So I was browsing the tube of you yesterday listening to performances from the "Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy" concert tour (which incidently is an awesome listen and I'm very jealous of anyone that got to go) when I spotted a rather simple yet oddly profound comment on a video of the performance of "To Zanarkand" from FFX. I know what you're thinking, the comments on youtube videos are usually nothing to write home about but this one struck a chord for some reason. It's quite possible it was unintentional and said on the spur of the moment, but there it was nonetheless:

"Final Fantasy is Art."

Now being an avid fan of the series I'm biased here but, the more I thought about it, the more I realised how true this short statement really was. Not just of Final Fantasy either but most, if not all, computer games (the extremely consistently high presentation of the Final Fantasy series over the years just serves as an excellent example here).

Fair enough, where am I going with this? Well it got me to thinking and a wondering. All art starts with an idea seeded in the mind of an individual, is planted on a canvas and through creative care is nutured until the artist is happy to sit back and see it in full bloom. Then they set about sharing their creation with the world. This doesn't apply just to art, but to any creative outlet the human mind dared dream such as music, drama, writing etc.

Now I don't pretend to know exactly everything that goes into making a game but I have a rough idea. Surely though it is the exactly same process any individual goes through but on a much larger scale. Yet it is more than that, it's a coalation of many creative avenues all coming together to create an experience that anyone can be a part of. Is this not what any artist strives for, to produce work that can be enjoyed by all? Is managing to bring all of this together successfully not an example of an ultimate accomplishement in art?

The Final Fantasy series, among others, certainly inspired me to take my art more seriously simply in the hope that I could maybe, one day, be part of such a thing. Think about it for a second. Have you ever perhaps played guitar hero or rock band and come away wanting to try a real instrument? Have you ever played through an RPG an been so moved by the story that you wanted to create something in tribute to it? Has watching the animation on screen ever inspired you to try your hand at it? Has the voice acting ever made you want to prove to the world that you can do it better?

The Arts as a whole seem to be forever wrapped in controversy these days and usually not held in much regard among the general 'average joe'. As an artist it's somewhat humbling to think though that art has been quietly evolving out of the spotlight in the form of the computer games and that people of all ages have picked them up rather unsuspectingly in their living room, been inspired by them, worked hard to get into the industry, and gone on to continue to provide another generation with art.

Hmmm, food for thought indeed no?