Have Video Games Become a Respected and Distinct Art form?

In recent years, ‘video games as an art form’ has become somewhat of a hotly debated topic.

While some argue that video games don’t have the potential to be meaningful art, others argue the opposite and favour video games being considered art because of their expressive elements, such as music, design, visuals, acting, and interaction.

Take the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2023, which finally recognised VGM (video game music) as an art form, creating a new award called the ‘Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media.’

Composer Stephanie Economou won the inaugural award for score in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok, but what about other elements of video games? Do they also deserve their own categories in their respective art form considerations?

Let’s dive in to find out.

Why should video games be respected as a distinct art form?

Many people these days say that video games, whether graphically demanding, high-end triple-A blockbuster games, casual games, the world’s best online slots from award-winning providers, Indie games or MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-play games), should be respected as an art form, each with their own distinct categories.

They may be completely different from any other artistic mediums, but does that mean they don’t deserve to be treated as art? The debate will no doubt rage on for many years to come.

Some will always favour them being considered art, and others will always have the opposite view.

What makes video games so popular?

Video games have been extremely popular since they arrived fifty years ago. These days, they have incredibly realistic 3D-rendered graphics and visually stunning animated sequences.

Experts have even described the scores often found in hit titles as one of contemporary music’s most exciting new areas. Games today feature powerful classical/orchestral music brought to you by full orchestras, well-known composers and talented young musicians.

If the soundtracks in some of the industry’s biggest titles are getting the recognition they deserve, why aren’t the games and the expressive elements contained within them also getting the recognition they deserve?

Some of the most famous video game soundtracks that have won awards (or have been nominated for awards) are the following, which some of you may already be familiar with. If not, remember to check out these soundtracks, which are now considered a serious art form:

• Video game: Legend of Zelda: Breath of Wild. Composer: Manaka Kataoka, Yasuaki Iwata, and Hajime Wakai. Notable songs: Rito Village, Guardian Battle, Mipha’s Theme
• Video game: Dark Souls. Composer: Motoi Sakuraba. Notable songs: Gwyn, Taurus Demon, Lord of Cinder, Ornstein & Smough
• Video game: The Elder Scrolls V – Skyrim. Composer: Jeremy Soule. Notable songs: Death or Sovngarde, Imperial Thorne, Secunda, From Past to Present, Dragonborn, and others
• Video game: The Last of Us. Composer: Gustavo Santaolla. Notable songs: The Path and Vanishing Grace

Other famous games featuring epic scores include God Of War Ragnarök (Bear McCreary), Hogwarts Legacy (Peter Murray, J Scott Rakozy & Chuck E. Myers), and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (Sarah Schachner).

Some of the most iconic and widely acclaimed composers who have also plied their trade in the gaming industry are Nobuo Uematsu, Stephen Barton, Gordy Haab, Motoi Sakuraba, Yoko Shimomura, Koji Kondo, Nobuo Uematsu, Inon Zur, David Wise, Martin O’Donnell, Michiru Yamana, Gustavo Santaolla, and countless others.

Final thoughts

There is clearly a case for video games and their expressive elements being considered an art form. However, it seems that video games will always be compared to traditional art forms like music, writing, painting, sculpture, and storytelling, and they may never be taken seriously. Only time will tell.

In May 2011, the United States National Endowment for the Arts expanded the allowable projects to include “interactive games.” In other words, in accepting grants for art projects in 2012, they recognised video games as an art form, which many will say was a huge step in the right direction.

Perhaps, over the coming years, more similar situations will happen across the world, and video games may one day be treated as a serious art form, just like the other traditional art forms.

Cassandra Voices encourages responsible online gambling.