As part of my final year at Duncan of Jordanstone I chose to write a dissertation. I have always been passionate about video gaming, and after seeing a senior student on my course secure a design job at a notable video game studio, my desire to be involved in their creation was reignited.

In part to demonstrate my level of critical thinking on the subject, I stopped playing games and began to read and write about them instead. I loved it.

I was especially delighted with the answers I recieved from prominent people in the industry, notably Robyn Millar and Jonathan Blow.

Here's an excerpt:

2009 was the year that saw the UK video game industry overtake cinema, recorded music and DVD sales in revenue (Chatfield, 2009). Platforms such as the Nintendo Wii and free-to-play titles on social networking websites like Facebook have seen the appeal of video gaming stretch beyond its perceived core fan base of teenage boys and young men. The reach and allure of the medium is unquestionable, but it has yet to prove itself as a channel for serious expression; no video game created thusfar is comparable to the greatest works of art in other media.

The viability of video gaming as a medium for art continues to be fiercely debated. It is not uncommon for a failed attempt to be written off, as it is of course 'just a game', its chief purposes being to occupy and amuse. However an ever-growing contingent of players, critics and developers are expressing their belief that the video game can be just as significant as any other work of art, and can often be so with no impact upon its capacity to entertain.

It is the purpose of this dissertation to investigate the viability of this concept, initially by forming a working definition of art to direct the course of the discussion. In addition to this definition, certain distinctions will be made; firstly that between art and craftsmanship, secondly between the fields of Narratology and Ludolugy, and finally between "blockbuster" video games, which focus on entertainment, and "arthouse" video games, which focus on expression. Evidence will be gathered of developmental issues in common with emerging forms of the past, significantly the tendency to emulate those forms which have come before, to demonstrate the gradual maturation and acceptance of new media. This will be focused further by emphasis and exploration of the peculiar obstacles video gaming faces, and must overcome, as highlighted by Jonathan Blow. Finally, case studies will demonstrate the conflicted nature of contemporary game design with reference to the aforementioned points.

The full text is available on request.