I don't think this is so easily reducible. A novel, a film, a painting, can each tell a tale, convey emotion in its own unique manner. I've seen abstract paintings, with only enough definable imagery to give you a context wherein to place the emotion of the color, and the texture of the strokes, that moved me quite deeply.

The words of a fine writer can have a profound effect, as can a stirring series of images in a film, backed by a moving soundtrack. But, for instance, how does the painting "Guernica" by Picasso, compare to Hemingway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls"? What about the opening beach scene in "Saving Private Ryan"? How does that compare, in its depiction of the sorrow, madness and brutality of war? Should they even be compared?

Can someone truly say that a video game can't convey the same emotion, with the same power? The development of a computer game can bring together inspiring writers, visual artists and musicians. Can someone truly say that the visceral response of storming the beach in Call of Duty or Medal of Honor doesn't compare to words or images others have used to describe the scene? With the high quality imagery and audio capable today, the game can put you in a foxhole, with the sound of artillery shattering your ears as it slams into your flimsy cover. You march inch by inch, seeing your mates killed by your side, until finally, brutally, suddenly you, yourself have fallen... and the sounds and the sights fade into a blur.

Not every tale can be told with equal force in every medium; I certainly wouldn't want to "play" Crime & Punishment, but a game such as Shadow of the Colossus, or even the recent Indigo Prophecy (Fahrenheit) can put the participant in a position of wonder and excitement that most novels or films would have trouble attaining.