Are Video Games Art Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Are Video Games Art - Research Paper Example ies which immerses the player engaging them deeply in the real life problems they face like depression and living in an abusive home, or the Shadow of Colossus wherein symbolism comes into play and all the characters designed with complex details, the list of the games invoking a personal response from a player are endless. Aaron Smuts in his article â€Å"Are videogames Art?† uses the examples of games like ‘Max Payne’ (2001), ‘Halo’ (2001) and ‘Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell (2002) to explain how videogames posses the ‘aesthetic potential’ which engages the player implying it is a promising art. ‘Max Payne’ has a very detailed plot and touches upon the story of an unprincipled cop who sets out to seek revenge of the death of his wife and his child. The game engrosses the player as he controls the advances of the character; dealing with different conspiracies weaved in the screenplay, hungry for revenge. Similarly, Halo involves many twists in the plot and the player enjoys slowly uncovering where the army as crash landed. The game Splinter Cell has been designed to trigger a feeling of tension in the player as he hides around from the lurking danger. Most of the game consists of hiding around in suspense. The game has the immense quality of having detailed maneuvers of different character, remarkable lighting effects and a prolific shadow play. All these details along with the suspense ridden story involving the player deeply are nothing a work of art. Smuts states that the games are the products of sophisticated technology and the graphics are close to real life, though it can not match the greatness of artworks in the history but it surely agrees with the definition by invoking some emotions in the player (Smuts 2005). Videogames to be determined as art should possess the quality of emotionally involving the players. The game ‘Alice: Madness Returns’ tells a story about a girl who sees her whole family die as a result of fire and leaving

Horses in Han Dynasty China Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Horses in Han Dynasty China - Research Paper Example However, one wonders why horse carvings and sculptures were a common feature of the Han dynasty? The depiction of the horse on the tombs translates to a critical role that the horse played in the afterlife. A superficial view of the issue may assume that the horse was just an additional object that accompanied the dead to the afterlife. However, a deeper analysis of the religious set-up of the Han dynasty provides highlights on the critical role played by the horse in guiding and protecting people in the afterlife. This paper will analyze the belief system of the Han dynasty and the attributes of people whose tombs had horse carvings. History and Religion of the Han Dynasty The Han dynasty emerged in 207 B.C.E as a successor of the Qin dynasty. The Han dynasty found a united Chinese society from the efforts of its immediate predecessor. This dynasty lasted for the longest time in China thriving in unity. However, the dynasty faced a division in the years that followed. Initially, the western Han had political strength. Upon its collapse, the eastern side rose to take its place. The Han dynasty had an intense culture and architectural designs evident from archeological and historical evidence. The society practiced agriculture and the war. In addition, history reveals that the society domesticated horses. The people of the Han dynasty had strong beliefs about life beyond death.... In the ritual ceremonies that sought to unite the dead bodies with the immortal spirits, people offered sacrifices. The people opined that sacrificial goods were critical because they would be useful in the afterlife. The dead received a decent and well-designed burial tomb, an honorable place where they could spend their eternity. Attempts of Describing the Tomb Architecture Different reserchers have tried to unravel the relevance of the horse. The mausoleum of an emperor played the role of his palace in the afterlife. The horse was one of the common sculptures in most of the tombs.The people associatedthe horse with the potential of guiding the deceased emperor in the journey towards the next phase of life. Just as a horse would guide and protect an emperor in real life, the Han dynasty believed that the horse had the power to do the same in the spirit world. An emperor going to the next life without a horse would lack a basic aspect in the next world. In addition, horses were the symbols of wealth and power in the afterlife just as they were among the living.4 The Han dynasty mausoleums had details of a complete palace with different rooms designated to palace servants such as guards, dancers, cooks, and the burial chambers.5 The structures had detailed the architecture and the construction took a long time. The people’s beliefs and convictions of life after death compelled society to give up some people for servitude in the spirit world. However, in the Han dynasty, carvings replaced the sacrifice of people. Mausoleums proved to be places of great significance for the Chinese people. From the archeological records of excavated