 The term " video game " has evolved over the decades from a purely technical definition to a general concept defining a new class of interactive entertainment . Technically , for a product to be a video game , there must be a video signal transmitted to a cathode ray tube ( CRT ) that creates a <unk> image on a screen . This definition would preclude early computer games that outputted results to a printer or teletype rather than a display , any game rendered on a vector @-@ scan monitor , any game played on a modern high definition display , and most handheld game systems . From a technical standpoint , these would more properly be called " electronic games " or " computer games " . 
