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Can Video Games Be Called Modern Art?

by Warren Riddle on February 24, 2009 at 07:32 PM


Tired of defending the artistic worth of video games to your parents, spouse, or wine and cheese crowd friends? Well, the folks at Cracked.com have done the work for you and compiled a list of 10 games that should be considered modern art.

While the list contains some expected popular choices, such as the 'Fallout' series and 'Shadow of the Colossus,' it also delves into the somewhat obscure to further educate the reader in the fine art of video games. Oscar winner Robert de Niro, for instance, produced the game 'The Last Resort,' which comes in at number nine on the list. For the gamers who appreciate bodily humor as an art form, check out number four, the 'Oddworld' series, where you can fart on demand with a simple press of a button.

If the list doesn't satiate your thirst for art in video games, we've added a few more titles below which might possess at least some artistic merit. [From: Cracked.com]


Video Games That Are Art

    As video games increasingly garner criticism and blame for youth violence, sex, and generally unruly behavior, some titles deserve recognition for their artistic merits. Mixing surreal and serenely colorful graphics with imaginative gameplay, numerous titles transcend the negative perceptions. Perhaps titles such as these will help ease the stigma of video games as a corruptor of youth, and instead focus more attention on their positive attributes.

    Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess:
    One of the first releases for Wii, Twilight Princess continues to inspire gamers with vast landscapes and mesmerizing graphics.

    Resident Evil:
    Any of the games in the series could qualify but we'll go with IV because of the zombies with chainsaws. That's art.

    Half-Life series:
    Originally dismissed as being too ambitious, the first Half-Life ultimately won numerous awards and is widely considered to be one of the greatest games ever.

    Final Fantasy series:
    The detailed graphics and sprawling worlds have captivated countless gamers.

    Prince of Persia:
    The artistic merits of this series arise from unique fighting moves and gameplay amid incredibly deatiled and colorful backdrops.

    Marvel Ultimate Alliance:
    Ultimate Alliance allows gamers the chance to create their own dream teams, with great attention to detail given to the comic book (another undervalued art form) heroes.

    Parasite Eve:
    The creative imagery and storyline produce an entrancing and surreal experience for participants.

    -- Warren Baines

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Tags: fallout, oddworld, top, top 10 list, Top10List, video game art, video games, VideoGameArt, VideoGames

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