I decided to put an entry in my journal for a speech I am doing in my Public Speaking class in college on Tuesday, it is about how gaming is the future of today's society. Long read ahead ...

Video Games: The Future?

Video games, probably the most popular form of media in today’s society. I’m sure that everyone you know has heard of, played, or least knows what video games are. The problem with most of the main society is that they do not know what video games are about. Video games are about competition, having fun with friends and family, to take you into an imaginary world; just like any other form of entertainment. Games are usually outcast from other media by the rest of the world sometimes. Many think that video games can’t be considered to be on the same level as movies, books, and television; but what they do not know, is that games are bigger than ever and are not stopping anytime soon.

That’s So Clichéd

Gaming has probably been one of the most clichéd media’s in the world. Stereotyped as something meant for kids, a waste of time and money; being labeled as a toy, which could not be further from the truth. Then there are the negative bits from society; violence, promoting anti-socialism, etc.; all of this promotes the idea that video games are destroying today’s society. When in reality, games may be the media that defines today’s society.

Gaming is Today’s Media

When asked to name what the fastest growing industry in the world is; I am betting that you would never have guessed gaming. Video games generate more than $10 billion dollars in revenue a year. Then you ask yourself, how can something so cheaply made, make that much? Well, you are wrong about the cost to produce these games. The average cost of production for a mainstream video game these days is over $6 million dollars, with some of the major blockbuster titles costing up to $30 million to make; this is rivaling some of today’s movies in production cost and in terms of revenue. Video games are starting to generate way more money out of today’s society than any other form of media. Halo 2, a very popular video game, holds the record for most revenue made on day one sales in any form of media (books, movies, television, etc.), over $125 million dollars in the first day of sales for this game. Even television isn’t safe, as many shows do not generate the ratings that they used to; this is because most of their former audience isn’t watching something else, they are playing something else. Games are taking those fans of those television shows during the prime time showings and network producers are not happy about it. If you ask me, if they would make some better shows, instead of all this reality TV and rerun’s, then maybe we’ll watch; till then, I keep playing video games, as they are more entertaining and attention grabbing then any other form of media out there.

Entertaining Today’s World

Why are video games taking today’s society? It is because of it's entertainment value. Video games entertain society just like any other media. Video games are a perfect example of a waste of time; nothing is better than having a Game Boy on that long family road trip. Fun is another reason why games are great; even if it is by yourself or with family and friends, gaming is a great form of entertainment. Video games can rival sports in terms of competition; in fact, there are even organizations out there for so-called professional gamers, where a gamer can make up in the hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money and sponsorship money. Other than that, video games are a way of just getting away from the troubles and worries of today’s society.

Interactive Education

Edutainment or educational entertainment is becoming more and more apart of today’s classroom. Remember when you used to play Oregon Trail back in elementary school? That was an educational game. Video games are a form of interactive education; they can teach people all kinds of skills, such as: math, reading, typing, other languages, and more. Simulators are also a form of video game; these can be seen in training for pilots, military, law enforcement, driving, and even for the medical field.

A Healthy Gamer, is a Happy Gamer

Video games are seen as something that is bad for you, but that just is not true. A recent study shows that Surgeons, who play video games for at least 3 hours a week, are 37% less likely to have an error during surgery. Games are also have been used in treatments of cancer, autism, and more. Video games can cause brain stimulation in it’s players; helping them build motor skills, problem solving skills, pattern recognition, hand-eye coordination, memorization, and more. Even the common stereotypes of anti-socialization being placed on video games, video games are actually a very good way of learning to be social. With games such as MMOs and multiplayer games, communication and interaction between people can and will happen, building a social structure like no other. There have even been studies that say playing games by yourself can improve your social skills more than playing with others! No wonder why video games are today’s and tomorrow’s future.

The Future

As I said before, the video game industry is the fastest growing industry in today’s society. With video games generating more sales revenue than any other form of media, interactive education becoming more ever present in today’s classrooms and workplace, and technology becoming more expansive and powerful than ever; video games are not going away.