Video Games: Digital Revolution Gone Wrong?
As the digital revolution walks through its infantile stages, the ability to use media has expanded a person’s resources. Each day, an individual’s life is predicted and nearly controlled by the newfound digital capabilities. Waking up to an alarm clock, checking your email, speaking on your cell phone, listening to an iPod, watching TV; at some point, almost everyone takes part in this activity. However, one capability, which has recently captured the attention of modern society, is video games.
Since their beginning, video games have offered the public an outlet to entertainment, strategy, education and beyond. It was in 1958 when Physicist Willy Higinbotham invented the first video game in Upton, New York. This table tennis like game was played on an oscilloscope, or a machine designed to produce visual displays corresponding to electrical signals. But it was not until the Christmas of 1975 when Atari’s Pong was released with only 150,000 units available, quickly becoming the hottest selling Christmas present. Then in 1977, the Atari 2600 was released at a price of $249.95.
It was not until 1985, when a popular game called Tetris hit the computer market. One year later, Nintendo exploded onto the market, along with the Sega Master System. In 1989, Nintendo’s handheld Game Boy was released, and from that moment, the console war was born, inviting an onslaught of electronic companies attempting to outdo one another in this battle for video game supremacy. Over the next 16 years, 15 new video game console systems would be released, along with three video game manufacturers that left the gaming business to the dominant three of today; Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft.
Nonetheless, this huge business has made billions of dollars and does not seem to letting up anytime soon. But gamers, parents, and people alike must be made aware of several issues, both positive and negative, that come with what might seem like a simple escape into virtual reality. Video games have been blamed for a number of unfavorable issues, including various health problems such as obesity and social development concerns. Also recent studies have shown that the violence in video games could actually affect the user mentally and emotionally, increasing aggressive behaviors in youth that would normally not be present if not for the video game. Addiction issues can also surface, due to overuse, causing someone to become so consumed by the game; they ignore their personal responsibilities, such as work, school, friends and family.
But one positive aspect video games have yielded is as a recruitment tool for the U.S. Army. With recruitment levels on the decline, the new simulation game allows the user to experience Army training and combat. Another key postive is a video games ability to help the handicapped develop essential skills using something referred to as assistive technology. |
