We're seeing the beginnings of what could one day be, in all its unimaginable offshoots and incarnations, most people's primary form of entertainment. Another way to judge whether an entertainment is art is to ask how influential it is. Shakespeare didn't just write some of the greatest works the world has ever known, he wrote works that have had an enormous influence outside of theater. His language, images, stories, and themes have all appeared again and again in common speech, music, visual art, novels, and more. Another main criterion for deciding if something is art is the maturity of its themes.
Games are on really shaky ground here.
Most of them have only the most rudimentary, hackneyed stories, if any, and feature flat, stereotyped characters. Tony Hawk Pro Skater Naturally, many of us have no desire for that sort of thing when we just want to kick back and dish out the damage in Counter-Strike or pull some tricks in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater . But, when we do sometimes do want more, there are at least some games that deliver. One of the biggest gaming hits in years, The Sims , is great example of a game that could be called art based on the depth and importance of what it has to say. On the face of it, The Sims looks like a clever, creative but simple game about telling little animated people when to pee.