NO, this is not another thread asking does violence in video games have an influence on violence in society.

It’s much bigger than that.

Let’s look at a few examples before I ask any questions:


10 years ago anybody even remotely associated with Role Playing Games was on a lower social staus than your average trainspotter. People who were into ‘roleplaying’ were seen as anorak wearing dice rollers who had no friends other than similar ‘geeks’. Nowadays millions of people enjoy playing RPG’s without the previous social stigma.

10 years ago some games used to be based on movie licences, now movies are ever more frequently based on computer / console games.

15 years ago people who played ‘computer games’ were younger people who tended not to play sports and were lacking in social skills (note these are all stereotypes). Nowadays 20 and 30 something’s stick on the PS2 or X-box when they get back from the pub with friends – and this is completely socially acceptable.

More and more people spend a significant amount of time ‘online’, as well as being ‘out and about’ through gaming related endeavours. The majority of people here at APi were brought here through a common interest in all things Playstation.


Based on the above it would seem clear that gaming has had a very large impact on modern society, but to what extent has gaming influenced society as opposed to society influenced gaming?

Will gaming become even more widespread in the future than it is now?

What may be potential future implications in terms of society if gaming becomes even more widespread?


Your views…………………………………

:think:

Alright, we all know I'm not one of the 'Big Thinkers' like some of us here (won't mention any names <strike>Steve</strike> ), so I'll just say how it's influenced experiences in my life.

I've had quite a few patients at work (mostly guys) who are very young, like in their early 20's and some late teens. When it comes to drawing blood, (and I don't mean this as a put-down), the guys seem to have a harder time dealing with this than the women. So, I have to think up something to chat with them about to take their minds off the teeny weeny little needle that I'm about to slip painlessly into their arms. What comes to mind!?!? :think: GAMING!! So, I start the barrage of questions!! "Do you game? What sort of games do you like? What consoles do you have?? Have you ever played ____________ (insert any game name here that came to my mind at that moment)?"... And of course, I advertise APi like a mad woman!! :disco: Takes their minds right off of what's going on, and before they know it, we're all done and they say "What, you're finished already!?!?"
In that one small way, it has actually impacted my job, and in a very positive way!

I have always loved gaming... all aspects of gaming video, board, and RPG's. (Real geek RPG's not video game RPG's)

It is only in the past few years that I would even begin to bring this up in a conversation with a co-worker.

I remember when Karen found out that I was into video gaming. She labelled me the stereotypical video game geek. Staring at a TV for countless hours with a controller in my hand. But here we are almost 6 years later and she is the one playing SpongeBob Squarepants and actually enjoying it.

Gaming is becoming so big that almost everyone is enjoying it. When the console gaming grew again after the crash of Atari, Colecovision and the only one to survive the crash Intellivision the games mostly were aimed at the younger generation. Parents seen these as kids games. Well the younger generation is all growed up now, still playing and bringing in others who had never thought of playing a video game. :think:

Will the video game industry slow down?

Not a chance. With genres being redefined and new genres introduced there really is a game for everyone. Now the only thing that has to happen is an appealing price for those to get into it.

ok here it is, here is why gaming has just exploded.

Games give the gamer ablilities, attributes that they may not have or they just enhance the ones they do have. you see through games people can enter a world that is not bound by time, by jobs, by money, or physics. They are superheros, gangsters, special forces soldiers, etc.

Games give a person who plays football the opportunity to create himself or herself on the game and make themselves the best player in the world, running thousands of yards, can they do this in real life no.

In racing games and challanging people to races can you really go get a corvette and race it against your friends porche nooooooo but in games you can do this.

People are making games a passtime now because as good as sports and reading is, games make you better than you are.

ok wow that was deep!!

:shy: