Are games the new film?

It is not too long ago when everyone would flock to the cinema to see the next biggest film, (usually 3 weeks between), and now and then would sit down on a Friday night and play a little GTA: Vice City to pass the time. However, recently, the general public seem to only go to the cinema every now and then when a much-hyped film like Cloverfield or Watchmen comes out for our viewing pleasure. It is becoming a lot more common to seek and find that story element we so crave in the video games we now so dearly love.Could this new found respect for well written story lines in games be the step-up from the cinema many people have been waiting for?
Games such as Halo and Gears of War are prime examples of said games, where the player is sucked into the storyline without even realizing it and find themselves caring for the characters and sometimes even relating to their situation, (ok maybe not Halo or Gears of war). For many people, including myself, there is, in some cases, a sense of responsibility for the outcome of the story, especially in a game like Fallout 3 where any action will have some effect.
For our technology loving society, many people now look upon games as the 'interactive film,' and this appeals greatly to many people. Personally i do not see a day anytime soon, where cinema's will close due to everyone sitting at home playing their xbox 360's, but it seems many people enjoy the balance between the cinema and their own interactive plot lines. Only time will tell how this will turn out, i just hope it inspires people to make better films.