In a recent interview with Empire Magazine, legendary filmmaker Martin Scorcese was dismissive about movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, kicking the proverbial hornet’s nest by saying “that’s not cinema.” Others have likewise rejected the idea that video games are a work of art. Film critic Roger Ebert famously stated that “games cannot be art,” though he later softened his stance.

 

For developers, the question of whether video games are technically an art form has a more complicated answer.

 

 

“It almost doesn’t do you any good to think about that,” said Sean Murray of Hello Games. “It’s not your motivation for doing something.”

 

For some creators, game development is comparable to the artistic process in other mediums. “I think that all of the effort and training and discipline and collaboration of an art department is almost like an amazing band working together to create a single piece of music,” said Jeff Sangalli of Pixelopus, the small studio behind Concrete Genie.

 

Kareem Ettouney, co-founder of Media Molecule and art director on Dreams, had a much more direct response to the question.

 

 

“Absolutely, games at the moment are not only an art but It is the art of this era.” Ettouney said.

 

Those quoted above are credited with developing some of the most visually striking games of the last several years. The Washington Post spoke with the creators of Concrete Genie, No Man’s Sky and Dreams to discuss how art shaped their vision and how it manifests in their creations. read more