Are games maturing as an art form?

I feel in terms of content they can be mature, but in terms of the way they are presented... I think they have a ways to go. There are some great concepts out there, but most are poorly executed, IMO. The industry needs to wake up and stop churning out generic shooters involving buff men in space suits.





Personally, I think western developers are not doing this any good. Japan however has produced some beautiful games that are still mentally stimulating to older gamers. They seem (to me) to be an insightful, creative culture that are not afraid to let "maturity issues" dictate the design and purpose of their art. Western developers design their games around a specific target audience (young teens, in general), and because of that the games suffer. The medium has a lot of potential, but it has a lot of growing to do before it will be universally accepted I think. Discuss.|||Yeah I agree with you on the whole maturing idea, however don't you think that Video Games are becoming a much more social acceptable pastime? For instance not even 5 years ago, many people looked down upon and mocked 'gamers' whereas now, this has improved vastly and many more people are turning to gaming, a lot of them through the Wii.





Also, I have a very scientific mind, and therefore I appreciate the work that Bungie done with online multiplayer on Halo 3, mainly the way that the maps are (near) perfectly balanced, and the same for weapons. Anybody that has tried to build a map in any game will understand what I am talking about, the processes that go into creating a perfect map are incredibly in-depth, and I think this shows the maturity of the games developers.





However I have to agree with you on the Japanese front, they are much more creative with their games ideas, however you have to remember that the young teen's are probably responsible for over 50% of the western market, and you cant blame company's for trying to make a profit!|||If you are looking for games to call art. Look no further than these games


Eternal Sonata (mainly for its music and colorfulness)


Shadow of The Colossus (how the mood set by the atmosphere)


Okami (Very unique look)


Mario Paint (just kidding)