Video games: The powerful art form

         Throughout history, the human race has passed down stories from generation to generation. There have been multiple ways of doing this, such as music, written stories, word of mouth, painting, sculpting, etc. Until recently, these were the only means to express a story; to express art. With advances in society and technology, people crave a more expansive and expressive medium in which a story can be told. Within the past few generations, movies were the dominant “master media”. It could encompass all of the aforementioned mediums to tell one (or many) story(s). Though, within the past twenty years, a new, and even more involved form of master media has been introduced to the people; video games, but with every story that is told, there is a reaction that the story wants the people to have, and depending on how the story is told, the reaction can be more or less empowered. Video games allow the audience to directly interact with the story, thus giving a stronger emotional connection/response… whether it is positive or negative.
Video games began as a simple idea. (As do most forms of art.) This idea was “To entertain the people.” With the technology that was available at the time, a scientist named William Higinbotham created the first video game in 1958. It was called “Tennis for Two” and was the most basic of basic video games. Two people played the game with individual controllers that connected to an analog computer. It was so simple, that it used an *oscilloscope for a screen. Though it could hardly be called art in the sense that it invoked an emotion reaction due to a compelling story… yet it did invoke something. That something was inspiration. Inspiration is the foundation of imagination.
It took about twenty years before others began to see the potential in video games. Most of the games that came out in the 70s were about as simple as “Tennis for two.” But then it happened… the first role playing video games. In the mid 70s, video game developers created text based adventures that were inspired by pen paper games such as “Dungeons and Dragons.” It became even more in depth when the games were inspired by actual stories from texts such as “The Epic of Gilgamesh.” This was the first step in video game story telling. This was the first step in “audience participation.”
Not even five years later, these text based games would evolve into visual and musical driven video games. A participant of these games would be able to lead a character that he or she could see, and feel a deeper connection to this character. They would have to make choices within the game that could lead your hero to success, or even to their demise. This gave the illusion that you had control of the events within the game. Though, the creators of the game designed it so that no matter what, to complete the game, you must start out at point A and end at point B. Due to the fact that the player has to lead their character through the obstacles between A and B, it makes the player/audience member an active force in the story. This is what sets video games apart from any other form of art. A person can be told a story by living it through a character within the story.
As with all forms of art, the creator is ultimately in control of what kind of story is being told. There are many video games that contain the classic story of man vs. man, in which the player is in control of the protagonist (who is usually a kind, pure hearted heroic type) and they must battle against an opposing character (who usually kidnaps a princess or tries to destroy the Earth.) These types of stories can be told in a variety of ways, and invoke different emotional responses. This is where the true artistry comes into play. With the right image, dialog sequence, or music choice, the creator can make a player laugh, cry, become angry, or have any emotional reaction that is appropriate. This will cause the video game to become a part of the player. The player will have this story within their mind forever, and it could very well affect the way they live their lives.
The majority of people who play video games are youths. As a young person, things are more impressionable. A child will soak in information like a sponge, and if this child is playing a video game that instills characteristics such as power, wisdom, and courage, the child may try to use these characteristics in their lives. These are the positive and empowering implications of the video game art form. Sadly, there is a very dark and negative route as well. Impressionistic children who play video games that contain large amounts of pointless violence are more likely to use this violence within their lives. As time progresses, video games are becoming more realistic looking. The infamous game series “Grand Theft Auto” is a prime example sheer pointless violence that looks as if it could be real. It may be entertaining to some people, but if one takes a step back and truly analyzes the game, it will come as a shock that in this video game, you are being rewarded for committing heinous crimes, and being penalized for being caught, which just enforces the idea that it is okay to commit a crime as long as you do not get caught (or killed)
There is a time within everyone’s life in which a person can determine reality from fantasy. This time is different for everyone, and to give a person such a powerful form of art before they have reached that understanding… it’s like giving a baby a loaded gun. It could be extremely dangerous, and is defiantly irresponsible. “Grand Theft Auto” is not the direct cause of people harming other people, but it does encourage such actions. Especially to someone who lacks common sense.
There are no “wrong answers” when it comes to creating art, but in a way there are when it comes to viewing it. With all forms of art, there are many interpretations (and in some cases, misinterpretations) of a piece. Certain art pieces are more appropriate for a certain age. For instance, you would not be able to show a painting by Salvador Dalí to an impressionable child, and expect the same reaction from an “educated” adult. Though, different people have different reactions to his art, a child viewing “Dream brought on by a bee flying through a pomegranate, one second before waking up, 1944” would most likely become frightened or completely confused.
         Video games are an extremely powerful form of art, and should be treated as such. The main groups of people who play them are in charge of our future. So shouldn’t we instill great values in them so that we have a positive future? As parents, should you really buy your child a video game about how fun it is to be in a war? These choices are up to the people, and like a video game, life is full of causes and effects. Though, unlike a video game, people only get one life; one chance to make a cause that affects our world.