Contemporary artists often try to make their work stand out in ways other pieces usually don’t; for example, interactivity is a pretty common element that artists use to elevate their work.  Interactive pieces have the advantage of being more engaging and, therefore, more memorable. Sensory interactivity can be effective especially in art that targets touch, taste, smell, and hearing as well as visuals, and I think that the integration of games and art combines these different types of interactivity well.  Artwork that functions as an interactive game can really capture people’s attention and for a long time too!

It is also arguable that all modern games, such as board games and video games, are contemporary art, since they have interactive elements, aesthetics, and require a good amount of creativity to create.  The visual graphics of video games are justifiably art because artists worked on character design and scenery both traditionally and digitally. Video games especially can be classified as contemporary art if we say that writing, storytelling, and coding are also considered art.  Therefore by this standard, games have had a solid role in contemporary art.

Games, particularly video games have probably changed my life for the better in ways I haven’t realized, although I don’t get to play as many games as I would like.  I have learned a bit of self defense from video games, which I am now realizing was likely intentional since the tutorial was so in depth. Other than that, games have probably made me more optimistic about “life adventures” like the speaker said in the TED Talk.