Video games as the ultimate art form 

 

Video games as the ultimate art form 

 

Video games are a relatively new art form which incorporates many forms of art to create a multi-layered, engaging experience for players. You can think of video games as a hub for all other art forms combining storytelling, and writing with visual artistic skills such as drawing, sculpting, painting etc., but also music, and sound design as a whole. 

Visuals 

It is not a novelty that humans tend to make their initial judgements on how appealing something looks. Video games’ developers must stay aware of the importance of the graphic design of their game to attract new players. 

Companies often employ art directors, who are responsible for the game’s consistent art style. Art directors are responsible for overseeing all artists involved in the project, and ensuring the art made by each artist is consistent with the art of all other artists involved as well as with the art director’s vision. 

Some examples of artists involved in game’s creation: 

• UI designer – an artist responsible for creating the user’s interface, meaning; choosing/creating fonts for texts shown on screen, creating icons, making sure the player can access, and use the game in a comfortable and clear way. 

• Texture artist – creates textures used, e.g. on objects in the world of the game, on the ground or any other surface in the game’s world, if the game is 2D it may also include drawing backgrounds. 

• 3D sculptor – creates models of objects and characters in the 3D environment. 

Etc.

 

Writing 

Many people expect video games to have an interesting and cohesive narrative, and that is why hiring good writers is crucial for the game’s success. We are long past the era of gaming being only a means of passing time. Players expect to get immersed in the world created by the developers, and to fall in love with the characters as well as the lore of the universe portrayed. 

Writers are imperative in game design; however, different type of writers may be needed for different parts of the game for example: 

• Story writers – are responsible for the overall plot of the game. They are responsible for writing the main story line/s. 

• Quest writers – write challenges the player must overcome to progress the game or in the case of writing a side quest an additional activity to make the world feel more alive. 

• Poets/Lyricists – to add more depth to the game’s cultures developers sometimes hire poets or lyricists to create in-universe poems or songs. 

Etc. 

Sound 

Good sound design can elevate the experience to great hights, and liven up the game. A lot of the times ambient artists use sounds to build the atmosphere or tension in a specific place in the game. This is most prevalent in horror games where a lot of the times tension is built not by showing player the danger but creating suspense by making the player think he’s never alone through the usage of, e.g., faint sounds of footsteps, low growls or howling off in the distance. 

 Sound design also includes music, which is a great enhancer of emotions for already emotionally charged scenes. It is the musician’s job to make sure the music they write is conveying and building onto the emotional impact of a scene. A good example would be if a character was standing on a hill overseeing the land they have just saved, and in the background, you can hear an upbeat and hopeful music to fit the scene filled with hope, determination, and glory. Same principle goes for any other example; if a scene makes people feel a particular emotion the music writer must elevate it with their work. 

Conclusions 

Video games are a collection of art created by artists from different fields, and each one of those artists is bit by bit building, hopefully, a cohesive and immersive experience, which in itself is art.  I strongly belive that video games are the peak form of art, and that no other medium can rival the emotional impact a video game can have with its combined strenght of all other types of art.

 

Resources: 

-steam://openurl/https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/292030/ss_107600c1337accc09104f7a8aa7f275f23cad096.1920×1080.jpg?t=1736424367 

– steam://openurl/https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/489830/ss_b6bb6f79278505b3f48567f08c21f7a0eb171c68.1920×1080.jpg?t=1721923149 

– steam://openurl/https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/22370/ss_a6caf368d14ba1d5a2ad548ae419a05a7cced29d.1920×1080.jpg?t=1732208097 

– steam://openurl/https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/936790/ss_5ed82644652a80b5b26310c7f7f55b68186af4ab.1920×1080.jpg?t=1724158997 

– steam://openurl/https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/227300/ss_edbff61a062a49d1d97269e53b8afbffde05bb24.1920×1080.jpg?t=1739871676