[doctorpangloss]

Fortunately it's been rare that someone has condescended to me that games are pointless, cruel, evil or mere diversions in general. Games bring joy. Although the same could probably be said of pornography, and yet porno isn't getting any more mainstream of an art form…

Just being entertaining, I think, doesn't legitimize games.

Surely earning lots of money has something to do with gaming as a legitimate full-time culture-making pursuit. A coworker taught a General Assembly class whose attention immediately rose when he pointed out that Clash of Clans earns more than $1 million a day selling virtual goods. But I don't think the creative folks behind that game are necessarily proud of its making money—I know I'm not exactly proud of making a slots game. And I don't think casinos—the highest revenue game in town—are all that respected.

Being a growth industry probably doesn't legitimize games either, it seems.

The challenge though: that's why I make games. I think it's bigger than breadth & depth of computer science. In one scientist's words, a game developer rewires people's brains without reading any scientific literature. Little could be as thrilling. And I know I look at guys like Brian Reynolds and Will Wright as inspiration—smart cultural observers whose technical wizardry turned into real social commentary.