Danny Pan

What is art? Art is the manifestation of our desire to create. Art is our ultimate freedom, it is expression without boundaries; it is our purposeful rebellion against boundaries.

I think videogames can be one of our highest forms of art as humans. It allows us to create our visions of ulimited perfection (or unlimited imperfection) and gives us the ability to share this with the world in a way beyond watching static images or even moving ones. Even better, it is art that we allow others to shape by playing (and modding).

The game I choose to talk about is JFK Reloaded (which, i believe, is not mentioned in the book)

I think that what makes this game art , like all good art, is that it is evocative and forces you to examine your notions of truth.

As the player, you assume the role of Lee Harvey Oswalt and his role as the assassin in the murder of President John F. Kennedy. The game has a higher message than, "kill the president, get some points." The goal of the game, as an art piece, is to get people thinking about the truth behind the event, because even though the game is set up perfectly to simulate every detail of the event, it is extremely difficult to pull off the supposed gun shots that Lee Harvey Oswalt took on that day.

Another question I ask myself about this game is whether or not I should feel bad about feeling entertained by this game. I've played other games where I've had to kill aliens, insects, Arabs, men, women, and more, yet this is the first time I have actually felt some remorse for enjoying the act of killing someone.