More Information Regarding Growth of Video Games

Cool image to grab reader's attention:

credit: ObsoleteGamer.Com

While trying to come up for a topic to write about involving video games, I thought to myself about experiences I had as a kid playing them. Some of my best memories involved playing the original Nintendo 64 with my brothers. For those of you that don't know what a Nintendo 64 looks like here you go..... This entertainment device was revolutionary for its design and more importantly because you could finally play 3-d version of MARIO!!!! (kidding of course).. For me video games was one of my early passions and I did everything in my power to experience this. I also remember purchasing a magazine called TipsnTricks ™ that contained a wealth of information on how to successfully complete an objective with their in depth guides as well as a section dedicated to cheats for those who wanted the easy way out of situations. I recently wondered what happened with this publication a few months ago and to my surprise the publication had shut down a few years ago. Time really does pass.... One of the aspects that is greatly overlooked when discussing the rise of vdeo games in popular culture, is its rise in physical publication sector. Especially with publishing of magazines such as TipsnTricks and GameInformer to name a few. Each of these magazine publications grew and at one time you could fin all these on newsstands all across America and all over the world. Stores such as Borders and Barnes n Noble.

Another form of video gaming during my youth was arcades:

 I guess now Arcades are about as ancient as Dos computers, but when i was younger this was a popular and diverse form of entertainment. The impulse experienced by people to play games using quarters which for them seems like change was a great way for both video game publishers to get their product out and for businesses to capitalize on a demographic of young people. For these people change is easily accessible. This form of video gaming which peaked in the 80's and 90's is a dying breed now, with only a handful of the arcades still existing. I feel as though this cultural existence helped grow video games in popular culture. Iconic scenes in 80's movies featuring the freshly painted cabinets are the iconic visions that carry forward into the next generation.

Another aspect I wanted to touch on that many people are unaware of is the growth of video games in the cable television industry. Television shows specifically targeting video games grew in the 2000's with some being Cheat! (not to get confused with Cheaters, another television show that ironically was broadcast on the same television network), X-Play, and Attack of the Show (most people only remember this show because of Olivia Munn), With the help of the media networks, video game popularity increased. I am mainly referring to the U.S, though foreign countries across the world may have more networks that cater to video game enthusiasts. If it weren't for the fact that these shows were only shown on lesser known cable networks (g4.tv), the possibility of seeing this type of growth in video games would have happened sooner. Lastly I leave you with a link to a blog by the New York Times called "Bits" with some more information about the growth of the video game industry. Even people in business are not exactly right when referring to the growth of video games. 70 Billion by 2015?!?... More like 90 Billion in 2014.

Blog 2: The Annotated Post About Growth in Esports

For the second blog post, I have dove into the Esports aspect of video games. With my theme being the growth of video games in popular culture, one avenue to take would be discussing the professional gaming aspect of video games and growth of the audience in gaming. The annotated bibliography below summarizes key points from an article on Esports.

"Soaring eSports Viewership Driven by Online Video Platforms." EFYTimes.com Jun 02 2014ProQuest. Web. 25 Jan. 2015

     http://efytimes.com/e1/139983/Soaring-eSports-Viewership-Driven-By-Online-Video-Platforms 

This article explains the rapid growing cultural phenomenon known as Esports, or electronic sports (mainly computer gaming). EFYTimes, a technology focused publication based out of New Delhi, India  explains the rapid growing audience behind professional gaming. One of the initial points made in the article explains that the hours of Esports video consumed in 2013 was 1.3 billion compared to 2.4 billion in 2014. The term Esports video refers to "live on-demand programming that presents organized gaming competitions" according to Information Handling Services (IHS).The article also mentions the different media outlets people are using to stream Esports including the popular online streaming websites such as YouTube and Twitch which create advertisement avenues for businesses of both gaming and non gaming related sectors. The article also mentions that the audiences for Esport events are data rich, they are broadcast internationally and are live. Spearheading the reassurance in the claims that Esports video is growing and successful, EFYTimes uses data obtained from IHS when mentioning that Esports video will be worth 300 million by 2018. The article promises that the future will be bright in Esports with growth in its audience.

Hello World. Welcome To A Blog On Video Games!

Credt:playbuzz

Many people have had the question of "what I want to be when I grow up thrown at them." I myself have had this same question asked during my childhood and couldn't think of an answer off the top of my head. I remember telling my parents around the time I was four or five that I wanted to become a "professional gamer." The idea was conceived from the moment that I played my first gaming console "the Nintendo 64." (for those of you that are too young to remember Nintendo 64, just think of Mario and Luigi, and yes we had to blow on the cartridges to get the games to work). Many of you will know the answer that would come forth from my parents mouth, so I won't bother you with what came next. Let's just say it wasn't the most supporting response that they have given me. My dreams of becoming a professional gamer were shattered, but now looking back on that time, I wonder "hmm, was it really fair for them to say that professional gaming was unrealistic?" 

The growth of video games has been steadily rising since the adaption of local area networks and technology. An example of a game that has blown up the video game industry is League of Legends.If you are unfamiliar League of Legends is one of the most popular MOBA (multi-player online battle arena). The 2014 League of Legends World Championship possessed the sweet prize pool of 2.1 million dollars with the winning team taking home a cool million dollars (of course there is the loss from taxes and such).

An example of the Professional Gaming. The game involved here is League of Legends.

Even with the taxes though the revenue generated from video games is staggering. I can remember large gaming events such as EVO years ago where the prize pool was only a fraction of what it is today. The international appeal from the gaming industry from all across the world has helped the video game industry transition smoothly and have success even in times of economic distress.Video games has always been a favorite pastime of students in the engineering department of my school, including myself. With the growth of online digital media (YouTube, Vimeo), accessing an audience as a professional gamer/game developer has been easier than ever. Some of the highest paid YouTube up-loaders such as PewdiePie, make millions from talking to a computer screen while playing a game if taken literally. Twitch which was once considered a unknown streaming website and potential failure to many, is quickly becoming one of the most watched streaming website in world. Amazon recent purchase of Twitch for $970 million dollars confirms that video games are a force in the business world. Video games are versatile. They can be educational, fun or a combination of both. But this is only the surface. What does the future hold for video games. The possibilities are endless. Could we see Nobel Peace Prizes, full length feature films or virtual reality gaming in the future? Only time will tell.

In this blog I will explore the growth of video games in popular culture. For what was once regarded as silly waste of time, video games are now building a reputable base. The primary focus of this blog on how video games are growing in popular culture by examining the trends that are making it grow. These trends include the rise of professional gaming, the marketing and business that has grown within the video game industry, the trials and tribulations that video games faced. Ever wanted to know what exactly the term Esports is and why business such as Intel, Amazon, and Microsoft are investing hundred of millions of dollars in this industry?  As a industrial engineer who loves video games I feel as though this is suitable and perhaps will get more people interested in the world of video games. These and other topics will be discussed here. So if your interested in a growing industry that looks promising in the future and want to learn how it got there and where it will go from here, then sit back, relax and divulge into possibly the coolest video game blog out there (not really but still I needed something catchy to close this introduction).