The tragedy of art games

Olli Leino

The tragedy of art games

Olli Leino

School of Creative Media

Research output: Conference Papers › RGC 31B - Invited conference paper (non-refereed items) › Yes

Abstract

In this talk I address the technological specificity of computer games as an artistic medium and its implications to experience and interpretation in computer game play. Describing similarities and differences, I will situate computer games on the art-historical trajectory of interactive art, and discuss them as played both in first person, and, by other people as ‘performances’. I will identify failure as the origin of significance as a characteristic of computer game form, and discuss how this feature sets computer games — or “playable art(ifacts)” — apart from interactive art. Discussing the avenues this explanation opens up for hermeneutics and criticism of ‘art games’, I arrive at the notion of the ‘tragedy of art games’.

Original language	English
Publication status	Published - Oct 2019
Event	13th International Conference on the Philosophy of Computer Games, PCG2019: The Aesthetics of Computer Games - Saint Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation Duration: 21 Oct 2019 → 25 Oct 2019 http://gameconference.mediaphilosophy.ru/pcg2019.html http://gameconference.mediaphilosophy.ru/programme.html

Conference

Conference	13th International Conference on the Philosophy of Computer Games, PCG2019
Abbreviated title	PCG2019
Place	Russian Federation
City	St. Petersburg
Period	21/10/19 → 25/10/19
Internet address	http://gameconference.mediaphilosophy.ru/pcg2019.html http://gameconference.mediaphilosophy.ru/programme.html

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The Tragedy of the Art Game
Leino, O. T., 15 Sept 2020, DiGRA ’20 – Proceedings of the 2020 DiGRA International Conference: Play Everywhere. DiGRA
Research output: Chapters, Conference Papers, Creative and Literary Works › RGC 32 - Refereed conference paper (with host publication) › peer-review

GRF: From Game Arcades to eSports Arenas: Understanding the Cultures of Competitive Computer Gaming in Hong Kong
LEINO, O. T. (Principal Investigator / Project Coordinator), KOW, Y. M. (Co-Investigator) & MOERING, S. M. (Co-Investigator)
1/01/19 → 30/12/21
Project: Research
GRF: All Play and No Work? The Ideas and Realities of Gamification
LEINO, O. T. (Principal Investigator / Project Coordinator), AARSETH, E. (Co-Investigator) & MOERING, S. M. (Co-Investigator)
1/01/18 → 23/12/20
Project: Research

Cite this

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AB - In this talk I address the technological specificity of computer games as an artistic medium and its implications to experience and interpretation in computer game play. Describing similarities and differences, I will situate computer games on the art-historical trajectory of interactive art, and discuss them as played both in first person, and, by other people as ‘performances’. I will identify failure as the origin of significance as a characteristic of computer game form, and discuss how this feature sets computer games — or “playable art(ifacts)” — apart from interactive art. Discussing the avenues this explanation opens up for hermeneutics and criticism of ‘art games’, I arrive at the notion of the ‘tragedy of art games’.

M3 - RGC 31B - Invited conference paper (non-refereed items)

T2 - 13th International Conference on the Philosophy of Computer Games, PCG2019

Y2 - 21 October 2019 through 25 October 2019

ER -

The tragedy of art games

Abstract

Conference

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Research output

The Tragedy of the Art Game

Projects

GRF: From Game Arcades to eSports Arenas: Understanding the Cultures of Competitive Computer Gaming in Hong Kong

GRF: All Play and No Work? The Ideas and Realities of Gamification

Cite this