So what exactly are the barriers of entry for great thinkers (or groups
of thinkers) to leave their mark on games? What must happen for games
— or interactive entertainment, if you will, to mature as a medium?

While no one knows the answer to this question, many people (and
companies) have stepped up to the plate to attempt to bring games to
the next level. The Nintendo Wii has been a monumental development in
the games industry, not because of its innovative technology, not
because is has helped get people off of the couch, but because of the
way it has changed the audience.

My mother, who claimed she could never play games, frequently plays Wii
bowling with my aunt. A substantial amount of Wii owners claim that it
is their first video game console. This means that, by taking away the
buttons that confounded my mother and replacing them with
movement-based controls, Nintendo has opened up the possibility that
games could be for people other than kids. — Brice Morrison, Gamasutra