You’d be hard-pressed to find a more complex, developed science fiction universe than the one portrayed in the Mass Effect trilogy.

It amazes me that, in 2016, the general consensus about video games is that they are mostly a meaningless form of entertainment meant to amuse and pass time. Most people would look at you like you were crazy if you used the words “video game” and “art” in the same sentence. If you were to watch a movie or even crack open a book every night, nobody would bat an eye because those are pieces of entertainment with class. But if you consider those latter two forms of expression art, you should be including modern video games in the same conversation.

Much ink has been spilled trying to nail down the definition of what art is. The classical definition is very narrow in scope, basically limiting it to physical works like sculptures and paintings. But the modern definition of art has evolved to include basically any tangible expression of thoughts, sights, or sounds that resonate and connect with us on an emotional level.  Music. Film. Dance. Most 21^st century people would agree that these are forms of artistic expression. So why not video games?

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For those of us who decided to give our money and vote of confidence to Microsoft this console go-round, the number-two placement of the Xbox One is more than OK: It’s great. We are fewer in rank than we might have been had Microsoft not made a myriad of missteps back in 2013, likely costing them millions of customers. From their commitment to Kinect to the baffling inclusion of mandatory internet connectivity, Microsoft made the classic mistake of misinterpreting  the desires of their customers.

Meanwhile, Sony’s PlayStation 4 had practically won without even trying. To Sony’s credit, it learned from the PlayStation 3 release and its newest console was developed and marketed in the safest way possible. That conservative stance paid off for Sony. Late in 2013, both consoles hit the market, and to the surprise of no one, PS4s flew off the shelves as former Xbox lovers switched brands in droves.

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