The first art game?

[J T]

I'm wondering if anyone can identify the first art game? Actually, I'm really interested in just learning more about early examples of art games in general, regardless of whether they are the first or not.

The earliest contender I have heard of is 1983's Moondust on the Commodore 64.



It was made by Jaron Lanier, one of the early pioneers of virtual reality. He purportedly designed the game to be a meditation on the unexpectedly ephemeral nature of digital data. The game uses algorithmic music generation to create a constantly evolving ambient musical score. The game is played by moving your character (named after Alexander Scriabin) around on the screen to spread your moonjuice to cover the bullseye in the center. The music is shaped by your movements with a generative algorithm.

[BogusMeatFactory]

I think one of the first art games would be Conway's Game of Life where making a single shape configuration and a series of rules can set a string of events that change the evolution of that shape. You simply make your initial configuration and watch things move and interact with other squares, replicate and change and it really is something to behold. This was done in 1970 I believe and is really fascinating still to this day to watch. Worth checking out!

[Nemoide]

The title that first sprung to mind was Timothy Leary's Mind Mirror (Apple II, DOS, and probably other PC platforms, 1986). It aimed to be more of a life-exploration experience than a traditional game. Timothy Leary was fond of saying that computers were the LSD of the 90s.

And I personally think Ultima IV (Apple II, 1985) should count as a sort of art game. The fact that the basis is all about exploring the world's ethical system really sets it apart from any other RPG I've played. Even though it's tethered to the more conventional earlier games in the series, I'm personally inclined to count it as an art game.

Neither of those predates Moondust though. It looks like Wikipedia lists some other earlier ones though.

[KayJay]

This is going to be really astute, but stay with me.



All games are art. Even small, silly games like Mappy are art. A lot of people associate the word "Art" with a gripping narrative, and a type of High-class that comes with "art". But, In my opinion, everything within the entertainment industry is Art. now, if it is bad, that's a different story (obviously, movies like "The Room" aren't art, and games like Bubsy 3D aren't either) but, i think that even silly, simple things are art. Look at Pixar & Ghibli, those are certainly art, although they have a lighter-hearted feel than others.



Essentially, I'm calling Pong Art.

[dsheinem]

This is going to be really astute, but stay with me.



All games are art. Even small, silly games like Mappy are art. A lot of people associate the word "Art" with a gripping narrative, and a type of High-class that comes with "art". But, In my opinion, everything within the entertainment industry is Art. now, if it is bad, that's a different story (obviously, movies like "The Room" aren't art, and games like Bubsy 3D aren't either) but, i think that even silly, simple things are art. Look at Pixar & Ghibli, those are certainly art, although they have a lighter-hearted feel than others.



Essentially, I'm calling Pong Art.

I think JT is using the term specifically to refer to games that were conceptualized as works of art by their creators from the get go. He's interested in creative intent, rather than audience reception or critical interpretation...

[KayJay]

This is going to be really astute, but stay with me.



All games are art. Even small, silly games like Mappy are art. A lot of people associate the word "Art" with a gripping narrative, and a type of High-class that comes with "art". But, In my opinion, everything within the entertainment industry is Art. now, if it is bad, that's a different story (obviously, movies like "The Room" aren't art, and games like Bubsy 3D aren't either) but, i think that even silly, simple things are art. Look at Pixar & Ghibli, those are certainly art, although they have a lighter-hearted feel than others.



Essentially, I'm calling Pong Art.

I think JT is using the term specifically to refer to games that were conceptualized as works of art by their creators from the get go. He's interested in creative intent, rather than audience reception or critical interpretation...

Oh, that makes sense. sorry bout that.

[fastbilly1]

Alien Garden is the earliest I can think of, it beat Moondust by a few months if I remember correctly. I had thought about Conway's Game of Life, but that would be the earliest. Gotta love those beehives.