1. Defining Art - Expression Through Intent
The biggest overall problem, as with any emerging mediums recognition by a larger populace, is with established norms and definitions being challenged and changed over time. If we take the answer to what is art? to be, in the broadest terms possible expression with intent, then we can apply it to any game from Call of Duty to The Stanley Parable, Grand Theft Auto to Flower, being that the notion behind all game-making is a creative process that takes structured thought and replicates it somewhat within the confines of an interactive experience. The likes of Beyond: Two Souls, The Walking Dead or even L.A. Noire all feature a heavy amount of cinematic sequences, yet something like Beyond seemed to give up a robust set of gameplay mechanics for the sake of an accessible narrative that allows anybody to complete the game in their own way. However this year we have also seen the phenomenal The Last of Us, a game that has very moving cinematic cutscenes, yet leant more towards letting you control the vast majority of them, convincingly marrying the two ideas of what a game should be, and ticking the right boxes of influence from the film world. Games are a very different medium to anything that has gone before, primarily due to the emergence of technology that provides gameworlds that are more than just simple goal-chases, exercises in hand-eye coordination or puzzle-completion. These systems have been implemented into newer titles that provide narrative rewards alongside the intrinsic joy of playing, cementing video games as a medium worth taking part in. So what did you guys think? Is the title of this article enough to make you groan-out another 'Not again!'? Or are you pretty content with where video games are in the overall societal spectrum? Let us know in the comments!