Have Video Games Actually Impacted our Society?
We live in a time when technology forms the base for everything, influencing our day to day activities at every step. I know that at the first look gaming might not seem as significant as other modern day conveniences, but we continue to overlook just how much video games influence, and impact our way of life. In the present time video games are reaching a cultural legitimacy that was only meant for things like cinema and literature.
If in 2020 you still haven’t understood the huge deal about video games, it can mean only one thing, that you’re living under a rock. At times Gaming Industry has surpassed its rival media, like movies and music. After being almost forty years old, it’s natural that video games have had a huge influence on our culture; and throughout the years these games have grown with the millennial generation, and extended their relevance way beyond the early years.
Since the early 1970s, video games have avid users who have made this form of media an important part of their lives; it started when programmers got together to play Spacewar, and then, as video arcades and home video game consoles were introduced, the youth quickly adapted to it, spending hours trying to gain high scores. With time an increasing number of kids started identifying with the characters in these games. The public recognition of characters like Mario (from Super Mario Bros.) has made him a cultural icon. Video games allow people from remote corners of the world who have never met to connect through the language of gaming, players can team to play, chat, and interact with each other.
Video games slowly became a part of popular culture, in the beginning they appeared in the background, but as they became more popular, they formed the central storyline for movies and television shows. By the mid-1990s, films based on video games were shown in theaters, including Super Mario Bros. (1993), Lara Kroft: Tomb Raider (2001), etc. Video games and movies both spawn sequels and adaptations of each other. Video game content has crossed over into other media, like comic books and board games.
Video games have also expanded into areas beyond entertainment. Before gaming became a wild phenomenon, military flight simulators helped train pilots.
Video games are also used for on-the-job training, designed to teach job-related skills, or simulate decision-making situations. Training games became an extension of training videos used by the corporations, as on-the-job training became structured during the 1980s and 1990s. Video games directly influence our decision making skills, challenging us in adventures, and we can mentally reward ourselves when we accomplish a task.
Yes, arguments can be made about video games being violent and increasing aggression, but conversely they also have some positive implications on our society. The world has been moulded by the characters that we’ve grown loving and adoring. With time, video games have become richer, and more well-rounded, and so have the people and, communities who play them.
