Ernest suggested a broad definition of art since he believes that the difference between art and non-art becomes vague. Some practices which involve aesthetic considerations, design for example, cannot be fit completely into the general categories of art, such as literary arts and fine arts. According to his article “Will Computer Games Ever Be A Legitimate Art Form?” he explained that “…the types (decorative arts and industrial design) move more and more away from “pure” art and into areas with more utilitarian considerations…The boundaries between art and non-art are not hard and fast; there is a grey area.” (Ernest, p.255)
Because of the indefinite boundaries between the two, some folk culture and products do share some common characteristics of many great works of art, such as Mona Lisa and Michelangelo’s “David”, which stand the test of time. Tetris, for example, the world-famous game through decades can last as long as good works of art. Regarding the same article, “Tetris is so simple and elegant that its appeal could last for centuries…Tetris is, perhaps, a work of kinetic sculpture, and I could easily imagine it being displayed in an art museum.” (Ernest, p.257) Although most games hardly be regarded as art, they can be as much interesting as works of art.
Besides aesthetic, Ernest believes that a work of art should contain ideas and intrinsic value. The value of a work of art shouldn’t be attributed only to its appearance, but its concepts. According to Ernest, he said: “For a novel to be art must be more than merely entertaining. For a painting to be art it must be more than merely decorative.” In video games, idea is needed to be considered as art to make us discuss and study them, other than ‘fun’, and they shouldn’t have to be made for profit. According to Ernest, “Art is not about useful…does not involve merchandising…not about what the customer wants to buy. It’s about what you have to say.” (Ernest, p.260)
The above models for an art video game seem ideal. It’s impossible for the producers to make video games only from the perspective of an artist. It cannot be wrong that some video games as Ernest mentioned such as “Balance of Power” and “Planescape: Torment” (Ernest, p.259) do make you “feel things” (Ernest, p.259), however, the point is little convincing to me because when you speak of ideas and thinking, it’s something that you won’t ignore in your daily activities. If art conveys ideas and makes you “feel things” so do TV programs, comic books and movies. The production of a video game involves a team of professionals: technicians, designers, sound effect composers and so on whose goals are different. If videogames are made for its own sake, the people behind it are all artist, not so-called practitioners, or, if so, one would neither contribute to videogames required high cost and a group of smart brains nor invest on it without money in return. Or if it does, it shouldn’t be termed game but art. The essence of art isn’t merely depends on its message. To me, a great work of art is about the dedication of artist, like Michelangelo whose whole life dedicated to sculpting. In his sculptures, such as “David” and “The tomb of Julius II”, the dynamic and powerful form of the figures makes the works masterpieces. True art shows beauty, perfection, artist’s passion and love for his works and also the power which moves and inspires people.
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