Hello,

(disclaimer: I'm quite tired, so this will fall somewhere between pretentious jargon and...failed pretentious jargon)

For the sake of argument, let's define art as the ability to impart a strong moral truth about the world that can be taken away from the fictional world and applied to real life
I was thinking recently about the state of story-telling in today's world, off the back of my dislike for the most recent series of Doctor Who , and what I can discern from what people consider "bad story-telling" in all forms of media today (I'm British, so don't judge me, it's more a staple here). Quite often, the most paramount criticism levelled at video-games and shows alike deemed to be of sub-par value is that they have "bland or poorly developed characters, who fulfil a certain list of stereotypes".

This attitude has recently struck me as being counter-intuitive to the purpose of telling stories. Stories, from a social-evolutionary standpoint, developed as a method of imparting a moral truth or valid viewpoint (at least, from the writer's persepective, not necessarily absolutely) in a way that was eclectic and entertaining. Stories which focus, or develop around a particular person -such as in the most recent series of Doctor who, where the intellectualism was geared to tell us about the Doctor as a character and nobody else, especially not the viewer - do not seem to fulfil this criteria, and offer nothing besides a few fleeting stimulation of emotions over what happens to your favourite character.

If, then, video games are often derided as lacking compelling characters, does this mean, in a way, that they're more inclined to provide a more expansive and examining moral message?

If we call "art" the ability to impart a moral truth, then, have any Videogames struck this chord with you?

Discuss

(I will post one which struck it with me, this op is getting a bit long, though)

Ok, so I'm not sure if I understand complately what you're getting at here, so if I don't answer your question please correct me.

I consider games to have artistic qualities and games are for sure art. And sure some stories svck, but it's the same with movies and books. Ton's of books don't have compelling characters.

I'm not sure if svcky characters mean that a game provides a better message in some other way, I suppose it can, but every game is different.

I'm not sure if I've learned any moral truths from games, well no new ideas anyways, I can agree that there are certain games that have a story with a message and let's say a lesson to be learned in some ways.

The first series which popped into my head as having serious candidacy for being artistic was Halo. When reading the name, you can't help but compare it the the philosophy of the major religions, and I think the assembly of its lore and story makes for a very strong message, and it's this:

In the Halo Universe, Humans are encouraged to take up 'The Mantle of Responsiblity', a philosophical concept bearing strong resemblance to the Abrahamic "Stewardship of Creation". It is set up in universe that the protection of life and the environment is the greatest virtue a person can partake of.

A crtiticsm is quite often levelled at the main character, the Master Chief, for being too unemotional and unengaging, but this stoicism seems to lend itself well to the overal point. By Halo 4 - The Master Chief is set up to be the "culmination of a thousand lifetimes'" of human existence, and the perfect candidate for carrying humans on the 'path to the mantle' - is his stoicism his strength?

The losers in the series are unmistakably the Covenant and the Forerunners, and their motivstions seem to make statements when considered in opposition to the chief's stoicism. The Covenant is founded on the desire for transcendence - many covenant characters want to become great, or have the power of the Gods they worship. It is quite fitting, then, that the method by which they plan to achieve this is activating an array of weapons that will destroy not only them, but every being in the galaxy. The Foreunners, too, are defeated by the Flood, because, as embodied by the satanic figure, the Ur-Didact, they hold the mantle as a thing of pride, and desire to remain in their position as caretakers over the Galaxy more than they desire to fulfil that mission. It is again fitting that they are destroyed by the flood, a parasite whose central mind is an amalgamation of all the good in them (as suggested by his numerous quotes from Abrahamic God 'I am peace, I am salvation', 'I outlast Men, and Demons', 'join with me and sing victory everlasting) dragged down and muddied by all of their evil, as the thing also quotes the devil ('I am consigned to a fate I do not deserve', 'I will know all that I possess'). The only way the Forerunners can save themselves is to wipe the slate clean, in the hope that their successors, humans, will learn from their mistakes and hold the mantle for the sake of the Galaxy.

What then, does the chief add to the allegory. He is emotionless, nearly, stolen at the age of six and conscripted into the military, having all experience of the outside world taken away and with it, all of his personal desire. The Master Chief, as Halo 4 puts it, 'succeeded because he was at his core broken', by modern terms, or more aptly, that he places the virtues of life, preserving humanity and the innocent , before all other concerns because it is not in his nature to have other concerns. Where everyone else in the series fails, being motivated by desire or by pride, the chief succeeds because, as the series would suggest to us, he has his priorities straight, he follows an absolute good.

Would the series be made worse, then, if, as 343 seem to be attempting, it were reduced to a character driven examination of how the chief is humanised by Cortana? Indeed it would. It seems to me that this fascination with character is depreciative of the concept of story - all character traights should be hewn to provide a meaning, or else it is merely a bit of distraction.

If a game has textures, music, writing or anything at all it can be considered to have 'artistic qualities'. The more common question is whether games can actually be considered 'art'; to which I will always answer: "Yes, because of 'Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons'".