Why Video Games Should Be Renamed
The term “video games” no longer accurately represents what the medium has become. A video is something you watch: you can sit back, rewind, pause, and observe without actively participating. What we call “video games,” however, are fundamentally different. They are experiences that require engagement, thought, and interaction. Players must make decisions, respond to challenges, and navigate dynamic systems, making these experiences far more complex than passive viewing. They are not just entertainment—they are active, participatory, and often deeply meaningful.
Modern interactive experiences serve as vehicles for a variety of purposes. For some people, they are tools for management, teaching strategy, planning, and decision-making through simulations of economies, cities, or complex systems. For others, they are vehicles for experience, providing immersive storytelling, exploration, and emotional engagement that cannot be replicated by passive media. And for many, they are vehicles for tackling issues in life, from practicing social skills and ethical reasoning to exploring environmental, social, or psychological challenges in safe, interactive spaces.
The term “video game” misrepresents this diversity. “Game” suggests something trivial, competitive, or purely recreational, while “video” implies passive consumption. Neither word captures the active, participatory nature of these experiences, nor their ability to teach, challenge, or inspire. Players are not merely observers—they are participants who must think, act, and adapt. They engage in complex problem-solving, experimentation, and reflection, sometimes over hundreds of hours. Redefining the name would allow society to recognize the medium’s intellectual, creative, and emotional depth.
Renaming would also affect how these experiences are perceived in education, research, and policy. When interactive media is viewed as a tool for learning, self-development, and societal reflection rather than trivial entertainment, it becomes easier to integrate into classrooms, therapy, and civic engagement. Recognizing it as an experience rather than a video highlights its potential to shape skills, empathy, and understanding.
Ultimately, the 21st-century medium we call “video games” is more than its name suggests. It is an active experience—a vehicle for management, personal growth, and engagement with real-world issues. Calling it a “video” diminishes its purpose and scope. A new name would better reflect the interactive, participatory, and meaningful nature of what players truly do when they engage with these experiences.
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