There appears to be something of a debate at present as to whether computer games are, or can be, an art form. The
Guardian and the
BBC have picked up on this and both point to Kellee Santiago's defence of the concept of computer games as art (below).
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| Dear Esther |
Is a game art? Great games are certainly cinematic in their visual scope, even if the story line and narrative development are often weak. I would argue that experimental games such as Dan Pinchbek's
Dear Esther are works of art in the same mould as experimental theatre or film. The attitude, experience and demands on the audience are similar, by any definition this is art. Some games even aspire to status as visual art, I'd certainly include
Robert Briscoe's re-imagining of Dear Esther in this category.
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| Waco Resurrection |
What about in the arena of cultural heritage? My personal feeling is that games have become devalued as a medium for engaging with heritage. They are often used merely as a visualisation tool (guilty), or as a didactic device. So what about a use of games in cultural heritage that is a visually engaging and imaginative as Dear Esther, as inventive and morally challenging as
Waco Resurrection.
Time I think to abandon the concept of the serious game and rediscover the playfulness of gaming within a creative, imaginative and challenging presentation of heritage.
