Notes

Minecraft Awarded GameCity Videogame Arts Prize

Minecraft was awarded GameCity videogame arts prize by Leo Kelion Technology reporter



29 October 2011



Minecraft is the winner of a new arts award for computer games.
Minecraft skins


The prize was announced at the end of the GameCity videogame culture festival in Nottingham.



The title is the product of an independent Swedish company, Mojang. In an open world, players must build objects using blocks.



The game was chosen over other games, including Valve's Portal 2, Southend Interactive's Ilomilo as well as Game Freak's Pokemon Black.



Markus Persson, founder of Mojang said it was an honor to be compared to those games.



"Winning this award will help make Minecraft the best game you can play."



More than four million people have purchased the game online, despite the fact that it is still in beta. It is scheduled to go live for formal release next month.



It was like it was growing, and it wasn't like any other. It was organic," Ed Hall, one of the judges, said to the BBC.



"It's easy and addictive, and there is an element of beauty in the work you do."



Culturally confident



Iain Simons (GameCity's director) said he was delighted by the decision.



The festival is now in its sixth year. Since then, he says that he has noticed a rise in the average age of gamers and more women drawn to the activity.



He said, "There is a much larger number of gamers."



"They have become more normalised They have become more confident in their cultural identity and this award, and the festival, is very much about exploring the confidence."



The growth of smartphones is a large part of the reason behind this phenomenon. The advent of smartphones has helped to popularize the type of games that were only available on dedicated mobile machines, and larger home consoles.



The advancements in graphics chips and computer processors will surely give designers a larger palette to choose from. However, Mr. Simon believes that the developments affect the designers' status as artists.



"I believe that technology is an untruth. What technology is bringing forward is the capability for games to look more real. He said that it was possible to appear like an AAA blockbuster.



"I do not believe that they aren't art in themselves. Otherwise we wouldn't cry at Bambi. It's not all about photorealism.



The judges of the contest seem to be in agreement while admitting that they have chosen the most basic title.



The jury comprised 13 members from a variety of backgrounds, including Dr Who actress Frances Barber, Labour MP Tom Watson and the artistic director of London's Southbank centre, Jude Kelly.



Enhancing life



Minecraft's merits were not immediately accepted by everyone. Nitin Sawhney (composer) was also on the panel and was uninvolved in the soundtrack.



However neither the music nor the design of the game could have been fatal to its chances.



"[We asked] was there one that we believed was head and shoulder above the other? Was there any merit to the game in enhancing your the quality of life and enjoyment, beyond playing the game? Could it make your view of the world better?" said Mr Hall.



"Could an online game be considered something that could be played in the near future?"



Minecraft is a game with many classic elements, such as night-roaming monsters and the ability to battle online multiplayer.



However, it was chosen based on its mood and capacity to inspire gamers to be creative.



Mr Hall said, "It's a broad definition of art that can be had."



"But computer games are certainly artistic. There are stories and images that engage you, ideas that can keep your mind occupied for hours, and a total package that keeps you coming back for days."



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