One of the many eternal struggles for video games has been the justification that it can be a popular form of art (/entertainment) such as books, movies and music. But I am sceptical about that, as there are hurdles to overcome for that to become a reality. Here are the the biggest reasons against it, in my opinion;

People don't "quit."

I've read about it and I've heard friends talking about it. People quit playing video games for a variety of reasons, though the biggest two seem to be financial and lack of time. But also a lack of interest in new games come into play. But I have yet to hear about someone saying they quit watching movies, reading books or listen to music to a similar set of reasons. They might quit a genre of movies, books or music. But not the entire form of entertainment. Sure, there are tons more books, movies and music acts in comparison to games, but only a handful of those are truly worth the time and money anyway. Strike one, nevertheless, against video games; people quit playing for one reason or another.

Price.

Contrary to other forms of entertainment, video games do come with a pretty hefty price tag. It's not the cheapest thing to entertain as a hobby, and that is certainly a big factor why (as said) some people quit. And others, simply don't get into it as they don't see the value. And it's hard to argue that one game is worth more than an artist's entire discography. Just imagine how many hours you've spent listening to your favorite album by your favorite artist and cross reference that with how many hours you've spent in your favorite game. Which one has the best value per hour?

Unity.. NOT.

If you could have one device that would play all your movies or several devices that handled particular studios' movies, which option would you pick? Naturally, the first one. Why would you go out and buy several different dvd players simply to be able to see all your movies, it would be stupid. But, to play all the games you want to play, you need a different set of consoles all at varying pricing, features and accessibility. This is also something I am curious about, because no other medium accepts this (and I am naturally not talking about the natural progression of technology). As the game industry is set up now, the consoles are the center stage and games come to visit. How many more companies will look at console gaming and go "Oh, maybe.." until we've been overly saturated with different console options and missed the whole point; the games themselves.

Don't take it seriously.

If I were to tell a random stranger that [game] moved me more than [movie] or [book], people would shake their head and wonder what was wrong with me. Because most people seem to be under the illusion that games are a high tech form of toys, not interactive entertainment. The illusion, though, seem to cover even those within the industry. They don't dare to tackle truly shocking subjects, push the envelope and stir around a bit in this circus of life. I will admit that it's getting better in this regard, but we still have a long way to go.

Independent Scene.

This is probably the biggest hurdle to overcome in gaming's current way of things. To get the same diversity as movies, music or books, there has to be an underground scene. Something from which things will grow and eventually turn big. But, games are not entirely underground friendly, especially not console gaming. With some new independent development tools coming here and there, there is the option, but it is still a pretty lackluster option. I suppose in general, it is easier to make a quality underground band,movie or novel than it is to make a game. At least from a business standpoint. People might pay and pick up the local band's CD at the store, but would they pay for a platformer made by some guy in town? Probably not. Perhaps the problem isn't in the support of the underground but rather the average's person's lack of appreciation for the craft itself. And, perhaps independent games simply don't have the same appeal as a local band's music, and never will.

Closing comment.

Video games are a form of entertainment that doesn't quite fit exactly into the box it's been given. It's a big many things to many different people. And while I may argue that video games will not be in the same halls as the other forms of entertainment, I am sure it will be at some point when it has overcome it's growing pains and matured into something more. It seem right now it is in it's teens trying to be everything to everyone. Once it has grown up to realize who it is, it'll settle down and be like all other forms of entertainment, in good and bad. And every form has their own problems and advantages, the video game industry just need to figure out it's strengths and build on them.