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I wanted to make this post because someone made a claim to me once and said that “Video games aren’t art, but can have artistic qualities.” Not only do I think this is wrong, I believe that video games, as a medium, are the highest form of art in existence.

So before I start, I want to be careful and define terms properly. When I say that video games are the “highest” form of art, I’m referring more specifically to the expressive ceiling that any given form of art can reach. The upper limit of what any given medium can cause a person to think, feel and understand. My claim isn’t that your average game outclasses the average painting, song, or movie. My claim is that the medium at its best (meaning all or most aspects of it are firing on all cylinders) can (and does) absolutely outclass everything else by virtue of the amount of ground it can cover. Most forms of art speak a single language. Music is organized sound, and granting that lyrics fold poetry into it, it still exists fundamentally as a single channel of expression. A painting is a single arrested image. A novel is prose. These forms of media can demonstrate amazing depth within their channel, but the channel is still largely fixed. Besides games, other hybrids do exist. Film, for example, has the ability to incorporate photography, cinematography, writing, performance, score, etc. But games can do everything film does and then some. All of those disciplines exist within games, and they can reach the same heights there that they do in their standalone mediums.

One pertinent example I would give is music. In games, music isn’t just the import of a film-like score. Instead it introduces a new compositional discipline. Adaptive music reacts to the player. Layers can swell as combat intensifies, themes can resequence depending on where you wander, motifs return at the exact moment you make the choice they foreshadowed. The composer has to write music that stays beautiful and thematic but in an order that is largely out of their control (and in the player’s hands). Baldur’s Gate 3 adds an extra uplifting layer to the combat theme when an enemy falls (and the music likewise turns more somber or desperate when an ally drops). Nier Automata’s soundtrack strips and rebuilds its vocal layers in real time as the world changes around you. The most important thing about these two examples is that the transitions are seamless and fit naturally within the composition. I’ve never experienced that at a live concert.

There are several other examples I could point to, of course: architecture, concept design, sculpture, animation, performance capture and more. But doing each of them justice would exponentially lengthen this post, so I'll take them one at a time if anyone wants to dispute a particular discipline.

So no, video games don’t just have “artistic qualities.” A medium that contains every other art form within it, and does things none of them can do alone, isn’t borrowing art’s qualities. It’s raising art’s ceiling.

I think this illustrates the point as to why I would like to see Elenkia take a more prominent role in social media consumption by the average person. A platform that doesn't boost the quantity of the signal but the quality. Allowing disinformation to run rampant and unchecked, I believe, is one of the biggest causes for an uninformed and frankly, worn-out electorate.

Lately I was wondering: Is the 6-7 meme a means of gauging anti-youth chauvinism? Supposedly, the meme is completely empty of any meaning whatsoever. It is basically a sugar pill. So if you send it out there, you can watch and see who pretends to have a reaction to the placebo. Who declares it to be Satanic? Who tries to have it banned from schools? It's a narcissist detector. You can watch as your enemies out themselves by pretending to discern objectionable content in an empty symbol. (Their real objection is clear: "I don't like your group having any affinity which I don't originate, approve, understand, or control.")

A few new people have joined recently, so I thought I'd give an opportunity to test our duolog system. Below I've posted a discussion question to get started. Give me your best take! Just click the "Request Duolog" button to get started.

Here's the question:
👇
Are we morally responsible for the things from which we benefit, or only for our personal actions?

Parades was a shit-show who played so badly when he came in that I thought he might be trying to a throw the game. That Fernandez got sent off first was a travesty but also a testament to the Ref's patience. Argentina had the talent but not the discipline to repeat. Spain played better football with more class and deserved the win.

Messi deserved more from his team. He deserved to be consoled by his teammates (especially those who cost the game) but they were too busy being thugs to be a team. Kudos to Spain's Torres for his gracious acknowledgment of Messi after the whistle.

Viva Argentina!

The red card was the wrong call. But, once made, it should be honored. To permit political and financial interests to create an exception to the tournament rules shreds the last vestiges of credibility that FIFA held.

Further, if it is not granted, then other nations should withdraw from FIFA and create an alternative governing body.

Gonna start a little duolog with myself.

What is bannable content within the website?

How will the Elenkia team administer the use of people using multiple accounts as simply having secondary accounts vs intential sockpuppet accounts to skew votes, outcomes, etc.? Will anonymity be prioritised or will your account be tied to you via academic institutions/workplace in order to discourage "trolling" or bad faith practices with which anonymity provides?

If you don't choose to sit in this type of chair, does it make you gay or homophobic?

This video explores the meta problem of consciousness proposed by David Chalmers and argues that naturalistic processes couldn’t have given us knowledge of consciousness

Just trying out this new app.

but check out here its not even in list wtf and i'm truly wonderning are there only few dozen of peoples only??

hi , so anyone here agree that we should have a better name ? Don't wanna be elenkians...lol
Jk name is decent i see the inspiration behind this where someone from the team said this -
" The name actually derives from the words Elenchus n. (iˈleNGkəs): The Socratic method of discourse and Elench n (iˈleNGk): The critical point in a discussion at which proof or persuasion is achieved. the -kia at the end is kinda of the suffix to make it sound like "The Land of Elenchus" if you will. Hence, Elenkia. "

And is here free speech ? I mean like reddit nowdays is so cooked i don't like it now .

didn't find suitable tag for post so using wutever is there .

Glad I live in a place where its pleasant to walk around and easy to go from place to place with good public transit. A good rabbithole Youtube channel to get the downlow --> "Not Just Bikes". You are welcome.

I see that duologs allow for a text response and soon video response will be enabled as well. What about adding images as supporting evidence in the duolog? Just a suggestion.

There’s no guitar that looks better with zebra pick ups. Change my mind.

I'm making this post partially because I want to be the first person to post a PEPE meme on this site, but more importantly, I want to illustrate what everyone already knows - which is the fact that flashy memes such as this one lends credibility in any argument. THIS IS SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN! But you wouldn't know that because you are all a bunch of buffoons! Prove me wrong.