OF
VIDEO GAMES
Video games is a rapidly growing industry. The game industry had record software sales in 2003, with a record 239 million games sold. The $17 billion a year video game industry, which is bigger than film and television combined, is the number one form of entertainment for children. Retail stores are expanding and dedicating whole shops just for video games. With such an expanding industry, the amount of jobs will also steadily increase. To prepare for the job increase, colleges are now beginning to offer studies in different areas of video game background and design.
Video gaming is also becoming more of an adult
pastime. The average age of a video game
player is twenty-eight years old, and 55% of gamers are over the age of
eighteen. Maker of the video game
consoles are taking these figures into consideration, and modifying
accordingly. Microsoft’s Xbox is the
first to alter the system. The
controller for the Xbox is much larger than that of the Playstation 2 or GameCube,
making it easier for adults to hold onto it comfortably. 
They have also made the cord from the
controller to the machine itself longer, nine feet to be exact, so the adult
player does not need to sit directly in front of the television like a
kid. The Xbox is heavier, with an 8-gigabyte
hard drive, allowing games to load faster than they do on other machines.
While video games have not yet been introduced
into our schools, don’t be surprised if that day is not far. Some teachers have pondered over the idea as
a means to get some children more excited about learning. The more we study video games, the better
handle we will have on the positive impact they could have on our youth.
Video game playing is becoming a passion for
people of all ages, and therefore we should look for it to expand into many
different aspects of our lives in the future.