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Maybe I'm cynical, but I tend to be skeptical of art that's more about a cause rather than about the art itself. I'll give an example: christian rock. I have no

Maybe I'm cynical, but I tend to be skeptical of art that's more about a cause rather than about the art itself. I'll give an example: christian rock. I have no problem with christianity, or with rock, or with rock that is about christian themes or ideas. But I think we all know there's also a subgenre called "christian rock", which is generally a tacky, pretentious and overbearing imitation of the above things in the interest of furthering an agenda or crassly pandering. The problem with "christian rock" is it tends to be more about being "christian" than about being good rock music. You can have good rock music that is christian, but "christian rock" is almost always tacky. You see something similar recently with "art games" that are trying so hard to be "art" that they're pretentious and overbearing. The only good "art" games are the ones that ended up being interesting works of art by exploring an idea, not because they set out to be art games. I hate to say this, but I kind of worry this could just be the same thing, but instead it'll be "serious adult" games or "feminist games" or pick whatever social movement you want here. But it won't really be about the game, it'll be about the movements values.

vlunkr 10y ago
Couldn't agree more. Minecraft comes to mind. I haven't personally played it a lot, but obviously there is some magic in that game that kids can't get enough of. And although it was certainly experimental in nature, it wasn't "artsy"
gohrt 10y ago
Your entire first paragraph reads just as well without the word "Christian". One-word proof: Nickelback. I'm not even Christian, and I found myself enjoying an evangelical Christian rock CD as just good music, until I listened close enough to realize that I didn't agree with many of the lyrics. Your second paragraph is simply the No True Scotsman fallacy, or the "all gay men are flamboyant" observational-bias fallacy. You are just saying that you don't like things you don't like, and you don't notice the intention behind things you like.
- overgard 10y ago
  > Your entire first paragraph reads just as well without the word "Christian". One-word proof: Nickelback. Well no, my point is that when a work is primarily created to service an ulterior agenda (in my example, theology, but it could be any agenda), rather than for its own sake, the result is generally kitsch. I don't even mean that in a pejorative way, most entertainment is kitsch, and it's fine, people are entertained. Many (not all) "art" games tend to end up being kitschy because they're designed to signal and appeal to an elite in-group's values rather than being a true expression of ideas of their own. I think a piece has more artistic merit if it reflects ideas and truths the artist discovered for themselves, drawing on influences, instead of ideas that are designed to appeal to a certain set of people while signaling adherence to group values.

vlunkr 10y ago

Couldn't agree more. Minecraft comes to mind. I haven't personally played it a lot, but obviously there is some magic in that game that kids can't get enough of. And although it was certainly experimental in nature, it wasn't "artsy"

gohrt 10y ago

Your entire first paragraph reads just as well without the word "Christian". One-word proof: Nickelback. I'm not even Christian, and I found myself enjoying an evangelical Christian rock CD as just good music, until I listened close enough to realize that I didn't agree with many of the lyrics. Your second paragraph is simply the No True Scotsman fallacy, or the "all gay men are flamboyant" observational-bias fallacy. You are just saying that you don't like things you don't like, and you don't notice the intention behind things you like.

overgard 10y ago
> Your entire first paragraph reads just as well without the word "Christian". One-word proof: Nickelback. Well no, my point is that when a work is primarily created to service an ulterior agenda (in my example, theology, but it could be any agenda), rather than for its own sake, the result is generally kitsch. I don't even mean that in a pejorative way, most entertainment is kitsch, and it's fine, people are entertained. Many (not all) "art" games tend to end up being kitschy because they're designed to signal and appeal to an elite in-group's values rather than being a true expression of ideas of their own. I think a piece has more artistic merit if it reflects ideas and truths the artist discovered for themselves, drawing on influences, instead of ideas that are designed to appeal to a certain set of people while signaling adherence to group values.