A Study on Expression of the Digital Game Art Form
Jung-Yoon KIM, Won-Hyung LEE, Jung-Tae KIM
A Study on Expression of the Digital Game Art Form
1
Jung-Yoon KIM, 2 Won-Hyung LEE, 3Jung-Tae KIM
Department of advanced image Graduate School of Advanced Imaging Science,
Multimedia and Film, Chung-Ang University #10112,
HeukSeok - Dong, DongJak – Gu, Seoul 156-756, Korea, E-mail [email protected]
*2, Corresponding Author
Department of advanced image Graduate School of Advanced Imaging
Science, Multimedia and Film, Chung-Ang University #10112,
HeukSeok - Dong, DongJak – Gu, Seoul 156-756, Korea, E-mail [email protected]
3, Third Author
Department of advanced image Graduate School of Advanced Imaging Science,
Multimedia and Film, Chung-Ang University #10112,
HeukSeok - Dong, DongJak – Gu, Seoul 156-756, Korea, E-mail [email protected]
1, First Author
Abstract
The character of digital art interactivity and Virtual Reality gives a new artistic experience and
enjoyment to the audiences, also, offers an opportunity to learn and understand the art to the popular.
Recently, many artists are trying to approach to the popular with combining the play elements and
digital game elements. According to these change of digital art works, we searched cases of Media Art
and Digital Game Art Form in domestic and foreign that the method and expression appropriate game
elements of the digital art. Interactive media art is an art that shows new response on the vision by
using video, sound, and gesture. The Digital Game Art Form is applying elements of computer game to
digital art works, the audiences reacts in real-time and enjoy the digital art works as computer game.
In this paper, through analysis of exist the digital art works, we define the new expression of digital
media art as 'Digital Game Art' and studied specific definition, characteristic, structure elements and
expression method about this expression. For the future, we expect that the compared and analyzed
reference of this paper can be used when design the digital game art, also, it will expand on themepark, experience museum and physical serious game, etc.
Keywords: Digital Game Art, Digital Media Art, Digital Game Art Form, Media Art, Virtual Reality
1. Introduction
An art in game form is being Gamification1 or referred applied game elements in various ways on
their art works by many artists. To be the game in art works offers the experience of virtual on the
premise direct immersion to the audience and they can understand the creative works of the artist as
playing games. [1]
Because the game is already into the public life and culture deeply therefore it is the friendly typical
interactive media.
In this paper, we define 'Digital Game Art Form ' which is the changed form of art apply game
elements to be gamed and analyze the characteristics and expression methods through art works, we
studied specific definition, characterization, structure elements and expression method about this new
expression of digital game art.
In this, the 1st chapter explains the research background and the paper composition. The 2nd
chapter explains the related research (concept, form and feature) of digital art and digital game art. The
3rd chapter compares the features of digital game art, 4th chapter shows digital game art expression
method, and the 5th chapter arranges the conclusion and future study based on the analyzed results.
1 Gamification is the use of game thinking and game mechanics in a non-game context to engage users and solve problems. Gamification is used in
applications and processes to improve user engagement, Return on Investment, data quality, timeliness, and learning. The word was coined by Nick Pelling, a
British-born computer programmer and inventor. (Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org)
International Journal of Digital Content Technology and its Applications(JDCTA)
Volume7, Number13, Sep 2013
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A Study on Expression of the Digital Game Art Form
Jung-Yoon KIM, Won-Hyung LEE, Jung-Tae KIM
2. Digital Game Art Form
We arranged about related works for study digital art works and digital game art in chapter 2. In 2.1,
digital art works and in 2.2 related works of digital game art are organized.
2.1 Digital Art
Digital Art is the form of art that is embodied based on the digital art works. It is developing various
forms such as 'Computer Art', 'Mobile Art', 'Media Art' according to the development of various media
such as internet, mobile, etc. [2]
The digital art used by Michael Rush 2 is the potentially inexhaustible mechanized medium for
extensive art works or use as a means of expression tool [3].
Christian Pall3 divided digital art expression form highly into 'installation', 'film', 'video', 'animation',
'software art', 'internet art', 'network', 'virtual reality', 'augmented reality' and 'sound art'.[4][5]
Figure 1. Digital Art: Text Rain4
2.2 Digital Game Art
Digital game art imposes the exits game elements (game engine, map, hardware, interface) and game
play method (entertainment element, rule, reword) to express and deliver the message of the art
intermediation the various media and it also means recreating as a new form of art that have interactive
and act impose the game play method. This is the new form of the digital art.
The early artists of digital game art, did not have program ability about game, therefore, they
produce their artwork used existing commercial game engine mostly. The initial stage art works used
game elements simply to express existing game image or code produced video with self-intervention
and expresses their own message to game than focused on direct interaction with the audience.
For the cases, Alison Mealey in (Unreal Art5), there is a art work of making portrait image based on
the data of the computer game Unreal Tournament 6when virtual players play about 30 minutes at the
same time [6].
2 Currently Stage Artist, Film Director and critic. He has produced multimedia play and film about art internationally. He received Ph.D. in Harvard
University; also, contribute writing about art and medium in 《New York Times》, 《Art In America》regularly. (Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org)
3 He teaches about computer art in School of Visual Arts, New York Whitney Museum of American Art at New Media Art part as a visiting member curator,
also the editor-in-chief of 『Intelligent Agent』 Magazine. (Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org)
4 Camille Utter back, Romy Achituv, “Text Rain”, New York University, (NYU’s), USA, 1999. (http://camilleutterback.com)
5 Made by AlisonMealey, portrait image art work based on the game play progress data at the computer game ‘un-real tournament’ game when the game users
play at the same time. (Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org)
6 Unreal Tournament is a first-person shooter (FPS) video game co-developed by Epic Games and Digital Extremes. It was first published in 1999 by GT
Interactive for PC. Infogrames released it for the PlayStation 2 and Dreamcast home consoles. The game is based on the same technology that powered Unreal,
but the design of UT shifted the series' focus to competitive multiplayer action.. (Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org)
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A Study on Expression of the Digital Game Art Form
Jung-Yoon KIM, Won-Hyung LEE, Jung-Tae KIM
Figure 2. Alison Mealey (Unreal Art: Jebus, 2005)
3. Digital Art and Digital Game Art
In chapter 3, we compared and analyzed digital art and digital game art. For this, we suggested the
digital game art definition in 3.1 and compared the feature of digital game art in 3.2
3.1 The definition of Digital Game Art
Digital Game Art is defined by the art work's message through various digital media by a medium
and for delivering introduction exiting game elements (game engine, map, code, hardware, interface) or
game play method (entertainment element, rule, reword) or transformed to new artistic form and
recreated interactive art work defined.
3.2 Comparisons of Digital Art and Digital Game Art
Digital Game Art is the new form of digital art. The features of two works are compared and
analyzed in Table 1, and the differences are shown in Table 2.
Table 1. Digital Art and Digital Game Art
Digital Art
Digital Game Art
Behavior
non finality and free
self-expression
voluntary behavior of purpose the goal
Competitive
Fixed rule, noncompetitive activity
fixed rule, competition is surely exist
Completion
non completion, progress is important
completion, result is important
Purpose
to deliver the message of the artists
the entertainment
Interactivity
individuation
collaboration
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A Study on Expression of the Digital Game Art Form
Jung-Yoon KIM, Won-Hyung LEE, Jung-Tae KIM
Table 2. Digital Art and Digital Game Art difference
Digital Art
Digital Game Art
Expression
Emphasis on Art element
Game element transformation, addition
Form
Art Form
Game and Art Form
Media
Digital
Digital
Play Method
Non-interactive work is including, non-play
work exist
Must be interactive, enjoy it as game
We compared the differences on Table2. There are artistic perspective differences between digital art
and digital game art. They are able to notified according to the expression, form and play method of the
artist's work purpose.
Figure 3. Digital Game Art Configuration
4. Digital Game Art method of expression
Digital game art expresses in an artistic way according to the new purpose and signification without
'fun', or 'amusement' the future of basic 'goal' and 'competition' that the existing commerce game has.
The method expression of digital game art is, When it imitates the existing commerce game, because it
modifies based on the game engine, connect to the existing game and replace the signification to new
art works. These art works have many similar tendencies as game play of the original game.
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A Study on Expression of the Digital Game Art Form
Jung-Yoon KIM, Won-Hyung LEE, Jung-Tae KIM
In the case of change the existing commerce game, Artist develops creative and personality art
works by creating new game graphics and game play method and programming for delivering the
artist's message from the first. Those two methods begin with the form of the game and game play
modification, therefore, the expression method can have the similarity.
Thus, the expression method of digital game art whether derived from the game or new form of the
game, transformation to gamification the form of the game is the expression method of the digital game
art.[7]
5. Conclusion
Digital Art evolves to different expression art form according to the various new media, the existing
art works meet new technology and reproduce and combine it. In this paper through the related study,
we can check the specific definition, characteristic, structure elements and expression method about
this new expression of digital game art.
Though analysis of about digital game art that develops according to the new media for the future,
when we produce the digital game art form this to use as design reference. Moreover, we expect that
this can be expanding to theme part, experience museum, and physical serious game. And so, the
proposed Game Art Form is applying elements old computer game to digital art works with new
multimedia. For the future study, we will need to design and implement the digital game art so that the
audience can be more immersed into the art works
6. References
[1] Tiffany Holmes, “Art Games and Breakout: New Media Meets the American Arcade”, Computer
Games and Digital Cultures, (Tampere), 2002.
[2] Michael Rush, “New Media”, (Late 20th - Century Art), 1999.
[3] Shuen-shing Lee, “I Lose, Therefore I Think: A Search for Contemplation amid Wars of PushButton Glare”, Game Studies: The International, (Journal of Computer Game Research), 2003.
[4] James Paul Gee, “Why Game Studies Now? Video Games: A New Art Form”, Games and
Cultures, (SAGE journals), 2006.
[5] Luke Ahearn , “3D Game Art f/x and Design”, (Coriolis Group Books Scottsdale), USA, 2001.
[6] Michael Mateas, “Interactive Drama, Art and Artificial Intelligence”, (Carnegie Mellon
University), USA, 2002.
[7] Sebastian Deterding, Miguel Sicart, Lennart Nacke, Kenton O'Hara, “Gamification. using gamedesign elements in non-gaming contexts”, Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing
Systems, New York, (ACM), pp2425-2428, USA, 2011.
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