Comments on: Code is Art?

By: Shannon Mellott

Shannon Mellott — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:37:18 +0000

I’d have to say art is either seen, heard, or felt. Seeing as we don’t see, hear, or feel the code, then it’s not actually art. The overall product brings aspects of art together. I would say coding is more of managing art or engineering an artistic outcome. But, alas I came to your site today for something else and I couldn’t find a direct way to email you Wendy, sorry. I am reading Beginning DirectX 10 Game Programming and had one small correction to let you know about in the text. On Page 31 line 4 read if(!InitDirect3D(mainhWnd, width, height)). But earlier in the text, page 14 last line, the main window handle is initialized as wndHandle. I’m sure someone might have brought this to your attention, but if not, then here it is. I’m letting you know, since you’re the author. By the way, I’ve having tons of fun learning DirectX. It’s very different from using Allegro which was all console game programming. I’m learning windows programming simultaneously, so it’s a doozy.

Shannon

By: will swaim

will swaim — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:01:21 +0000

must somone admire the code for it to be an art?

i would see the code as something to the like of gears to a clock. even thou a skilled watch maker may admire his work of art as it’s ticking gears are gradually counting time. to the rest of the world all they will see is the gleam of the watch lens, the shine of the metal casing, and the sound of ticking time. when the true art is the mechanics of whirling gears behind this fascinating device that truelly makes it what it is.

without the art of mechanics a foundation can’t be made to display the “art” from the creative minds that want to show their “art” to the rest of the world.

makes me think of how much i hate cakes with to much frosting and not enought cake…

By: Rachel Blum

Rachel Blum — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 23:17:39 +0000

Sorry – I can’t let it rest

I didn’t say code isn’t art. (Although I’d argue it’s more a craft than an art.)

But in the art piece that is the final game, the code itself doesn’t evoke any emotions. It’s a vehicle that allows us to evoke emotions – but that’s akin to mixing paint, not to painting.

We create the tools that allow others to build their art. It becomes more obvious if you look at the proliferation of game engines – code becomes more of a tool, and less of a medium.

That doesn’t mean it’s unimportant and ignored – but it means that for the target audience, it is entirely uninteresting. If it is art, it is art that can only be appreciated by those who build game worlds based on that code. (I’ve never heard a gamer ask to see the source code