Video Games The Eighth Art: A Reflection on Narratives, Immersion and Cultural Impact

The evolution of video games from their beginnings to the present day places this medium among the great artistic expressions of humanity. Considered by many as the eighth art, video games combine elements from the seven traditional arts (cinema, painting, music, literature, theater, sculpture, and architecture) and expand them through interactivity, immersion, and branching narratives. Let’s explore how this art form compares to the others, highlighting its narrative power and the importance of transmedia franchises, deepening the discussion with striking examples.

Comparing Video Games and the Seven Arts of Cinema

The traditional classification of the arts recognizes cinema as the seventh art because it combines literary narrative, theatrical performance, music, art direction, and photography. However, video games elevate this integration to a new level by introducing interactivity as an essential part of the experience. Unlike a film, where the viewer is passive, in video games, the player acts as a co-author of the narrative, shaping events and exploring the universe created by the developers.

Example of Narrative Impact:

Games like The Last of Us Part II present stories that are as dense and emotionally engaging as great dramatic films, but with the added distinction of allowing players to experience the moral dilemmas of their characters. The relationship between Ellie and Abby, permeated by revenge and empathy, leads players to question their own perceptions of right and wrong, something that few films can achieve with the same intensity.

Cinematic Elements in Games:

Games like Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End feature cinematography that rivals major Hollywood productions, using framing, lighting, and art direction to create scenes that could be in an Oscar-winning film.

Inspiration from Other Arts:

Games like Okami use aesthetics based on traditional Japanese painting, combining fluid movement and vibrant colors to create an experience that transcends the boundary between painting and video game.

Complex Narratives and Expanded Immersion

Video games stand out for their ability to offer hours or even hundreds of hours of narrative and gameplay, surpassing the time limits that a film or series can provide. This durability allows for a deeper immersion in the building of worlds, characters, and stories.

Branching Narrative:

Games like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt allow players to make decisions that completely alter the game's events. A simple choice, such as sparing or killing a character, can have profound ramifications that affect the politics and destinies of the regions in the fictional world.

World Building:

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the open world is not just a backdrop but a character in itself. Each villager has daily routines, animals behave according to the cycles of nature, and random events create emergent stories that make each journey unique.

Emotional Interactivity:

Heavy Rain and Detroit: Become Human, from Quantic Dream, are examples of games that transform emotional choices into gameplay mechanics, placing players in front of profound moral dilemmas. These titles are often compared to literary and theatrical works for their dramatic weight.

Franchises and Transmedia Content: Expanding the Narrative Universe

Game franchises often expand their universes through multiple media, allowing players to explore additional stories in books, comics, films, and series. The concept of transmedia involves using various platforms to tell different parts of an integrated narrative, enriching the fictional universe.

Examples of Transmedia:

• The Witcher: Originally a series of books, it became a game franchise that culminated in a popular Netflix series. The success of CD Projekt Red's game brought more readers to the books and boosted the production of the series, creating a virtuous cycle between the media.

• Assassin's Creed: Besides the games, the franchise includes books, comics, and a film that expand its mythology. Stories like that of Ezio Auditore are explored beyond the game, adding layers to the experience for dedicated fans.

• Cyberpunk 2077: Its universe was expanded by the animated series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, which explored characters and themes not directly addressed in the game, reaching new audiences.

Transmedia in Classic Franchises:

Franchises like Star Wars demonstrate how transmedia can function in a complete ecosystem. Games like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor not only complement the films but present standalone stories that deepen the galactic universe, connecting films, books, and series like The Mandalorian.

Video Games as Product, Service, and Art

The video game market is divided into three main categories:

1. Games as a Product:

Sold as complete experiences, typically at a one-time cost. Examples include The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Elden Ring. These games prioritize the quality and depth of the initial experience, being widely recognized for their intrinsic value.

2. Games as a Service:

Designed to evolve continuously, with additional content released over time. Fortnite and Genshin Impact maintain an active player base through seasonal events, regular updates, and microtransactions. These games have high commercial value due to their constant revenue stream.

3. Games as Art:

Developed with a focus on aesthetic and emotional experience, often exploring deep themes. Journey, What Remains of Edith Finch, and Gris stand out for their artistic proposals. Gris, in particular, is a visually stunning journey that explores themes like grief and overcoming adversity, using a changing color palette and minimalist design to convey deep emotions without the use of dialogue.

Conclusion

Video games are much more than mere entertainment. They combine elements from all previous forms of art and introduce a new dimension of interactivity, creating unique and profound experiences. Through branching narratives, rich universes, and their integration into transmedia strategies, games have established themselves as the eighth art, influencing culture and redefining what it means to create and consume stories.