I think the discussion between April and Cortez in Longest Journey expresses it rather well:
CORTEZ: What do you see?
APRIL: I see art.
CORTEZ: Art, yes. And beyond that? Beyond art?
APRIL: Truth?
CORTEZ: Truth, exactly! A deeper truth. This painting, this particular work of art, speaks a deeper truth. It has a soul.
APRIL: How can a painting have a soul?
CORTEZ: It has a soul because it has an identity, it has a heart. The memory of this painting will survive beyond this moment, it will linger in your mind, become part of the tapestry of your subconscious. It has a lasting impression on you, and you're not quite sure why.
APRIL: It's just a painting by some kid. It's not as if it's a Picasso, or a Monet.
CORTEZ: Now you're arguing technique. Not every painting by van Gogh or Michelangelo is real art either, although they all demonstrate great technique and craftsmanship. And the scribbled drawings of a five-year old child are rarely technically impressive, but they may still have a soul, they may still be real art.
APRIL: So you're saying "real art" is not defined by the skill of the artist? Then what is art, if just anybody can create something more "real" that artists who've spent their entire lives developing their skills?
CORTEZ: Art is still the work of artists. And skill, craftsmanship, technique - those things are critical to the success of an artist's work. But alone, those things are merely pretense. For something to be real, to be truthful, the artist must transfer - shift - part of him or her self into the work, to transcend the illusion and reach for the truth of art.
Video games, as a medium, is art. Or in the very least, has the potential to be art. Film has been an art but only after few artists pushed that medium past its celluloid entertainment and into something new.
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