In the first chapter of Ian Bogost’s How To Do Things With Videogames, Bogost discusses the place and controversies of videogames in the art world. Do videogames belong there? Are videogames even art? The second is a question he addresses in the first sentence of the chapter by which he quotes Roger Ebert. Ebert says that “the nature of the medium prevents it from moving beyond craftsmanship to the stature of art.”
Although Ebert has given a decided opinion, ultimately no one can decide whether or not videogames are art because it depends on what each person’s individual definition. Characteristics of art can include form, effect, perspective, skill involved as well as many others. There are many types of games with varying strengths in these components. How is good art different from bad art, and what makes each still considered art? These questions are being applied to videogames, but they are difficult to ascertain. With the avant-garde movement in the 19th century, these questions have become even more difficult to answer.
Videogames have filled a new niche in art just like film and poetry before it. Although videogames as a form of art are not yet widely accepted, in a few decades, this stance will most likely change as technology becomes better and videogames continue to embed themselves within society.
Although the question can never be objectively answered, that’s the whole point. Art is subjective, and it is the responsibility of the individual to determine the definition of art. Some videogames require immense skill and detail and whether or not they are considered art is up to you.