The In Between, Gaming as Art
I just finished Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and I am compiling content and reflection for Xenoblade Chronicles 3. I don’t want to start that series yet though because I beat the game rather quickly and many have not finished the game yet. There will be heavy spoilers to really dig into that game’s themes and so I want to give it another week or two to see if more people on Twitter are finishing the game to be respectful for those who want to avoid spoilers.
However, in the in between waiting for Soul Hackers 2, I’ve been thinking a lot about gaming as art and how gaming is labor for a lot of people who aren’t being treated well in their workplace. I haven’t been able to settle on a game of late, I’ve been playing some Psychonauts 2, some Forza Horizon 5, I started Bug Fables. The main thing which has struck me is the great attention to detail which has to go into the artistry, animations, and creation of worlds and stories. I have played three very different games all with different art styles and all appeal to me. So I thought as a continuing get to know me reflection, I want to share what I am looking for when I am playing a game.
Art is a wide genre for me, because it refers to the craftsmanship and integration of a finished product as a whole reflective experience engaging a variety of senses. Great art can make you think, cry, and have your eyes be stunned by what is shown on screen/felt/canvas. It can also be a well built mug or a hand-crafted quilt. Gaming as art for me also should help me re-find my center, even if I’m challenged by the story being told on screen or if I’m frustrated with a game’s set of puzzles. Being centered doesn’t mean always being positive as human existence is an interwoven set of positive and negative experiences and trying to find integration in it all. I strive to be an integrated person and gaming does a lot to calm my nerves and give me more perspective, especially when I do not like being around people and crowded places.
Art changes perspective because it tells the story of being in a unique way from a unique perspective. Art is integrating because it de-centers us for our atomized existence and seeks to re-integrates us into a different way of being. Gaming started as a way of trying to cope from being different and anxious around people and it has given me different eyes as I’ve played more games over time. Gamers are the largest untapped audience for positive social change and I think gaming as art is a good way to build a creative narrative for making positive social change.
What I want for social change is simple yet difficult to pull off. I want a world where people are free to be creative, unburdened, and deeply connected in community. I despise war, I dislike individualism and the consistent building of debt to keep people connected to jobs instead of poeple, and my heart breaks for how many people are harmed and communities are oppressed because of how we have built our world. In the variety of gaming narratives I have played and through my studies and professional career, I have developed a lot of ideas about building a new world as well as some advocacy and systemic change skills. Building new structures and dismantling old ones will take time, diligence, and our community. Subscribe now using the email contact form below to be a part of and build a new community! Next time, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and examining war and how limiting knowledge increases the possibility of full-scale war.
