Yes, and this article will explain why. Video games are often times people's favorite pastime thanks to their ability to relax and entertain 24/7, whether surrounded by friends or solo. But, to some, video games are a genuine form of art. If you are familiar with The Smithsonian or the MoMA video game exhibitions, you might start to see it too, in case you need a little more convincing. These are two of the most prestigious museums on the planet and they are not the only ones to dedicate their time, space and interest to video games and their impressive, four-decade-long history.

The design and creation of video games have attracted a great deal of artistic talent during recent years. Ranging from creative writing to songwriting, sculpture or painting and even cinematics, video games incorporate a great deal of art. This is why they engage millions of people worldwide; it's thanks to their breathtaking visuals that are known to seriously engage the audience of all ages and from all walks of life every day.

The Art of Video Games Exhibition At The Smithsonian
The Art of Video Games at the Smithsonian is the very first exhibition of its kind to celebrate the 40 years of video games evolution in a fully artistic manner. The main purpose of the exhibition was that of attracting the attention on the striking visual effects as well as the fresh and innovative technologies that have started to become a part of the video gaming industry in recent years. The exhibition has brought together some of the most popular video game designers and artists in the field, focusing on the mix between clever and captivating storytelling, advanced technology and exquisite graphics. Eighty games and twenty gaming systems are portrayed during the exhibition via still images and videos. Visitors can even personally play five of the games on display so they can get a better sense of how innovative gaming techniques have forever changed the face of gaming. Among them, we can mention Super Mario, Pac-Man or Myst.

Why Should We Consider Video Games A Form Of Art?
So should video games be taken seriously and considered a form of art? Definitely and without a doubt. Ranging from the aesthetics of their designs, their mix of creativity, writing, music and enhanced interaction usually found in AAA games that have been created with a huge budget, there are quite a few arguments we could bring to the table.

However, other areas of the gaming world are subject to similar classifications. Namely, casino gambling in all of its forms, ranging from artistically themed slot machines to arcade games and fresh interpretations of classic games we all love. Casino game designers and software providers are constantly coming up with new ideas to keep players satisfied, curious to play and constantly come back for more. Accordingly, these games can also be considered genuine forms of art, as they incorporate similar forms of creativity, design, drawing, painting, music, video images and more. They also rely on various technologies such as the 3D technology for 3D slots games and some casinos have even started to work at Augmented Reality games and casino platforms that will create the most realistic gamer experiences possible without players actually having to leave their homes.

These true technological masterpieces can surely be added to the same list of works of art in the gaming industry.

Gamers Can Also Be Part Of the World Of Art
Gamers choose to successfully harness technological innovation all around them and generate unique results while relying on advanced programming languages. Let us just take the example of digital artist Cory Arcangel who created Super Mario Clouds a few years ago. This was as a hack of Nintendo's classic game of Super Mario Bros in which all graphic elements were removed, except for the clouds. The clouds remained scrolling across the blue sky, creating the most nostalgic and enigmatic mood ever. Luigi, Mario's brother was also sent into a block-suffocated scenery where players are allowed to walk around and even draw long cigarette puffs or use the “ruminate” button and hear Luigi make his existentialist observations about the world he lives in inside the game.

Artistic Games Provoke Players
They make them temporarily detach from their regular goals within a game and rely on so-called “mods” to design and create their very own in-game experiences and new playable environments. We can give you the example of the Velvet Strike mod of the world-renowned Counter-Strike game that was created in the wake of 9/11, in which players could spray anti war graffiti on the walls within the game instead of actually shooting each other. The mod promoted an anti-violence approach by encouraging players to forever question the violence that is more often than not unnecessary and thoughtless in most of today's video games.

We hope this article has helped you to see yet another world of art!