Video Games have caused a significant influence upon popular culture. It has evolved over time, particularly with the growth of the internet culture.
The emergence of video games and early acceptance.
Video games were first introduced in the late 1940’s; the first game ever to be introduced was Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device. With that, the years that followed saw many other developments being made in new games. Along with the developments in the games, there were developments in the players also.
Games like Mario, Doom, Pac-Man, Street Fighter which were developed and marketed in the 1980’s helped to bring this industry into a lucrative one. The games that were launched in the second generation (1977-1991) and third generation (1983-1995) were well accepted by the people. These games helped the industry by setting a strong foundation and we can all see its results right now.
Changes in video games and Changes in its users.
The players.
Since time has gone by from the third generation consoles (1995), America has been given huge varieties of gaming. This has created groups of gamers that have erupted as communities and the society is now being born in gaming. The gaming generation represents a whopping ninety million people. According to Entertainment Software Association, The gaming generation is now being dominated by the people from the age of 18-49. The table shows that the people above 50 years and people below 18 are quite the same. This shows that the elderly people too are becoming gamers.
In terms of gender wise, we see a huge difference; the difference is something we all get amazed at. Not because of the huge difference but, the increase in female participation. This was highly unlikely to increase 10-12 years back. The extreme development of the games has lured many people to it. Games offer people entertainment or leisure, which satisfies their wants. More and more elderly people are playing games as it has become an icon for the growth of technology, and they want to experience as they didn’t have it during their young days or that the technology was just too bad, which in fact it was compared to now a days. The players join forces that collaborate with each other in solving the game or even socially off the game. Gamers have created this network of social interaction where new people meet and play and become friends and join or create communities. They help or destroy other players, which is all interesting to a new person being introduced to gaming, thus gamers cease to be consumers, but start to become contributors.
The games.
The games of now have enormous differences from the games of the past, which I assume most of you all know. The games have been more diversified in terms of graphics, sound, culture, ethics, morals, commercial deals, etc. The games have drastically changed for the better or worse. The theme of the games in the past during the 2nd generation console age and 3rd generation console had less interesting stories or levels. Adding to it, the visual and audio were not good. The games of now a day have redefined art with technology. Communities are becoming increasingly involved in the expansion of the experience. Gaming companies are luring more and more people into it by offering not only better games but also the personal interaction with the games, by allowing them to edit or create their own campaigns, maps, players, etc.
The environment surrounding it.
Gamers are surrounded in an environment that knows about them and dislikes them and those that like them. The ones that dislike them are the people who don’t like games and term most gamers as geeks or nerds, which is often untrue. The most obvious group that likes them is the businesses themselves. They want more gamers to be created by providing innovative deals and entertaining games.
The impact of games and gamers.
Influences being caused.
The games that have come out in recent years have made people aware that ultimate in-door recreation is video games. Consoles such as X-box, play station, Wii and Rock Band is influencing its players. Like said before, these consoles have become an icon for modern technology. It has made people addicted to it as well as brought new gamers. It has created devotees out of people who didn’t consider themselves as gamers. Many debates are being done about the positives and negatives of gaming and we all know about it, and it is up to you to decide what’s wrong and right. Gaming is now progressively moving from the bedroom to the living room. Gamers also influence gamer wannabes by playing well and gaining respect from beating levels or other players.
The rise of professional gaming.
According to the game research study, it found out that one-third of competitive gamers defined themselves as “Professional gamers”, which indicates that there’s a rising class of young people who are considering playing video games as jobs, which is true as we are seeing mega tournaments being held across America and across the world. So, it’s reasonable enough to come to a conclusion that though older generations have maintained a casual gaming habit, younger gamers have purposed a casual activity into a full-fledged profession.
The road ahead for the gaming generation.
The future of gaming will not be all that different than the future of any other form of entertainment. As the masses of players determine what they want to get out of gaming, large corporations will throw their money and workforce into providing it. Let’s wait for a new console to come out and for new figures or statistics of gamers, which is highly anticipated by all for this is turning out to be a success story.
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