Fun is Fine - Toward a Philosophy of Game Design

David Kennerly writes "The Entertainment versus Art debate flares perennially. These participants may be having fun, but the dichotomy is uniquely inappropriate to games. By the end of this article, we may disentangle the faulty dichotomy. After reconsidering what we think we know about a game, fun, and art we may come to discover that Nomura and Costikyan are correct: 'If you were to write a Seven Lively Arts for the 21st century, the form you'd have to mention first is clearly games.' --Greg Costikyan"

Comments

of course

[Anonymous Coward]

and for most of us games are the only form of art we'll ever come accross.

ha

[freedommatters]

having worked in the industry and having known many games designers and programmers, art does not come into it. pizza, sure, trash novels, sure, cheap sci-fi and pseudo philosophy, sure, but art? forget it. john

Deep.

[American AC in Paris]

I can't tell if the server is slashdotted or if this is a brilliant piece of minimalist commentary.

*boggle*

Re:please stop, think of the children!

[Anonymous Coward]

He was actually talking about tomb rader... much like tomb raider, but this one features a big stud of a guy with a very tight pink t-shirt.

Obligatory Ghost World reference:
Therefore, you are gay.

less-thinking-more-blowing-stuff-up?

[Jad LaFields]

Hey, I find a well-rendered explosion or the graceful arc of blood spraying from a flesh-eating zombie to be a very powerful statement of man's... um... insignificance in the face of the world's indifference... um

Ah, hell, just give guns, cars, and innocent bystanders, I'll make my own art: six wanted stars with a chainsaw.

Art is elsewhere

[Anonymous Coward]

What about the nude cartoons you used to draw in junior high? that's art too!

Re:text of story

[Anonymous Coward]

yo, Tomb Raider the movie did not fail, unless you count a worldwide theatrical gross of $275 million bucks failure.

where do I sign up to fail?