Toward Broader Definitions of “Video Games”: Shifts in Narrative, Player Goals, Subject Matter, and Digital Play Environments

As video games grow in popularity, ambition, scope, and technological prowess, they also mature asan art form, shedding old definitions tethered to video games as simple, competitive exercises. Greatertechnological capabilities, in addition to years of experimentation and maturation, have expanded theability of games to tell different kinds of stories, offering branching paths. The question of "what makesa game a game?" looms larger than ever in this era of video game storytelling. As plots and charactersgrow, branch, and develop, so, too, do the boundaries of what a game actually is. In traditional definitionsof gaming, a set of rules and a victory condition were essential elements to a game. As gamenarratives and game mechanics grow in increasingly complex and experimental directions, new playergoals have emerged. Now, gamers socialize, customize, nurture, kill, build, destroy, break, glitch, andexplore as much as they work to win and accrue points. This chapter surveys the current landscape ofvideo games, highlighting examples and trends that challenge more traditional notions and definitionsof what it means to be a "video game." The broader definition presented here takes into account play,narrative, digital environments, and more, acknowledging the expanse of the video game experience.