Read the inspiration for today's rant here
Okay, so as of May ninth, 2011, video games are officially recognized as art by the US government. So long as the games are distributed for free. This helps...who, exactly?
Don't get me wrong, I would love it if games were recognized as a legitimate art form. But, see, the thing is, is that games are like movies, in that they require many people to make them and those people need to eat.
Honestly, why even have that stipulation? Is it true of any other art form? Here's a hint: NO, IT ISN'T BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE LUDICROUS. Paintings are regularly sold to private collectors. Does that mean that those paintings are not art? Has Citizen Kane been made available for free to every member of the USA who wants it? And, last I checked, I still have to pay for books like The Odyssey.
Of course, the case could be made that one could go to a museum to see a painting or sculpture. However, while this is true, people usually have to pay money to get into a museum. Also, there is a definite shortage of museums dedicated to letting people play various artistic video games.
Why not just say, "Here, have a grant for $200,000 to help you make your awesome artistic game, if you make it back you can pay us back from the profits, if not, then your contribution to art is enough payback."
Would that be so hard? Besides, odds are people would buy any truly artistic game. Look at Shadow of the Colossus. Look at Bioshock. Hell, people are still buying and playing Myst. Myst!
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