I am probably the last person on earth that should be talking about video games. The only console I have is an NES (once I had a pocket Game Boy, but I lost it) and my video gaming ability is limited to SuperMario Brothers 3, Mario Kart and Wii Tennis. I can safely say that I am not a gamer. I do, however, find the video game industry to be very interesting for two reasons:
1. I just finished reading Douglas Coupland’s Jpod (about video game programmers).
2. This article.
The article states that apart from hardware sales, the VG industry will grow on average 5.8% annually over the next five years. Pretty crazy huh? From my limited knowledge of gaming, I could probably take a stab at why this is the case. Instead of doing that, I took to social networking sites to see what people who actually play video games have to say:
“What better way to pass the time and forget about your under employed or unemployed status than to escape to a fantasy world where you can be powerful and chose your own destiny.” – Kelly
“Sadly, individuals are finding themselves at home while job hunting and using television and video games as a form of entertainment. People are spending what money they have to keep themselves from going crazy while at home job hunting.” –Rafi
“A new system hasn’t come out since the Wii, and the three major consoles have dropped significantly in price since their inception. As well, new technology means more innovative games with better graphics, higher frame rates, etc. that are … more expansive and enjoyable than games 3-4 years ago. For anyone with a little bit of extra cash to spend, it makes as much sense as ever to spend it on video games.” –Ryan
“I think video game popularity is on the rise because people watched the movie King Of Kong, and they all got inspired by it and now want to be the best in the world at a single/multiple video game(s)… because… not only do you get fame from it, you also get PAID from it (apparently.)” –Dave
“Instead of going out to the movie theatre, a concert or the arcade, people are staying in and are stacking their home entertainment systems in order to get more bang for their buck.” -Samantha
“Why pay $100+ to go to a concert or see a play once when you can spend $50 and be entertained for a month? People tend to say the only things that thrive on an economic downturn are alcohol, cigarettes and food. I guess you could add video games to that list.” - Chris
There you have it.
It would be great if we could continue this convo so take a break from playing WoW and leave a comment!
