Videogame : the perfect art
By: Andy Inwood

Why do I feel that a videogame is the perfect art?

I feel that a videogame is the perfect art because it has the three main types of art. I can point out where these artforms take place. The "Videogame Developer" is the person who comes up with the story of the game and basicaly has a vision of what the game should be like. This person consults with all the people working on the game and shows them his or her vision of what the game should be like. He or she has to describe how to draw the drawings to the artist and what the music should be like to the musicians. The "Videogame Developer" is the Drama part of a videogame.

Next is the artist. The artist draws the pictures, everything that you can see in a videogame. The artist is obviously the Visual Art.

Then there is the musician. The muscians compose the music that will be in the game. The musician obviously is the Music part.

There's also one more person involved in making a videogame. That person is the "Programmer". The programmer, in short, tells the game what to do and when to do it. For example: when you push "A" on the controller and the character on the screen jumps. This is a basic thing that a programmer does.

Why are these people so important?

One reason that I've mentioned for a videogame being a perfect art is that it has the three main types of art, and even some others. Another reason is that it needs all the forms of art in order to work. Let me show you. Let's say we take away the Videogame Developer. Do you know that thing that goes on you're T.V. screen when there's technical difficulties? Colours appear on your screen in horizontal lines and you hear a continuing note. Now, instead of just a few colours, imagine it as 64 different colours. This is what you would get if you took away the Developer. The music is there and all the colours that the N64 is able to make is there but without a Developer, the Musicians and the artists don't know how to shape the music or colours.

Now, lets take away the Musician instead. Have you ever tried playing a videogame with the volume down all the way? That's what you would get if you took away the Musician. You wouldn't get as scared when you fight the main villian because there isn't any scary music. You wouldn't be able to hear when a monster is creeping up from behind you.

Now let's take away the Artist. Ever tried playing a videogame with your eyes closed? This is what it would be like if you took the Artist away.

Now let's take away the Programmer. Have you ever tried to play a game with no cartridge in the machine and no controller? That is what it would be like if you took away the Programmer. The Programmer is one of the most important people in making a videogame. Sure, the Artists and the Musicians have made great pieces of art, but it's the programmer that tells the game to show a picture or play a piece of music. I'm not possitive,but I think that the programmer also makes the cartridge. So, as you can see, there basically wouldn't be a game without the programmer.

In re-thinking my last sentence, I should say that there wouldn't be a game if you took away any of these people. This is a reason why a videogame is a perfect art. You need all the people who work on a game or else it wouldn't work.