Blog 9: Freestyle

In chapter 10 Author Bogost makes some interesting claims comparing the first Brownie camera from Kodak to tools used today for creating videogames. To Bogost the Brownie represents a shift from a professional to an at home do it your self photographer.were once it took a professional to take and develop images, the Brownie’s cheap camera and film allowed for the average person to take shots. Furthermore, Kodak made it simple to develop images as the user would have it developed by Kodak so all the person had to do was press the button while Kodak did the rest (70-71). In fact, Kodak used the phrase You press the button and we do the rest (Bogost 71). 

However, the interesting claims came when bogost compared the Brownie to current hardware and software tools used today to create videogames. For example, Bogost argues today’s computer culture values a similar strain of creative populism. Websites and software provide tools that promise to ‘democratize’ the creative process (Bogost 71). He further explains that because of such tools at everyones disposal that  professional fields such as video editing and DVD production can now be practiced by everyone (Bogost 71). The comparison gets further interesting with his examples of Microsoft’s Popfly Game Creator which as Bogost claims are taking a similar role as the Brownie camera. Microsoft’s Popfly Game Creator never-minds the professional and instead invites the average user to create their own unique game with ready made tools. The ready made tools have a potential to spur something new if it has not already, like the Brownie did for snapshots. 

In agreeing with Bogost I connect his arguments with the term wysiwyg which is what you see is what you get. The term has come about to refer to the editing a person does to a document that resembles the look and feel of the end result. Perhaps most importantly is the fact that the user does not have to remember any special code nor commands (Wikipedia Contributors). This is because the very nature of how wysiwyg works allows for users to easily do what once took an expert in the field to do. Lastly, Microsoft’s Popfly and Adobe’s creative suite utilize these wysiwyg tools allowing average people to do nearly professional work. In closure, as Bogost argues perhaps such tools can allow ordinary people to not only appreciate the craft but also allow game creators to show other users how to include them into their own lives (Bogost 76).  

Blog 8: Freestyle

Are Video Games art? 

 

Author Ian Bogost In his first three chapters goes over some interesting topics. In addition, Bogost brings awareness to some questions worth pondering in relation to games. Furthermore, these topics require some deep thought and author Bogost helps bring some of the argued questions to light. Beginning with the Introduction,  Bogost describes two individuals one who is on each side of the argument that the Internet either helps or ruins society (Bogost 2). Moreover, in chapter one titled Art Bogost goes in depth with the question of whether video games can be or should be art. For example, he describes how art can be something complicated to define and as well as difficult to classifying something as art. Another example, is one provided by Bogost himself that well established artist such as Duchamp, Tzara, and Jackson Pollock to name a few are examples that art is hardly a fixed and uncontroversial topic (Bogost 11). In other words they are great examples that art is not something easily defined with set boundaries but rather a lack thereof. I agree and feel games like many things can and should be considered art. This is because games can offer a person with virtual representation as well as a sense of experience with myriad possibilities. For example, the term suggested by Bogost proceduralism describes a style that he defines to be games that are process intensive and rely primarily on computational rules to produce their artistic meaning (Bogost 13). This is to say games so complex as to mimic reality  or create real life scenerios can possess a lot of artistic factors within the umbra of game design. In addition, these proceduralist games offer the end user a virtual model with outcomes contingent on the players interaction with the games environment (Bogost 13). However, proceduralism does it in a radical form according to Bogost proceduralism shares some of the values of expressionism in art, especially as both relate to the subjective interpretation of emotion (Bogost 16). This shows the potential and capacity that video games have to influence and shape society. However, it appears as if the notion of video games as art will never be settled and therefore instead offer the idea that video games at the least can undoubtedly offer many uses. Take for example simulators that pilots use for training, or a game that teaches a baby how to pronounce their first words. Games have a lot of potential and how beneficial, artistic, educational, influential, etc., is up to the creator and the user. Lastly, video games in its finished product involves a lot of work by various individuals who collaborate in effort to provide something meaningful to the end user. With each person taking part in offering their unique artistic touch that as a result influences the end user. Therefore, whether a person perceives a game to be artistic or not one can not deny a video games potential and to say any less is offensive to those who create and continue to create games for what ever entertainment or educational purpose.