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Video games aren't always awarded the best reputations.
Whether under scrutiny for implicating violence among the youth or raising the eyebrows of parents and media alike because of perfectly reasonable alien sex scenes via BioWare's "Mass Effect," video games take a lot of fire.
Most major outlets, except for the ones directly involved in the medium, don't hold it in the same light as other genres, which may be the cause of so much controversy.
For movies, music, art and literature, there is a status people attach that give those genres permission to get away with things that video games can't.
Violence, sex and any other typically taboo subjects, if associated with video games, raise red flags.
But why?
No one seems to mind when the newest action flick comes out, and everyone dies or when a steamy romance hits the screen, and everyone's favorite star vixen strips to nothing.
When it's done electronically, watch out.
Many hold the notion these mediums are an art form – modes of personal expression and are therefore acceptable.
Sure, there are still certain groups that protest against them too, but they never seem as up in arms.
Why can't video games be art? I argue that they can.
If we look back at the days of the original Nintendo, it would be easy to say video games were nothing more than good fun and an entertaining way to pass time.
I would tend to agree with that, but we still have to give credit where credit is due.
Developers then were still pushing and squeezing every last drop of capability those machines had, which I feel is no different from a director limited by the latest filming technology.
Certainly, though, it would be hard to argue that "Megaman" or "Mario Brothers" set out to teach a lesson or make people aware of some pressing issue.
"Metroid," however, did have a female hero, which was quite startling for its time.
Games during this time were just for fun, but that doesn't mean these development teams weren't artists.
Were these games not labors of love? Or an expression of their best and most true ideas?
Today, graphical capability has improved, thus improving the ability to connect on a more intimate, emotional level.
Characters are becoming more and more humanlike, and developers are able to convey stories akin to something we'd see in the movies.
Sure, this was possible before this time, with the 16-bit role playing game days of the Super Nintendo, which delivered quite wonderful tales of fantasy and adventure, but that was only one piece of the puzzle.
The first time a game ever touched me at an emotional level was when I played Sega AM-2's "Shenmue" for the Dreamcast.
Shenmue offered a level of immersion I had never experienced before in a video game, and I felt like I was a part of the story.
My heart still has a place reserved for the conclusion of that story, because unfortunately, it's proper sequels are never going to see the light of day.
I could fill up this entire opinion section listing gaming moments that have affected me on a deep level, but for the sake of brevity, let's move to present day, 2010.
The PlayStation 3 and XBOX 360 have pushed the limits of what can be done for over four years now, and as this continues, it becomes easier to make the argument video games are, or can be, art.
Games like "Heavy Rain" for the PS3 have made this evident.
"Heavy Rain" offers what is essentially an interactive movie, with incredibly lifelike graphics and animation and an adult storyline. You might forget that you are "playing" a game.
While Quantic Dream tried this approach initially with its 2005 release of "Indigo Prophecy," it was hampered by the times limited technology.
Still, a game isn't a good one unless it's fun, and I'm fine with that. I understand the platform it stands on, but it deserves more respect.
Video games can be, and are, an art form.
They are an interactive, sometimes cathartic, expression of emotions and ideas. They excite and stimulate. It isn't necessarily just an act of lethargy.
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