Identifying the artist in video games is complicated because it takes a collaboration of artist to form the game. For the fourth blog I played FIFA (Federation de Internationale de Football Association) 2017 by EA games on a Xbox One.
FIFA is a competitive soccer video game where multi players can play with or against each other. The process of the game is simple you pick from one of the 650 teams within 30 leagues, choose a jersey and play on the same or opposite team with your friend. Whiling playing you switch between players on the team to control them, the controller gives you the options to dribble, pass, throw, slide, kick and goal. I identified this game to fall into three of many of game aesthetic categories mentioned by Hunicke.
- Game as fellowship, the multiplayer dynamic of the game lets the player interact with fellow players to compete against or play with.
- Game as sensation, there are many things within this game that I found to be visually appealing like the different jersey colors we could choose from and the graphical set up of the arena
- Game as challenge, while playing the game you really start to feel the competitiveness and aggression at various times, especially when scoring because you’re always so close to score a goal and you barely miss it.
The newer versions of FIFA is known to be smoother, to have improved graphics, includes narratives and a women’s league as well. FIFA mods are sometimes used for comedic effects, for example making the goal net smaller, making the soccer ball lighter or changing the soccer ball to different object. One certain mod I found, included a player putting on an Iron man suit and fighting another player who had electric whips (or something like that). Game mods help identify the aesthetics in the game, because the originality of the game has changed. Instead of just a game it is now a game with superheroes. “Game aesthetics refers to those aspects of digital games that are shared with other art forms (and thus provides a means of generalizing about art).” (Niedenthal 2). In this certain scenario we have a clash of two different genres one is a reality soccer game which turns into fiction by adding in superheroes. The authorship of FIFA would go to its developers (EA games) because they brand the original game for others to recreate and modify.
Hunicke et al. (2004). “MDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research”
Video Games and/as Art 
Good use of mods and explaining how FIFA falls into the category of art, but you did not really talk about the author. You said it was EA and that was about it. Do you mind expanding on why it is them?
LikeLike
I think that the authorship of this game would go to the Frostbite gaming engine. Frostbite has collaborated with EA games on other occasion (“Battlefield” and “Need for Speed”) to help bring the games to life. Which is why they receive the initial branding title but when it comes to the presentation of the players and the aesthetics of the games it would be done by Frostbite.
LikeLike
I was excited to read your blog because I couldn’t imagine FIFA being considered art, however I like that you went with aesthetics. I had no clue about the super hero effect on FIFA, so that was fun to learn about and it definitely changed my perspective of FIFA.
LikeLike
You have a big disjunction between your authorial claim and your description. You describe everything from your friend and FIFA to aesthetics and mods, but you then say that EA is the author because they BRAND it. You give no explanation as to why the brand holder gets to be the author. You don’t even say that it’s EA Sports, and not just EA. This is a weakness. You need to really push an argument in writing your blog, not just describing the game and quickly answering the question. Your answer should be the thing you describe.
LikeLike
I agree with you professor. I enjoyed your depiction of mods and how they can change the originality of the game. However, there is not much depth information on why you believe that EA sports is the author. Could you expand a bit more on why you think they are the authors?
LikeLike
In part, I was simply pointing out that EA Sports and EA Games are not the same thing. Companies, divisions, and venn diagrams of responsibility, I suppose. Anything you attribute to EA (the overarching company) is perhaps better attributed to the smaller sub-brand EA Sports. It’s a matter of massive company structures. see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Arts#Electronic_Arts_company_structure
LikeLike
I love the originality of implementing a sports game into the discussion of art and where the title of authorship should end up. I enjoyed your approach and your definitions of what game could be, an especially game as fellowship as this is prominently used in games such as this. I would like to entertain the thought that maybe some of the athletes and the sport its self that the game is based on could obtain some of that authorship, just a thought.
LikeLike
Loved reading about FIFA but I also really wish you would have gone more in depth in what you really thought about what was art in the game because there was a lot that was left just out there
LikeLike
What I really like about this game is the how realistic the characters look. The gaming engine uses “immersive details” like new environments (tunnels,locker rooms, managers office etc.) and a narrative to enhance the players experience through aesthetics and design. The art in this game is, that you can not only play through a very realistic platform but you are also given a story that goes along with it.
LikeLike
I love Fifa! It’s such an amazing game to play with friends. I can never get bored with. Have you played any of the previous Fifa games? Who is your favorite soccer player? I think you could’ve used some more visuals to help support your argument of the aesthetics perhaps showing the different types of mods and cosmetic effects.
LikeLike