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As someone who dabbles in art (video, drawing, writing, photography, dance) I try to be aware of the abstract idea of art itself. It's good to go back to square one every once in a while and ask yourself what is art? How has it been expressed, how can it be different, have perceptions of a given art form or style changed, why?

As I was thinking about TV, movies, books and other forms of entertainment which are also called an art form, I thought of my premier choice of entertainment; video games.

I thought I'd pose this question here since we're all interested in gaming and particularly Role-Playing in an MMO. Do you think that RPing in an MMO is more than just entertainment, is it a 'new' art form?

Thanks for your responses. :flower:

Hmmm, that's an interesting question. We are essentially all participating in a work of creative art put out by Square-Enix, but as roleplayers we are actively contributing to that art and reclaiming some of it as our own. However, in a legal sense, Square-Enix still owns it. For example, if we were roleplaying and came up with a novel-length story in the process, we couldn't ever sell it as our own work of literary art.

I think it's definitely a spontaneous form of creative collaboration, but whether or not there is an intent to make "art," I think that it is largely situational and depends on the individual or the group actively pursuing the game as an art form rather than as a hobby or a way to relax.

I would say that a group of players who write out skits and perform them on a schedule at locations inside the game, in character, are acting more as artists than a group that logs in and plays the game in-character. The first group is actively creating a style of performance art while the second is actively playing a game that has already been created.

I kind of agree with Mythis. I think scripted storyline may be considered more of an artform, but I tend to look at actual interactive RP as something a bit different.

To draw a comparison, I may go out on Friday night, shoot some pool with friends and have a few beers, cut loose, relax, etc. It's fun, yes. But is it really an art form? I don't really perceive it that way (although some of those difficult pool shots may seem like it!!) I tend to think of RP along the same vein. It's fun and relaxing, and while it may be an expression of my own personality, I don't really feel it's 'art', at least not in my opinion.

This is all very subjective though. If you don't mind my asking, what makes you ask this question?

No specific reason, like I said above, I think about things like this and I figure it'd be an interesting discussion to have. Also just interested in what you guys think xD

I think we are getting to the stage where games, not necessarily MMOs, are an art form. At least some of them. Think about it, and if you think about it all forms of art are interactive at least in a philosophical sense. Games can bring together brilliant scores, captivating stories, (sometimes) brilliant voice work, stimulating visuals, etc. While this certainly doesn't apply to all games it does apply to a few.

I was showing my fiance the FFXIII international trailer, and midway through it she turns to me and says, "This is beautiful."
That's what I'm talking about.

While I generally consider the individual elements, i.e, the music, models, textures, and story, to technically be various forms of art, for some reason games themselves don't really seem like art to me. Though you could certainly say that making a game that's actually fun is an art form, and a hard one at that, the finished game itself always seems to me to be more an entertainment product than art. But then again, I think that has more to do with the individual game than the media itself. But then again, I've played some games that I consider to have more personal artistic value than other, more traditionally acknowledged forms. I'd say Shadow of the Colossus, Okami, Silent Hill, Daggerfall, Morrowind, Yume Nikki, LSD, and a few others I can't remember are better examples of art than most movies. But then again, that really says more about the state of the movie industry than it does about video games, lol.

As for RPing, I suppose you could see it as a form of improv acting, but to me, it's definitely a hobby. It's a lot like acting, and if you have actual acting experience that could probably make you a 'better' RPer, but being a 'good' RPer certainly doesn't make you a good actor. On the other hand, when you write stories about your character you're essentially doing the same thing as the numerous authors who write novels like Gaunt's Ghosts Ciaphas Cain, stories set it pre-established game worlds. I think there's even one being written for XIV. I've read a few Black Library books, and I got The Infernal City, and though they can definitely be good and entertaining, I haven't yet read one game tie-in book that I could compare to the classics. Though, on a side note, fan-art can definitely be art to me. I've seen a lot of really incredible stuff made for WH40k and Pokemon in particular.


Like Kes said though, this is all completely subjective, and thus has little real definitive value.

art
[ahrt]
–noun
1. the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.

"What is art?" and "But is it art?" are two questions that have plagued society for years. Even the above definition, straight from the pages of the dictionary, is going to find disagreement 'cause let's face it - some art is absolutely hideous stuff. When you take into account that tastes vary, the problem only compounds. Honestly, in my view, when it comes right down to it... You can't define 'art'. Everyone's going to disagree on precisely what it is and what it means. In the end, if someone says it's art... It is. It may sound like a cop-out but believe me, I've heard endless debates on the subject and nobody agrees.

I do realize that this is all subjective, that it's people's personal opinion. Doesn't mean that one shouldn't listen to other's opinion. Not trying to settle once and for all with scientific accuracy if what we are doing is an art form heh

I tend to think that video games in general have artistic elements in them. Some independent games (see Braid) make me view them primarily as art. As for RP, even though the "canvas" is an MMO which isn't by itself art, I'd say most of RP can be classified (in my opinion) as a rough, undefined art form.

Games in themselves can be viewed as Art, most of these however are like Ico and Shadow of the Colossus made to be seen as such, not with major gameplay elements, but rather with beautiful environments, creatures and music.

Also as Mason have pointed out Art is an abstract concept therefore not bound by one definition, but rather everyone's subjective opinion.
So MMORPGs can be viewed as an Art and should be IMO, creating a whole new world with both strange and familiar creatures, differing landscapes and a whole new past that should explain the "Why" of the player's being there.

So in essence MMORPGs gather differing elements of expression to create art, with RP we players add a new form of Immersion to this mix.

That's at least my take on it.

I see Role-Playing as a drama. Drama is an art-form. We are all taking on rolls and playing parts in an overall story, as an actor would in a movie or as a character would be written in a book. Movies are art.. books are art.. plays are art. When it comes to acting: Sure, the roles may be created by others, but the actors are artists of a certain kind. They may not own the role or the movie, but they own their own acting in and of that part they play.

I do highly consider Role Playing to be an art form. Like any art form, some people have talent and proficiency for it, others may not. Some people may learn to develop a talent in it, and some people just may never "get it." I've seen all sorts, and in the end it plays out in a very similar manner to acting itself.

So I say it's an art form as much as any other. I'm a writer in my spare time (short stories and poetry, and non-fiction as well), the people in my life are always encouraging me to write a book, write a book, write a book...

... instead ... I role play. Hmm .. if I put all my RP energy into that book they want me to write, I might have a real career there, hah!

Either way, it's all a form of art to me. But whatever you call it, all that matters at the end of the day is what it means to each of us as an individual. What any of us call it collectively is just added content