Here is a look at the games I played in 2009 and 2010 (so far) and a look ahead to the rest of this year as well as 2011. And when I say played, I mean played through to completion.

2009

30 games in total.

360

Silent Hill Homecoming
F.E.A.R
F.E.A.R. 2 (Project Origin)
Halo Wars
Call of Duty: World at War
Guitar Hero: Metallica
Mirror’s Edge
RESIDENT EVIL 5
Guitar Hero: Hits
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Ghostbusters
Fallout 3
[PROTOTYPE]
Section 8
Guitar Hero 5
Band Hero
Guitar Hero: Van Halen
Halo 3: ODST
ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE (XBLA)
Brütal Legend
Borderlands
Left 4 Dead 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Assassin’s Creed II

PS3

inFamous
Uncharted (Drake’s Fortune)
Uncharted 2 (Among Thieves)
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

Nintendo DS

Treasure World
Scribblenauts

2010

Dante’s Inferno
Mass Effect 2
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
BioShock 2
Alan Wake
Blur
Naughty Bear
Red Dead Redemption
The Simpsons Game
LIMBO (XBLA)

August 2010

Saints Row 2

September 2010

Halo: Reach
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock (*) – Technically I’ve already beaten this game ;)

October 2010

Lucha Libre AAA Heroes of the Ring
Fallout: New Vegas
Rock Band 3

November 2010

Call of Duty: Black Ops
LittleBigPlanet 2

2011

January 2011

Lord of the Rings: War in the North
Dead Space 2

February 2011

Brink
Bulletstorm

March 2011

Portal 2
F.E.A.R. 3
Gears of War 3
Red Faction: Armageddon

What else am I missing? What should I be playing? What are you playing?

Note: This editorial does not express the feelings of Agora Games as a company, and is solely the opinion of the author.

Art, by definition is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination typically in a visual form. A video game by definition is a game played by electronically manipulating images produced by a computer program on a television screen or other display screen. By both definitions of each word, video games may be considered a form of art. The computer program which electronically manipulates images on a display screen must be created by a human. This human, must apply creative skill to create such images as well as the manipulation of images, images being a visual form. The definition of art clearly states that a the expression of human creativity is typically in a visual form, which video games by definition clearly do. Therefore, technically disregarding all personal opinions, culture, and other variable elements video games by definition are art. 

I strongly believe that video games are a form of art. Video games in fact include almost every single element of art there is. Let us analyze one of the most “accepted” forms of art in society which is included in video games, literature. Many video games these days staff writers to create a story for the particular game at hand. In fact, many game journalists include the quality of story within their review of a game. How much different is that then the New York Times reviewing a new novel? In fact, with games currently averaging about 20+ hours of gameplay it is safe to say that a well developed short story, or even a novel may be included within a video game. 

While one might argue that the quality of story is rather poor does this not also hold true to several novels? Sure one might say Gears of War had very poor dialogue and a rather poor story progression however, other titles provide players with a very well developed story and dialogue. An example of such a game in my opinion would be Mass Effect, in which a character Lorik Qui’in after you the player say, “I will let you go.” states the following, “Let me go? Do humans consider conversation a form of imprisonment? That would explain why so few of you are willing to sit down and talk…” This dialogue being directed at my character, therefore an extension of myself since I am controlling the character. The communication is not passive in nature, it is directed at myself and therefore directly impacts my thoughts and feelings on a personal level since it is I who am controlling this character, I who am a living breathing human being. The character being addressed is not print on a paper, it is my character, my choices which insinuated this response from Lorik. 

This method of immersion can not be achieved through a novel. Koster, touches on this subject by saying, “…games are very fundamental and powerful learning tools. It’s one thing to read in a book that “the map is not the territory” and another to have your armies rolled over by your opponent in a game. When the latter happens, you’re gonna get the point even if the actual armies aren’t marching into your suburban home.” Furthermore, video games are an accessible medium to any given audience. That is to say, while a certain skill is required to play a video game, both a novice gamer and an experience gamer will both be able to direct their in game experience into the subconscious, intuitive mind. However, in the art of literature, an experienced reader will gain a better experience into their subconscious, intuitive mind rather than a novice reader. 

Koster, in fact hits on this topic by comparing literature to games. “Consider the key differences between something like a book and different kinds of games. A book can do the logical conscious part of the brain pretty well. And really good readers have an ability to slurp that info directly into the subconscious, intuitive mind. But what a book will never be able to do is accelerate the grokking process to the degree that games do, because you cannot practice a pattern and run permutations on it with a book.” In essence, within a book you do not have the option to experience a scenario or event which you caused and observe the various outcomes of your actions. 

In addition to providing players with an immersive experience through literature, video games also provide creative visual elements which allow players to continue their immersion in a video game. Furthermore, combining both visual and literary elements provide the player with a unique experience which can not be simulated by any other form of art. Artists, art directors, and creative directors work in unison to give players a certain “feeling” or evoke a certain “emotion” while playing the game. 

The complexity and infancy of video games make the legitimacy of video games as a medium of art rather difficult to swallow. However, many other forms of art when first introduced went through the same life cycle. From the 1900s to the 1940s on screen films went from short black and white movies to full length hour long movies fully dressed with color and sound. As video games begin to mature and designers, programmers, artists, and musicians begin to become more experienced within this form of art I can only hope that the social stigma and media literacy problem evolves as well. One day I truly believe we will be walking through a museum watching interactive displays featuring some of the greatest forms of art, video games.