Playing with Design: The Universality of Design in Game Development (original) (raw)

Computer Games as Works of Art

2012

This chapter aims to answer the question: Can computer games be regarded as works of art? To answer this question, one has to analyse the notion of art and also the term computer games. Art can be conceptually analysed within a dialogue of continental and analytical philosophy: with different authors of philosophical aesthetics such as Hegel, Heidegger, Adorno and Danto it can be systematically said that works of art have to be understood as a source for our historical self-understanding. Concerning computer games, despite their young existence they have already developed a significant heterogeneous tradition: an essentialistic concept of computer games is -in the same way as an essentialistic concept of any medium -inappropriate. Thus the answer to the initial question can only be that some computer games are candidates for being regarded as works of art, while by no means can all computer games be regarded as art. Computer games do not differ from other media and arts in this respect: the fact that something is a movie or something is a song does not make it a work of art necessarily.

COMPUTER GAMES AND ART

Культура/Culture, 2015

This article devoted to the search of relevant sources (primary and secondary) and characteristics of computer games that allow to include them in the field of art (such as the creation of artistic games, computer graphics, active interaction with other forms of art, signs of spiritual aesthetic act, own temporality of computer games, "aesthetic illusion" , interactivity). In general, modern computer games can be attributed to commercial art and popular culture (blockbuster games) and to elite forms of contemporary media art (author's games, visionary games).

Game as Art: a matter of Design

(Published at Videojogos 2010) As claimed by Chris Crawford in 1984, games must evolve to a potential form of art. Over 30 years later, the discussion demands a more mature state of the art, since games are still seen mostly as entertainment products. Considering them as a direct heir of cinema, in terms of language and dispositive parameters, games may be seen as a new form of media, and thus a vehicle both to entertainment activity than to artistic expression. To explore such possibilities, it is necessary to re-think the means of production and to purpose a new model of collaborative work that involves technicians, scholars, and artists.

Logic and structure of the computer game

2010

years, the research community can already look back on an increasing number of conferences, volumes, research projects, and a lot of comparisons between digital games and cinema, literature, theatre, and arts-nearly every artistic practice was taken into account. Within this period, one can look back not only on the (by now almost classic) controversy between ludology and narratology, but also on several other approaches, for instance the discussion about the character of action and interaction, ethics in computer games, and the interrelationship between games and violence, the social impact of digital games. More recently, the interconnection between space and the visual or the role of the first person perspective, as it was discussed in analytical philosophy, and the question of the dispositive or empowerment, to name but a few, have been topics of discussion.. Some consequences may be drawn from this: Firstly, computer games are a complex issue which has to be analyzed from an interdisciplinary angle. This is why DIGAREC started with a combination of different fields, including Media Studies, Psychology, Law, Art Processes, Design, Computer Science, and others. Secondly, the research of computer games leads not only to insights pertaining to The contribution of Daniel Cermak-Sassenrath (University of Bremen) proposes play as another possible perspective on communication, simulation, interactive narrative and ubiquitous computing in human-computer interaction. In "The Logic of Play in Everyday Human-Computer Interaction", he analyzes how everyday use of the computer increasingly show signs of similarity to play. This is discussed in respect to the playful character of interaction with the computer that has always been part of the exploratory learning process involved with new software and the often creative tasks that are undertaken when using the computer. These observations point to a sense of security, autonomy and freedom for the user which produce play and are, in turn, produced by play. This notion of play refers not to the playing of computer games, but to an implicit, abstract (or symbolic) process that is based on a certain attitude, the play spirit. scribed as a variation of the movement-image. Jochen Venus (University of Siegen) ascertains the characteristics of the representational function of computer games by contrasting them phenomenologically with conventional games on the one hand and cinematic depictions on the other. "Simulation of Selfaction. On the Morphology of Remote-Controlled Role Playing" shows that computer games a) separate the player from the playing field, and b) translate bodily felt concrete actions into situational abstract cinematic depictions. These features add up to the situational abstract presentation of self action experience. Computer games establish an 'artificial sameness' of self action experiences and allow the direct communication of styles of acting. They reveal a potential as a new means of shared cognition which might unfold in the 21 st century and change the being-in-the-world in a similar way as cinematic depiction did in the 20 th century.

How to See the Beauty That Is Not There : The Aesthetic Element of Programming in the Computer- Based Media Art

Lecture Notes in Computer Science

This study is to define aesthetic elements of the programming in the computer-based media art. It can be explained as the totality of the concept and reality in the respect of collaboration of art and science. The programming as aesthetic object deconstructs the traditional notion of art that the aesthetic value is determined by the aesthetic attitude. The code is not just for the computer programming, but for the pleasure. The artistic and creative 'Open Code' must be at the cost of the death of the code closed in a signified, and it lives, improves and changes through additional new functions or algorithms. Like the conceptual art, the programming is both a dematerialization of the object and an immaterialized meaning. It leads us to change the seat of a subject as a signifier. Therefore, 'The beauty of program that is not there' becomes more viable when it involves the application of aesthetics.

From Objective to Interactive Art: Net Art Videogames and Artificial Creativity

7th European Conference on Computing and Philosophy (ECAP’09), 2009

If we take into consideration that capacities as scientific and artistic creativity can not be isolated from the cultural and social context that surrounds them, and that our actual context is plagued by elements that conform to the so called ‘Ciber-culture’, then it follows that science and art are affected by this shift in the cultural paradigm; with each field moving closer to each other through technology. This fact carries infinite philosophical and esthetic implications in regards to important changes in social relations as well as the perception of the world around us and of ourselves. This in turn cannot avoid affecting art, which unashamedly already uses technology and explores the world of possibilities that unfolds. The new technologies, and Artificial Intelligence in particular, are significantly changing the creative process. Visual arts, musical and literary compositions integrate increasingly more technological elements in their creative and broadcast process.

Gaming in Art: A case study of two examples of the artistic appropriation of computer games and the mapping of historical trajectories of 'art games' versus mainstream computer games.

2005

Unpublished Masters Thesis under maiden name - Phillipa Stalker. This essay will explore the existing definitions of art games that are currently being used in the art game/art mod genre. It will identify the leading theorists within the field, and take into account their definitions whilst at the same time establishing a set of categories within which can be defined the dominant trends in the development of the field. It will also situate art games within an historical context, both within the commercial computer game field as well as the digital art field and attempt to establish some sort of timeline within which we can see the development and emergence of art games in relation to these two disciplines. Two examples of art games, both from different categories will be examined and critiqued in the context of Artistic Computer Game Modification – A 3D game called Escape From Woomera and an art mod or patch called SOD. The art game as an entity will be examined in relation to ideas of the ‘interactive’ and ‘play’, and the implications and potential for fine art practice will be investigated.