BAFTA awards recognise games as art
by Jennie Lees 
{ Mar 9th 2006 at 6:00PM }
The BAFTA (British Academy of
Film and Television Arts) awards are the UK's answer to the Oscars. While the awards have featured a video games section since 1997, the British Academy Video Games Awards
are to be moved up a gear, with games now considered equal to film and television in BAFTA's eyes. Calling games "one of the principal contemporary art forms" is likely to contribute to the "games as art" debate, but it's a move which will hopefully give gaming a more serious face. The awards will be held in October as the climax of London Games Week.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jago @ Mar 9th 2006 6:15PM
The fact that people even have the argument that "Games are not art b/c they are commercial products" or b/c a team of people work on the project means it isn't art is absurd.
Games are a form of art...PERIOD! Just b/c they make money on a massive scale doesn't mean anything.
Anon - I - mousse @ Mar 9th 2006 6:16PM
I think it was about time, games have been around in our society for a long time now and to neglect the impact they have on life nowadays is unacceptable, and for the record I do think games are art (not all of them of course)
Resident Evil 4 : Art
Ninja Gaiden : Mos def Art
Worms 3D : Is that even a game ? (worms 2 and armageddon are definitely art though)
Carl @ Mar 9th 2006 6:46PM
*raises hand for shadow of the colossus...
Jay @ Mar 9th 2006 7:14PM
We've had lectures on this. I think in the end games are not-art, they are a commercial built product. there's little different between a game and a TV show or something. Its the EXPERIENCE of playing. The experience is art. It's crafted and can change perspective.
I dunno. this was 2 years ago!
Jago @ Mar 9th 2006 7:38PM
Games are art...look at the concept art, the texturing, the modeling, the environments, etc.
Plus if games aren't art b/c they are commercialized then what about stuff that was commissioned during the renaissance?
@ Carl:
I second that...
*also raises hand for Shadow of the Colossus
James @ Mar 9th 2006 7:38PM
Some games are commercially built products. Some homebrew games are not. Some are done for the art.
Many painters paint for the money. They are creating commercial products but you dont hear people saying that isnt art. Albums and films too are often produced mainly for commercial purposes but are still categorised as art.
To categorically state that games are not a form of art in any circumstances is moronic and narrow minded.
JaSoN! @ Mar 9th 2006 8:19PM
just as long as some overrated and overly game doesn't cheat another deserving game out of an award at a big scale awards cermony i'll be happy.
*ahem, Crash! ahem*
but seriously i do think that the era of the uber casual gamer is on the way. soon all the ignorant will have an opinion on gaming. ok thats always been happening but games are now more-or-less the norm. nintendos brain training will kick it all up a gear in a few months. even your gran will be come a fanboy (or fan-gran as the case may be), talking shop with her friends at bingo about how Fifa is far superior from PES due to its presentation, graphics, sponsership and real names while her friend bessie pisses herself with disgust in her greasy wheelchair. games will be handed out as wedding presents and the bums in the pub will be arguing over nintendos lack of ability to just spoil everybody some day by acheiving their full potential. those bums will be and already are us.
hurrah!
the video game is dead, long live interactive art!
Joe @ Mar 9th 2006 9:54PM
Take that, Mr. Ebert!
Jago @ Mar 10th 2006 12:56AM
Wait? You seriously wanted Brokeback Mountain to win as Picture of the year? Sure it was a good story but there was nothing controversial about it. The only controversial stuff in that movie took place "that" story...there isn't anything shocking about gay cowboys (let alone gay people in general.)
/end tangent
MrXBob @ Mar 10th 2006 3:25AM
Erm, Jago..... you think movies should win awards simply for being controversial?? Nobody said that movie should have won because it was 'shocking'.
Jago @ Mar 10th 2006 3:45AM
People were saying that Brokeback Mountain was controversial and that was why it would probably win. Crash on the other hand had issues that a lot of people deal with everyday and it really made you think...so Crash more then deserved to win.
Blogging HQ @ Mar 10th 2006 10:30AM
About time to, so much time and hard work goes in to these games that keeps people entertained for hours days and months so all the people that are involved should get more recognition than they get now
JaSoN! @ Mar 10th 2006 11:06AM
crash wasn't a worthy oscar winner. no way. watch it again. the dialogue verges on a waynes brothers film. and who mentioned controversy, or brokeback? brokeback is a solid love story, the gay cowboy thing just happens to make the scenario even more difficult, like the family fued in romeo and juliet. ok im not going to compare it to romeo and juliet but you get what i mean. crash just took some of the most cliched and repetitive topics of todays world and spouted on about them. some rich white writer penned the film with a mind full of stereotypes. what a contradiction! im getting ridiculous. ill stop now.
haha, i love opinions. no matter how bad they are.
but sorry, BAFTAs and video games week in october, watch out london!
Jago @ Mar 10th 2006 12:30PM
"some rich white writer penned the film with a mind full of stereotypes."
Wow...all credibility lost IMHO based that one statement.
JaSoN! @ Mar 10th 2006 12:42PM
youre right. i was fibbing.
i is busted.