Meskin, A (2018) Videogames and Creativity. In: Robson, J and Tavinor, G, (eds.) The Aesthetics of Videogames. Routledge Research in Aesthetics . Routledge , Abingdon, Oxon, UK , pp. 95-111. ISBN 9781138629585
Abstract
What is the relationship between videogames and creativity? Whether or not they are art (and some of them surely are), it is clear that the design and production of videogames can, and indeed typically does, involve creativity. What about playing videogames? On the one hand, videogames have sometimes been seen as a threat to creativity. A recent Newsweek article reports that “It’s too early to determine conclusively why U.S. creativity scores are declining. One likely culprit is the number of hours kids now spend in front of the TV and playing videogames rather than engaging in creative activities.” 1 On the other hand, defenders of videogames have touted their connection to creativity as a significant virtue. So, for example, writing in the Guardian, Lucy Prebble has argued that “gaming is essentially private and individual (although it really doesn’t have to be). It is creative, in comparison to the passivity of watching a film or reading a book. You are making choices and, often, are even designing the world yourself.” 2 Or, as the Telegraph put it succinctly, “Videogames more creative than reading.” 3 And a recent scholarly overview of the benefits of videogame play states that “video games seem to be associated with … enhanced creativity” (Granic, Lobel, and Engels, 2014: 69), although the authors admit that the results of the cited study leave significant questions unanswered.
Metadata
Item Type: | Book Section |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2018 Taylor & Francis . This is an Accepted Manuscript of a book chapter published by Routledge in The Aesthetics of Videogames on 19 March 2018, available online: http://www.routledge.com/9781138629585. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | creativity; aesthetics; video games |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (Leeds) > School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science (Leeds) > School of Philosophy (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 03 May 2018 10:38 |
Last Modified: | 19 Sep 2019 00:38 |
Published Version: | https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/978135180946... |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Routledge |
Series Name: | Routledge Research in Aesthetics |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:129858 |