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What *IS* art? Here is a typical definition from (of all places) a dictionary:

Main Entry: art
Pronunciation: 'ärt
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old French, from Latin art-, ars -- more at ARM
Date: 13th century

1. skill acquired by experience, study, or observation [the art of making friends]
2. 1. branch of learning
      1. one of the humanities
      2. plural : LIBERAL ARTS
   2. archaic : LEARNING, SCHOLARSHIP
3. an occupation requiring knowledge or skill [the art of organ building]
4. 1. the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects; also : works so produced
   2. 1. FINE ARTS
      2. one of the fine arts
      3. a graphic art
5. 1. archaic : a skillful plan
   2. the quality or state of being artful
6. decorative or illustrative elements in printed matter

The first three definitions are right out. They describe a skill, branch of learning, or occupation. PC Games and RPGs are none of those three. If anyone want to argue that point, I recommend a nice aluminum baseball bat upside the head for a rebuttal. For the purpose of this rant, I'll drop the fifth definition as well since PC Games and RPGs aren't really plans, states, or qualities. This process of elimination leaves us with definitions number six and four to contend with. We'll cover number six first.

"Decorative or illustrative elements in printed matter." I will admit that PC Games and RPGs both contain this kind of art. The pretty pictures that we see in the books we read are technically art. But does a product which contains art, become art? If an art museum contains art, does the museum then become art itself? No way. An individual work in a PC Game may BE art, but that doesn't mean that the PC Game as a whole is now bona-fide ART(tm)!

Ah, definition number four. Our final contestant. The meat and marrow of what we call `art'. Also known as the place we all get confused and wonder why the hell we were arguing in the first place. The conscious use of skill and creative imagination (so far so good, PC Games and RPGs are still in the running) especially in (`especially in'? What does that even mean in this sentence?) the production of aesthetic (awwwwwww) objects. Nothing like a good dose of an ambiguous and subjective vocabulary in an ambiguous and subjective definition to make you realize how stupid the English language is. Who writes this crap? Do they write it `especially in' drug induced stupors? Merriam-Webster, you suck! Let's bust out some American Heritage action and see if we can actually shed some light on the subject. I'll cut right to the chase and drop the skill, system, and other crafty based definitions that clearly don't fit a finished product such as an RPG or a PC Game.

1. The conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colors, forms, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty, specifically the production of the beautiful in a graphic or plastic medium.
2. The study of these activities.
3. The product of these activities; human works of beauty considered as a group.

Well, b is right out. Unless I wanted to talk about how this great rant is a study of said activities and therefore constitutes art, making me an artists ... and well, now I can't even take myself seriously anymore. Forget I mentioned any of that.

Hey hey! The first definition (a) is really good. Production or arrangement of elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty. I distilled it, but that's the general idea. A PC Game and/or RPG is made up of elements (code, graphics, artwork, writing, system). Those elements are produced and arranged. But in a manner that affects the sense of beauty? And here is where I get to make the point of my entire rant (I'm so psyched). Almost anything *CAN* be art. BAM! That's it. For those that missed it, I'll just break it down like this:

Them: Is an RPG art? Are PC Games art?
Me: They can be.

Art relies on being something that is subjective. Art is a very specific and manufactured form of beauty. And we all know beauty is in the eye of the beholder (no, not the D&D monster). Therefore, you can't say something is art, or isn't art, unless you're just stating your opinion.

And finally, WHO CARES? The Impressionists didn't give a flip what people thought was art. And there were lots of people who didn't think Impressionism was art. So what do I care if someone thinks Half-Life is art? I'm not going to stop them from fawning over it. And I might think D&D3E is art. If no one else does, so be it. There are more important things to get all heated up over, like people arguing stupid things.

since june 7 1999