Should the Government Help Fund Video Game Development?

by Travis J. Quibbert Posted 2011/05/11 19:00:00

Related Topics: National Endowment For The Arts, Video Games, Government Funding, Art, Chicago, Funding, Angry Birds, Time, Media, Video, Game, Award, Video Game, 2011

Read More

191 votes
Read all 155 opinions
Lightning Report View Results and Demographics + View Demographics

Loading Demographics... Click an icon to see demographic results Display unknown and private
	Yes	72 votes	38%
	No	119 votes	62%

People have debated for years whether video games are art or merely a childish diversion. Now it looks like the government has weighed in: they're art!

The National Endowment for the Arts, the program which awards funding to artistic projects, announced that "interactive games" will now be eligible for grants in the category called "The Arts in Media."

The "are video games art?" debate heated up last year when Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert famously claimed that "video games can never be art."

The grants generally range from $10,000 to $200,000, and the deadline for submissions this year is September 1, 2011 - so if you have an idea for the next Angry Birds or Farmville, start getting your paperwork together!

+13

Add a comment above

Loctia 2011/05/11 22:11:27 (edited)

Yes

+5
Depends on the game of course - it's rather misleading to put Mario, when more likely they'll be funding games which are educational or actually artistic. Some games, especially independent titles, can be very artistic.

Also worth noting, the National Endowment for the Arts isn't "tax payer funded" - it is funded in some part by federal grants, which are competitive, but it is an independent organization and also takes non-government donations. They don't just pour your tax-payer dollars into it.
>> See Replies

More polls by Travis J. Quibbert

willow jenkins 2011/06/11 22:23:09

Yes

+1
Only to small companies to help with start up funds and not big companies like Ubisoft and the likes who are already established and successful.

reply
Xerxes,... to willow ... 2011/06/11 22:32:43

agree

reply
lolo 2011/05/13 15:28:38

No

Government is already funding waaay too much as it is.

reply
stefan to lolo 2011/12/21 15:00:43

+1
i agree with you man, why cant the game companies just pay for them. i love games but no i dont think the gouverment should pay for them to get made.

reply
James 2011/05/13 03:34:32

No

The video game industry can sustain itself without government interference. Leave it alone.

reply
Steven 2011/05/12 18:38:37

No

I have an indifferent answer. In some games/categories, I'd work. But, if the gov't steps in....... you won't have certain games like, Gears of War, Call of Duty etc.... things will get dumbed down and censored. Simple as that. Another reason would be that games are made to sell consoles and put money in the hands of the publishers/designers/artists. The gov't might as well just fund me to lay around and masturbate all day.....

reply
Xerxes,... to Steven 2011/05/12 19:14:25

outstanding point. i did not realize the gov't had that much influence. thank you

reply
srini 2011/05/12 18:21:25

No

Video games are commercial products, and should be given only goose-egg subsidies!

reply
The Patriot 2011/05/12 18:21:05 (edited)

No

Go out side and get some fresh air.

reply
Xerxes,... to The Pat... 2011/05/12 18:23:19

LMAO

reply
Lovely006 2011/05/12 17:29:09

No

I'm a huge fan of video games but i think we need to use the money wisely for other things we need the most.

reply
Topdog 2011/05/12 16:50:11

Yes

The gaming Era isn't over yet we still have alot of planning ahead of uds

reply
Seonag 2011/05/12 16:40:32

No

We are broke!

reply
chief 00 2011/05/12 15:43:26

No

Video games make enough money on their own

reply
shpongledgirl 2011/05/12 15:30:54

No

I can't believe anyone actually said yes to this. Does a $14,000,000,000 deficit mean anything to you?

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

reply
Nokkenbuer 2011/05/12 14:57:54

No

Although many of the video games are very worthy of being considered artwork - and rightfully so - they shouldn't receive government grants, especially considering many of the gaming corporations (e.g. Ubisoft, Activision, etc.) are in better shape than the USA.

reply
Doc 2011/05/12 14:35:22

No

+1
When is it going to sink in that we're broke? NEA should be de-funded too, while we're at it. It has become a gigantic waste of money that we don't have.

reply
abbiekat 2011/05/12 14:35:05

Yes

Not all video games are violent and bad for children.
Wii games help children with excercise while still having fun.
Video Games are art
and Video games help with hand-eye corridination.

reply
Rudy 2011/05/12 14:16:37

No

I'm sure they want to so they can create another agency of stupid bureaucrats. Make the parents responsible for what their kids buy & watch.

reply
Wiston 2011/05/12 13:52:16

Yes

+1
They should be specific, though. I see no reason why EA or a similar sized company should receive these funds, but I have no problem with small independent developers, like Facepunch(Garry's Mod) studios or Mojang(MINECRAFT), get the support then need.

reply
Dark sector 2011/05/12 13:45:54

Yes

Why cant they be art?

reply
earl 2011/05/12 12:39:28
Eileen Harkey 2011/05/12 09:22:27

No

+1
No more indoctrination!

reply
☆The Rock☆ * AFCL* The Sher... 2011/05/12 09:02:24

No

+2
Keep government out of it! The free market does a hell of a lot better job!

reply
Lovely 2011/05/12 08:44:40

No

+1
no use! better fund something more useful for people

reply
Nuke 2011/05/12 07:25:03

No

+2
It comes with a price... Regulations and whatnot, if the Government will fund it you know they'll be asking you to change things...
No government control thank you.

reply
GoatHorns 2011/05/12 07:11:21

Yes

no no no no no i meant no dammit

reply
freakoutnow... cuz mom's here 2011/05/12 07:03:58

No

+1
It way be art but it is private art. We don't need the government getting the grubby hands on any more things.

reply
Myrle Hulme 2011/05/12 06:25:58

No

+1
No I think they make enought money themselves, but doctors could use more funding

reply
mjollnir 2011/05/12 06:25:25

No

While games like Ookami do have actual artistic merit, most don't. The government shouldn't fund most of the things they do- including video games.

reply
Rage 2011/05/12 06:15:45

Yes

HELL TO THE YES!!!! Video games aren't all bad like some would like to think. They actually help with hand/eye coordination (it helps some of us better than others) not to mention that it promotes teamwork in large groups and yes it even helps relieve stress. (Maybe Obama should play some Modern Warfare cause he's bound to be stressed)

reply
Sonic 2011/05/12 05:24:55

No

+1
games can be a great art, and a great work of programming skill, but federal funding is just not necessary. The gaming industry is doing very well for itself right now, so i don't think the government needs to give them anymore.

reply
April 2011/05/12 05:21:31

No

+1
yeah..sure..they'll help..and when all had gone wrong, they'll blame the companies they support..

reply
sglmom 2011/05/12 05:14:36

No

+1
What about BROKE do these Politicians AND the Governmental Agencies NOT Understand at this time?

Sheesh!

reply
MattRushing 2011/05/12 04:50:42
Depsycho 2011/05/12 04:36:41

Yes

+1
Not all games now, but ones that can actually refine hand-eye coordination, reaction time, etc etc.

reply
cmdrbnd007 2011/05/12 04:33:31

No

+1
Hell, no! A good video game can create a ton of money for the creator. If you are good enough to create a good game then find another job. The last thing the government needs to do is subsidize video games. If they do the games are going to suck. Gee, no wonder we are trillions of dollars in debt.

reply
kbimbers 2011/05/12 04:17:02

No

+2
Are you kidding me? We have a massive deficit and they want to fund something that is a PERSONAL CHOICE? Let alone something that leads to obesity? If this is art, then why aren't they funding commercials (like the Budweiser ones), etc. Stop drawing lines in the sand, it keeps getting washed away, use concrete!

reply
Tony 2011/05/12 04:11:57

No

+3
only art I think government should be funding is in the schools! Local governments, not federal

reply
Jareth Majere 2011/05/12 04:08:03

Yes

+1
They may not be art in some people's eyes, but these game designers are leading techies & may develop other useful apps later

reply