What are video games?

If you named a video game, I could probably tell you who made it, when, and how it was received. I've reported on the medium in some capacity for seven years, and in that time I've acquired an encyclopedic-like understanding of the industry. But knowing the details doesn't mean I fully comprehend video games. The medium is so new and has tended to defy expectations, limitations, and labels.
To help explain video games and the power they have, I invited my good friend and former boss, Chris Grant, the Editor-in-Chief of Polygon, to unpack things. Hopefully this is a helpful entry point for people who haven't lived and breathed video games for half a decade.
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