Understanding The Art Gamer: Introduction...

I am a person who constantly tries to stay well-rounded, when it comes to basically anything. I'm always trying new things, different ways of doing the same thing- I constantly try to explore the depth of the world and the millions of different things there are to do. I do this especially in regard to my hobbies, whether they be reading, writing, watching films or television, and because of this I've discovered a wide array of fantastic things, from Breaking Bad to Adventure Time, from A Game of Thrones to Axe Cop. I am a person who always listens to every opinion I can, even if I disagree with it- it's just part of my worldview. 

I do this with games, too. On any given gaming day, you may find me playing a very mainstream, big-budget shooter like Call of Duty, or a niche indie flash game, like Majesty of Colors. 

However, recently I've noticed a change in the way that I view games, and the games that I am most interested in. I attribute this change not only to being bombarded with expensive games I have no way of buying, and fantastic productions like The Brainy Gamer, but also to a boredom with many of the games being released. Whatever the explanation behind this strange transition, I can say with some surety that I am now an 'art gamer', of sorts.

The term 'art gamer' may bring negative connotations to some people's minds. Perhaps you think of art gamers as stuffy college professors who are hopped up on indie flash games, or hipsters who feel mainstream games are all garbage, that Call of Duty has no artistic merit, so therefore it shouldn't exist (though, as I'll explore later, many do find merit in these games.) Well, I have found in my time with other people who want to deeply discuss games as art that these stereotypes aren't true.  The more insightful 'art gamers' are actually just video game lovers like the rest of us that are equipped with a different point of view. 

Throughout this blog series, which I intend to keep going with a new post once or twice a week, I hope to tackle a relevant issue to gaming from the stance of an artistically inclined gamer, or just generally explain the opinions of this gaming subculture. If you are at all interested in what 'art gamers' really think, not just carry on assuming what they think, I hope you read on.