Latest Advances to Online Gaming

There has been an incredible stride concerning the advances of computer technology over the years which has led to many advances in the gaming world as well. From the pioneering of pong to avatars and virtual worlds, one could only wonder where we are headed next. It seems no matter the generation or the genre of the game, there are three main components that make the game popular. They are: (1) strategic and tactical objective oriented problem solving, (2) thematic and fantasy role-playing, and (3) testing one's reflexes in an immersive environment using special purpose interfaces. 

A component in games that has significantly changed is the size of the game. From the large coin operated game playing arcades, game playing has not only streamlined into the home, but into the palm of the hand with technology placing games into our cell phones. Game playing has also gone from a single individual playing against a machine to many individuals playing against each other in a virtual world. There has been a rise in development of virtual worlds since the early 1990’s; this has also coincided with the drop in home computer prices. The home computer gaming and social networking suddenly became much more accessible. 

With this sudden accessibility came a sudden rise in the frequency of gaming use. This rise in frequency would cause an addiction in some individuals. To define what a gaming addiction is, “That is the person needs more and more of a substance or behavior to keep him going and if the person does not get more of the substance or behavior, he becomes irritable and miserable.” 

 When there is addictive behavior there are also withdrawal symptoms, this is also the case in game addicts. "They become angry, violent, or depressed. If parents take away the computer, their child sits in the corner and cries, refuses to eat, sleep, or do anything." With a gaming addiction there is a difference between that and a drug or alcohol addiction. It is similar to a gambling addiction in that with a gambling addiction there is a release of dopamine levels and the individual can become addicted to that rush of dopamine. But in gaming the addiction becomes more of an addiction of the escapism that is included in the game. The individual can become someone else, or they are a “better” person in their eyes in the game so they spend more time in that virtual world because they are the person they want to be there. It eventually overshadows their real world because their real world soon just does not compare to the world that they create.  

When an individual participates in four to five hours of gaming per day they have no time for socializing, homework, or sports. In older addicts, compulsive gaming can jeopardize jobs or relationships. Warning signs for video game addiction include: Playing for increasing amounts of time, thinking about gaming during other activities, gaming to escape from real-life problems, anxiety, or depression, lying to friends and family to conceal gaming, and feeling irritable when trying to cut down on gaming.

With gaming becoming a huge market within all the generations, it is difficult to know who the industry leaders are for each target audience. Many of these leaders make games that target all age levels, as well as games that are specified to a certain audience. Market leaders like Electronic Arts, Activision Blizzard, and Bioware making games for everyone, there are many more smaller companies that have either been bought out by larger companies or are still in the running for a breakthrough game.

            But who is the target audience for all of these market leaders? Many follow the same stereotypical thoughts; a nerdy teen that stays home all the time. Today the average age of players in America, the biggest market, is 37, and 42% of them are female, according to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), an American trade group. The reason for the age being higher than the stereotype is that they were the teenagers when gaming became popular. They have now grown up and are middle-aged adults though. It is not hard to advertise to them or younger groups, since it is a part of a lifestyle in families. The industry has only recently begun targeting woman and elders with online games like Farmville and Angry Birds, as well as with the Nintendo Wii Console.

            There are so many smaller developers trying to market their games now than before because of the use of internet. They are able to give the consumers their product without the use of a big publisher or having to go a store to buy a hard copy. With technology advancing, not just in consoles, but in computers and phones, the internet increases the availability of products.

            Video game technology is being used for more than just entertainment. There are so many developers out there in the industry that have brilliant ideas, they decide to branch off. Some offer to make video games that you can play and make money with, and other developers are targeting private companies or the government with simulation technology to help teach prospects.

So when asked who the market leaders are, and who they target to buy their games; the answer can be a variety of things. One could point out the ones that make the most money, or they say the ones that they are familiar with. The target audience varies with the type of game and what that game is played on.

Market leaders may not know about the addictive behaviors there games may cause, but even if they do, there is not much they could do about it. The economy is in a rut right now, and the gaming industry just wants to stay out of debt. The industry is always changing and will only keep changing to better itself.