe Cop, Flipside, and Goblins just to name a few.  These comics even divide themselves into books or chapters.  They are basically digitally distrubuted comics books.

[Ceric]

Comics are dying in the same way that PC gaming is dying. Which is to say that they already had their slump, and they're actually coming back, but for some reason everybody thinks they're dying.

Comic book was the specific on and Dare anyone to point to something that tells me that that medium is surviving.  Now I think it has a lot more influence then it use to have ironically.  Especially with all the movies, games, web comics, etc that have their inspiration from comic books.  I think Comic's in general are seeing wide success online but, Comic Books thats a whole other story.

PC Gaming on the other hand went and hid itself when I wasn't looking in Digital Distribution.

You do realize that there are a lot of webcomics that use the the comic book format to tell a story?  Doctor McNinja, Axe Cop, Flipside, and Goblins just to name a few.  These comics even divide themselves into books or chapters.  They are basically digitally distrubuted comics books.

Are they printed?  Do I buy the Newest version in a Store?  If the answers are no, then they are not Comic Books.  Is their main version of Distribution by the Web?   If the answer is Yes, they are a Webcomic. 

By Definition almost all webcomics use a Comic Book style for how they tell a story, exception being the ones that are interactive which are very few.  Thats why their called Webcomics.   

What's the difference between a Blog and an Autobiography?  Ones a book and one is digital entity released in Segments.

I read plenty of webcomics that take a print literature approach which is fine and appropriate.  Ranging from doing Issues like a Comic Book to doing Chapters like more classical literature.

In my post I recognize that the essence of the format is seeing a bit of a renassiance.

I think Comic's in general are seeing wide success online but, Comic Books thats a whole other story.

That argument is like saying the Paperback Books are popular because of e-Books.

[Morari]

I think Comic's in general are seeing wide success online but, Comic Books thats a whole other story.

That argument is like saying the Paperback Books are popular because of e-Books.

Isn't it though? The medium is essentially the same, it's just the distribution that's different.

[nickmitch]

I'd probably buy more comic books if they were easier to get to. Web comics are great, but not enough of them involve Batman for my liking.

Anyway, this is great news! I wonder what Svevan thinks of this news?

[Ceric]

I think Comic's in general are seeing wide success online but, Comic Books thats a whole other story.

That argument is like saying the Paperback Books are popular because of e-Books.

Isn't it though? The medium is essentially the same, it's just the distribution that's different.

Their I think is our fundamental difference.  I think of Comic, Book, Video, Games, etc as different art forms.  While DVD, Comic Book, Web Comic, Sunday Comic, Political Comic, e-Book, Paperback, Hardback, Blu-Ray, etc.  as different Medium.

So with that basic definition laid I'll make my argument clearer.

Comics, the Art form, I think is having a renessiance of sort with the Web and a greater influence on other Art Forms then it use to enjoy.
Comic Books, the Medium, are on the Declline becaues their ready availability is poor to say the least compared to equivalent media.  I do think this is a predictive pre-cursor to what will be happening to books just at a much slower pacer.

[MaryJane]

I like this formal announcement that video games are art. I also hope that eReaders and their software help revive comic books.

[Ceric]

I like this formal announcement that video games are art. I also hope that eReaders and their software help revive comic books.

I'm all for getting comic book Digitally.

[NWR_insanolord]

A lot of comics are available from a couple different iPad apps. I've messed around with them a bit, but I've never been much of a comics fan.

[Stogi]

It'd be cool if they started making interactive comics, where you touch a panel and it comes to life with either the words being said or the action being done.

[Arbok]

It'd be cool if they started making interactive comics, where you touch a panel and it comes to life with either the words being said or the action being done.

That would be kind of cool. Like its a normal comic, but then it becomes a motion comic when you interact with it, ala these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awww7E7S9sI

Would give people the option of enjoying either, whichever they prefer, or even both.

[Ceric]

Comix Zone...

Now seriously while in concept that sounds cool interactive comics but wouldn't you just have a Videogame at that point.