Roger Ebert argues that video games can never be art. Let's start by defining art: "Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging symbolic elements in a way that influences and affects the senses,emotions, and/or intellect."- Courtesy of Wikipedia... Looking at the way games have evolved into (at times) a storytelling media, as well as an artistic entertainment, I can honestly disagree with Ebert using legitimate arguments. Video games have produced stories and scenes on part with that of literature. 

*Mother 3 spoilers ahead*

Take, for example, the tragedy that is hidden behind the glossy "childish" world of Mother 3. What starts as your typical "kid-loses-his parents" story eventually evolves into a poetic tragedy that ultimately leads to the player having to kill his own brother. The game also tackles the issues of hopelessness, the effects of greed, and the destruction of nature by man- All of it wrapped in a "childish" wrapper. Filled with Haiku's and other staples of Japanese Literature, the game has only received fan translations in America, but one does not need to go oversees to find that kind of quality.

*Metal Gear Solid 3 Spoilers ahead*

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater captures the temperature of the cold war with its story and setting. Sent in to destroy a weapon that will bring about nuclear holocaust, Naked Snake discovers, through a series of scenes on par with Hollywood, that not all is as it seems. The ultimate moment of triumph for this game is its swan song of an ending, which brings tears faster than you can say Titanic. In the end, the player discovers that the traitor of a mother figure you just killed was no traitor at all, and that the government played you to kill her so they could get their hands on some money- and being the patriot she is, she willingly accepted the mission. The game's final salute has led many a gamer to shed a tear along side Snake.

The plot is not the only clearing point for video games' classification of art. Music has been long accepted as a form of the arts, and no one dares to dispute it. From the catchy Mario Theme, to the disturbing One-Winged Angel, video games have produced scores of music that are recognized and adored world-wide. That would win any argument. These bits and pieces are often incorporated into games in such a way that they maximize the feeling a player is supposed to be feeling at that moment. Take the introductions for Final Fantasy X and Metal Gear Solid 3, both utilize music to convey their tone. Besides, nothing feels more "jungle" than the Donkey Kong Country soundtrack. Stand-alone, music is an art and utilizing in such a way only enhances my argument.

  Some games forces us to stop and think before doing things- and not just to plan a puzzle. Fable II, for example, forces players to pick between the needs of the few, the needs of the many, and sheer greed. The Persistence of Memory doesn't even make me stop to make a choice. Imagine playing through Metal Gear Solid 3 again, as I described up there, and finding out that the game zoomed out of scene and forces you to pull the trigger on your patriotic mentor. The fact that the game will not let you progress until after it is done makes you realize that it had to be done and forces you to step back and embrace the mind of the story.

Using minimal examples, I have made my argument. I hope to convince some that the definition of art above and video games go hand-in-hand. Still, it would be nice to see other views on this.