Two heavyweights are squaring up once again, to argue over the game world's longest-running and, sadly, least-interesting question - are video games art?

Author Clive Barker thinks they are. But then he would - he's signed a couple of deals to bring his books to the game world, so is no doubt hoping latest game Clive Barker's Jericho brings those royalty payments in.

We reported Clive's previous war of words with Roger Ebert here - now Ebert has written his response. Ebert's new argument has been adjusted to say that games can't be "high art", before he goes on to answer many of Barker's previous points. It is a very polite flame war.

As for the actual answer to this question... no, games can't be art. They are designed by committees of computer programmers in Portakabins, and although that may be how Damien Hirst works these days, it doesn't make for genius creations in the games world. Games may well contain moments of art - nice touches designed by talented people - but that's the best they can hope for. The only exception to this rule is Sonic The Hedgehog, which we'd rather have than the Mona Lisa.

We now consider the argument CLOSED. Games are not art, and all comments to the contrary will be deleted within minutes.

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Clive Barker on games as art, Jericho
"We have such sights to show you!" Clive Barker's Jericho site launches

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