Won't participate in it this time, but oh hoy, am I waiting for the entrance of the kitsch discourse in videogames. This will be a hell of a shitstorm!
A sneak peak: if people get defensive when videogames get called "bad art", what will they feel when they realize that most of the videogames are actually kitsch, which is a separate category within itself, and not even an art at all?
The storm is coming!
The good art bad art discourse is an old beast that is derivative of the greatest discourse of them all—what is an art. It's dangerous to approach it with oversimplifications like "everything is art" and "nothing is art". As well as "all art is good" and "all art is bad".
It would be awesome to oversimplify things and live a good life free of doubts. But the reality is more nuanced than that.
The thing is that it's near impossible to define art due its context-based nature. Therefore, it's even harder to define good art due to the addition of the taste variable into the equation. The easier thing to do is to define what is not an art. And it's kitch.
There are several worhy books on this topic, but I consider Thomas Kulka's definition of kitsch as one of the most on-point:
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Kitsch evokes quick and strong emotional response that is not a result of thoughtful process and is also indubious for most people. Kittens are cute, green pastures are chill, etc.
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Kitsch's subjects are easily identifiable. Again, without any slightest thought most of its observers know what's the deal is. As in visual sense—magic is sparking, so as in thematic one—evil is evil.
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Kitsch doesn't transfom, enrich, or challenge the way you see the world. It's toothless, and therefore compeletly bound to the status quo.
With this definition in mind, I think, saying that most of what we call mass culture is kitsch won't be far from truth. Specifically, with videogames it's even more true.
I don't mean that videogames aren't art. Some of them undoubtfully are. But only some. As well as some movies and some books. But let's not kid ourselves—it won't be easy finding art among the mass popular games.
The real headache begins when you grasp the fluidity of it all. How initial genuine art transforms into kitsch with time due to its replication and popularity. Or even vice versa—when kitsch transforms into art due to artistic manipulation and ingenuity. But this topic is for much more word-heavy texts, and I can't be bothered right now.
Anyway, avoid oversimplifications in your judgements. More specifically, no, not all games are inherently good art. For most of them aren't art at all. Maybe yet, maybe not ever.
