How, really, can video games not be art?

The question of videogames being art is no doubt controversial. But, to look at it properly you must put it in to context; to suggest that all videogames are art would be stupid, e.g a racing game. But, I suppose this is where it would be considered an unstable question. The first line of the wikipedia article reads:



"Art is the process or product of deliberately and creatively arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions."



So, a racing game is not really an art, while it might get intense sometimes in a close race, it does not appeal to human emotions like an art form should. So, it is pretty silly to call ALL videogames art, another reason I think many people are so skeptical about this subject is demonstrated in the second sentence:



"In its narrow sense, the word art most often refers specifically to the visual arts, including media such as painting, sculpture, and printmaking."



Thus suggesting that when people think of art, they think of famous paintings like 'The Scream' and the 'Mona Lisa', or Michelangelo's David, and obviously these are not really like videogames.



But, take a look at Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy, and even games like Grand Theft Auto. At first, they just seem like interactive entertainment meant to be 'fun', and really they are. But, art in the broader sense, art is a medium which is meant to appeal to complex human emotions. Everyone knows that videogames often have advanced stories, equally (if not more) deep than books and films. As an example, take the classic RPG Final Fantasy, particularly Final Fantasy VII, known for having characters with advanced personalities, who are likeable, and our emotions become attached to these characters, (SPOILER WARNING IN THE SINGLE LINE BELOW)



















when Sephiroth killed Aerith/Aeris















, it was considered one of the most iconic moments in videogames, and caused many fans to be shocked, upset, almost to the point of where it seemed real. Now, obviously it wasn't quite like that, but it definately stirred emotions in people who wouldn't usually show their emotions. Just looking on Google and forums will demonstrate this point of the shock factor.



Games like MGS, have complex stories and their 'epicness' also makes its players become attached to fictional characters and a fantasy world. And as the plot develops, it aims to appeal to certain senses and emotions, just as a typical piece of art would. Even games, like Grand Theft Auto do this, which be some (very ignorant) people, is just a game of mindless killing and carjacking. Games use things like satire and just general storytelling to make general points about the world and society, and many art forms have undoubtedly done this.



Another thing I think, is people of older generations just see games as some mindless thing which people and in their teens and their twenties do for fun, which has no real value or meaning to it, and it instantly makes them anti-videogames and to then propose the question of it being an art form would be almost a sin to them.



This is also really a question of philosophy, but for me, videogames have a lot more meaning than most people think, and it's only those who would be known of as 'hardcore gamers' who recognise this. Anyway, post your thoughts.How, really, can video games not be art?
Agreed, video games are totally an art form!



My boyfriend wrote a paper about it once and to even get his prof. to let him write the paper he said, "Well you say film is art right, would you consider Rambo art?"



Not every painting is brilliant art, the same can be said for video games. In fact video games pull together all different forms of art from the animation to the music to the storyline.



video games = art