The usage of art and games in the same context has been a cause of serious debate.

‘Art is the only way to run away without leaving home!’ said a pretentious bit of borrowed eruditeness, etched in aerosol graffiti on an otherwise drably painted station wall, peeling away in its neglect. Everyday wisdom, such as this, due its unprecedented nature, often holds a vacillating sway over one’s mind, playing intrepidly in our thoughts, without behest. True to the analogy, reaching back, to the comforts of a gaming console, it had me wondering out aloud, a pertinent question regarding my tools of digital escapism. Are video games really art?

The usage of the terms ‘art’ and ‘games’ in the same context has often been a cause of serious debate and levelled consternation. “Many Art Purists would argue that video games can never be considered a true medium of art. For them, paintings like the Mona Lisa are timeless classics precisely because they feature an image that is frozen in time, a slice of life, never changing,” says Angelo Lobo, senior games producer at Games2Win India.

“Video games on the other hand are a medium where you can view art, interact with art, and create art. Whether it is the raw power and beauty of a shambling Colossus in Shadow of the Colossus, or the simple joy of reining in your horse as you take in a picture-perfect sunrise over the prairie in Red Dead Redemption, video games let us go where we've never gone before. They allow a game developer to plumb the depths of his imagination and bring his vivid, crazy, surreal dreams to spectacular life,” he adds.

From an often stultified, kid-centric recreational activity to a cultural steamroller with a massive adult consumer base, over the last three decades, the world of video games has come a long way.

However, more than just widespread fan base, video games have evolved in terms of their graphics and storytelling abilities as well, interacting with audiences in celluloid dreamlike environments while still incorporating deeply realistic characters.

Numerous art games have been produced in the recent past, structurally crafted in varied artistic design. Strikingly unique, yet compellingly displaying aesthetic artwork and wearing well even the most unconventional of looks these artistic tendencies of a growing gaming generation leave a lot of room, to bask in the creative glow of picturesque design and moment defying game play as well.

Xbox release, Limbo reads a minimalist approach to the story of an unnamed boy, stumbling through a forest, in search of his sister, but boasts of eerily beautiful landscapes that generated much acclaim and even an ‘Excellence In Visual Arts’, award at the Independent Games Festival, 2010. Braid, another interesting puzzle-platform game, plays a twisted storyline revolving around character Tim’s quest for ‘rescuing’ a princess while exemplifying the growth of art games, with its immersive backdrops complementing the title’s unique approach to storytelling which draws on a non-linear time concept.

Much can be expressed with the right tools in the hands of a skilled game developer, but it brings to question the fact that if video game is art, who indeed, is the artist? After all, while Formula 1 racing might have originated prior to even Indian independence, none would question the artistry in performance of a driver of Michael Schumacher’s calibre. The domains of Machinima, hold close to their game roots, with avid game play portrayal and gaspingly difficult stunts being featured. The use of real time graphic engines to generate computer animations and record game play, document various plays and movements in a game which may only be described as an artist blooming in his chosen artistic environment. (albeit a map from Modern Warfare2)

Lobo comments, “Video games are a medium where the art is in motion, constant motion. Witness the gray scale levels in Mirror's edge that are suddenly dappled with vivid colours, all to let you know where you need to run to next. Marvel at the way the madness and mayhem of Arkham Asylum has been brought to life in Batman: Arkham Asylum. Video Games aren't just a medium of art. They are the future of art, helping to constantly take us to new, unexplored frontiers.”

The writer is a Mumbai-based gamer