Homework 2

               Videogame aesthetics are different from other art aesthetics because, artwork such as paintings and videos cause the audience to just become a viewer/witness to the piece. Their main job is to observe the artist's work in a visual sense. However, in videogames, the audience has to both observe the visual elements as well as experience the work as well. The quality of the work is based off of two factors: how well the game looks, and how well it plays.

                Due to the fact that videogames aren't always considered an art medium, people have trouble understanding the aesthetics of videogames. As it mentioned in the article, videogames are being produced rapidly and are mainly created for purposes of being sold and meeting customer demands. I had previously seen a video about how videogames can't truly grow as a medium because of the consumer demands. Games such as Mario and Sonic are forced to follow a set formula because, if the creators stray away from the usual gameplay and try a new approach it doesn't sell as well.

                It's a difficult situation for videogames in terms of their aesthetics; every once in a while a game comes out that is successful and brings something new to the players. Take the original Mario game for example. The remade versions and sequels sold more than Mario Sunshine which strayed away from the typical games. This is because players were more familiar with the typical Mario games. In order for videogames to grow as a medium the players need to expand their horizon in terms of gameplay and try various games that they are not used to and then provide feedback to the creators as to whether or not the game was good. The involvement and dependency of the audience is what sets this medium apart from other art mediums.