Do you think video games are a form of art?

So art should not be interactive? I definitely believe there to be art in the aesthetics.

@Winterwanderer: My point is, the concept of a video game, as in, playing a video game, isn't really artistic. The design and drawings that go into it, could be.

Oh! Certainly, hahaha, if playing a video game was art, then staring at a painting would be art, which I'm inclined to say is not (unless it's like self- reflective art).

What I meant in my question was actually the design, meanings, concepts, & aesthetics of a game, not (really) the playing of it (though some games blur the boundary between the art piece & the consumer).

@BlueMetalChick: Maybe the purpose of most games is just simply for players to play, but like what you said, the designs from concept art of the setting, character design, to the SFX are all designed effortfully and specifically. Even so, as a multi-media student, I have to say artworks CAN be interactive too. There was this subject teaching us to make instsllation arts with programmes and ideas, artwork is no longer be formed in only the first three demensions, but also involved light projecting and the way people interacting with them. We can see many installation art nowadays in those exhibition, they stand as only a half piece of artwork until you go and mess with them. Like in some artistic adventure video games, you nee to play to see how the story go, walk to see and explore the full environment in the game. So imo video games are a FORM of art more or less, not every games tho. Blah, my words can only express so much...

@Marshmallow: Some video games require a lot of visual art, like Ratchet & Clank for example. My favorite video game series, Halo, has one of the most stunning and brilliant soundtracks of any game, and music is art. Art can be a component of video games, although I don't know if I'd straight up say that a game in itself IS a piece of art.

Though what if every element of a game is beautifully, masterfully handcrafted? Music, mechanics, graphics, level design, character design. Though even in other art forms, often artists focus on certain elements whilst paying less attention to others, I don't think games need to necessarily be beautifully expressive in all aspects in order to be considered art.