While medium specificity is definitely useful for both presenting a convincing argument for "games as art" and evaluating their most essential strengths, it's important to note that it is not a prerequisite for their status as art. If they are art, they are art regardless.

As I read more and more academic writing on various topics, it drives me nuts how widespread this exact phenomenon is. So many reactionary talking points are entirely based on a fundamental misreading and misunderstanding of specified language that is very clear in context.