Video games are officially art

It's been a topic of debate for decades, but now an authoritative voice has passed judgement. According to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), video games are now officially an art form.

The NEA, which offers grants up to $200,000 to artists (in the U.S., anyway) creating works for the public good, recently changed its definitions as to what exactly constitutes art. What really sticks out to the gamer crowd is the transformation of The Arts on Radio and Television into The Arts in Media, 3  which will include film, TV, radio, satellite-based and Internet-based and interactive media.

What that means for game makers is this: it is possible to make a game that it artistically applicable to the common good without having to run it though the big game companies. While $200,000 isn't much compared to the cost of making AAA games these days, it goes a long way compared to the nada that game maker would have otherwise.

The real significance of this is the symbolic meaning, however. Video games are no longer just the playthings of children, they are an art form in their own right. While this may have been true in the hearts and minds of many gamers for years, now there is official recognition. Take that, Roger Ebert.