Video Games Can be Art

exhibit A:

The new console Sims game, Sims in the City.
first of all, i should warn you, i'm going to be giving away the "ending" to the game because i want to discuss how it does what it does. If you want to discover the end for yourself (and i highly recommend it, it's one of the best game endings ever.) then don't read any furthur.
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what did i say? Right, the ending.
anyway, to meake a long story shorter, the console version of the Sims neatly folds the older PC version within it. Here's what i mean: remember the PC Sims game? It was basically a toy, not a game. You played with it. There wasn't any hrad-wired goal built into the game. Maybe Will Wright didn't like that or maybe he caught some flak for it. Either way, this new version has very clear goals. It's more focused. It's a better game for it. But the thing is, in the new Sims game, once you complete the goals, you basically have a house and people you can customize and no goals. Do you see? You get the first game as a reward for beating the new game.

genius game design, and i don't think people give Will Wright enough credit.

Oh yeah, so about the ending. You're given a house to decorate as you like, no more goals, and infinite money. but here's the thing, the big secret: You get as much money as you can crank out. Literally. The big reward is a money making machine. But you have to crank it yourself.

So are games art?
my definition of art is 'tells us something about our lives in the real world.'