Ludic Mediality: Aesthetic Experience in Computer Games

Abstract

Relating ‘aesthetic experience’ and computer games seems to be a difficult endeavour. There are those who are already offended by the mere notion of comparing commodities such as computer games with works of art. Others point to those computer games that have recently become part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art and reach an agreement by assuming that computer games were always artworks. This rather pointless discussion is avoided here by rejecting the notion of ‘art’ altogether in stressing that ‘aesthetic experience’ is not exclusive to art. Therefore it does not matter if computer games are works of art or not because aesthetic experience—as part of many aspects of everyday life—can be analyzed without reference to art.