What are Games?
Start by asking students how many of them play video games. (Make sure to define “video games” broadly, so that it includes virtual worlds and short casual games or apps that might be played on a smartphone.) Ask students to name some of the video games that they play, in particular their favourite ones, and write them on the board.
Now ask students which of the games on the list they are familiar with. Try to identify five games that most of the students are familiar with, and ensure that every student is familiar with at least one of those five games.
Explain to students that one way that video games are different from other media is because they are interactive: unlike in media such as movies, TV or comics, games let you do things and make choices about what happens. (There are some exceptions, such as “Choose Your Own Adventure” books and interactive videos on streaming services like Netflix, but these are unusual, whereas a game where you can’t make choices wouldn’t really be considered a game.)