Revive. Respawn. Repeat.
It’s hard to imagine a time without the internet and its infinite entertainment. With the swipe of a finger, you can seamlessly scroll through photos of a stranger’s vacation and binge makeup tutorials. What a time to be alive.
The video game industry alone is entertaining more than 2.5 billion people on the reg, according to WePC. What’s so enticing about mashing buttons and farming XP? It is a combination of conquering challenges and creative control.
Though first computer game was created for a doctoral dissertation – how dreadfully boring – by the late 1970s, arcade-style video games like Pong and Space Invaders kickstarted a revolution in entertainment. Activision, the first third party game developer, launched in 1979, and Pac-Man was released in the early ’80s. Nintendo created Donkey Kong, which introduced the world’s most famous Italian plumber, Mario. And Microsoft developed its first flight simulator.
Shortly after, more companies began creating consoles for people to play games on their television at home. As you might imagine, making video games more accessible increased demand. As computers were introduced to households, so were more adventure and strategy games. Giving players objectives while creating obstacles and providing rewards proved profitable. Games like The Sims introduced the ability to create, destroy, and modify environments, leading to more creative control for players.
Today, video games are a billion dollar industry. People who purchase games feel like they provide more bang for their buck in regard to entertainment, according to the Entertainment Software Association.
And video games aren’t just for raging neckbeards and trash-talking 12-year-olds anymore. In fact, 70 percent of all gamers are over 18 years old. The average gamer is 34 years old, and women represent 33 percent of the gaming community. So, I am dedicating this column to a growing industry – video games.
Read about industry trends and the latest releases here every other week. I’m personally looking forward to the largest annual gaming event, E3, in June. At E3, more than 200 game developers and publishers will showcase new equipment and game releases that players can expect to see in the next one to two years. It’s an exciting time for us gamers, and I’m ready to press start.
Upcoming releasesWarhammer: Chaosbane, June 4 for PS4, Xbox One, PC
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Nights, June 18 for PS4, Xbox One, PC, Coming to Switch June 25
Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled, June 21 for PS4, Xbox One, Switch
Heavy Rain, June 24 for PC
Judgment, June 25 for PS4
The Sinking City, June 27 for PS4, Xbox One, PC
Super Mario Maker, June 28 for Switch
— Hunter Harrell
