Is The Sims Art?
No. Within the disscussion of creative production, the Sims is not art. In this context, it is a more appropriate to consider The Sims as a "tool" for art making. It can been viewed as the brush or as the canvas - or better yet, as a technologically-mediated hybrid of the two. The Sims can also be seen as movie-making tool, an entire "studio in a box" including all the components of visual story telling, including sets, props and characters.
Both of these creative contexts serve as digital analogs for pre-existing art making conventions. However, these parallels reflect the tools of creation, not the product.
I have included a link to a game that I recently found online which I feel reflects a unique balance between "game" and "art". It has a retro simplicity and minimalist interactivity, resulting in a gameplay experience is meditative and engaging at the same time.
There are some problems with the game. Most notably, the audio, which grows tiresome very quickly. However, the overall elegence and simplicity of the game overcomes this minor annoyance.
BoomShine
