Video Games Are A Big Deal... But Maybe Not In The Way You'd Expect

from the not-what-you-think,-necessarily dept

Mon, May 8th 2006 5:06pm — Mike Masnick

With it being E3 time (and there being no booth babes to ogle), it appears that lots of reporters are taking a look at the video gaming market. While some would have you believe that gamers are a small niche population of socially maladjusted youths, the truth (not surprisingly) is quite different. The latest study finds that 40% of adults are computer gamers... though, the largest segment fall under the "casual" gaming category, which, in the past has been called the bored housewives market. However, this highlights something that's important: video games aren't easily classified, and are often taking on new and different roles in people's lives. The NY Times is noting how video games like the Sims may be more appealing to kids than playing with a doll house (or watching TV). Meanwhile, others in the video game space are lamenting how little the actual world of gaming has changed over the last few years and are finally looking at ways to redefine what video gaming covers. So, while it's easy to try to pigeonhole video gamers as a certain class of people, it's becoming increasingly obvious that video gaming covers a wide variety of computer activities which is only likely to grow as gaming is used in new and different ways.

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15 Comments

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billy bones, 8 May 2006 @ 5:58pm

Researchers make me laugh.
It was just last month when I saw the news story about how researchers "discovered" that more people drink on the weekends then on the weekdays... What a bunch of FEEBS!

Stop researching negligable topics and put your brains to use somewhere beneficial to our society... like thinking up NEW GAME IDEAS! :D
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DittoBox, 8 May 2006 @ 6:21pm

Remeber folks
Jack Thompson says: don't play video games, it'll rot your mind (just like Law School)!
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Rob Stevens, 8 May 2006 @ 6:34pm

Booth Babe Ban
Please, please stop perpetuating the myth that booth babes have been banned. They haven't. That rule has ALWAYS been in effect at E3, this year, they simply chose to emphasize it to keep things in check. There will be plenty of booth babes in varying states of dress. Just like every year. I guarantee it.
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Wolf, 8 May 2006 @ 6:42pm

You don't say.
This report comes as a no-brainer to anyone who accualy thinks about it. Now all the youth who grew up with the video games on console and computer are the adults and their kids are also playing video games. Of course there is going to be significantly more people who are gamers.

Like billy said "Stop researching negligable topics and put your brains to use somewhere beneficial to our society... like thinking up NEW GAME IDEAS!"
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Johnny, 8 May 2006 @ 7:02pm

Recently suprised by this myself
So, I'm in college and have the occasional hour or two or three or six to play a little bit of World or Warcraft, an addicting game I believed to be designed for lazy college students such as myself. But more often than not, the other people I'm playing with online leave to go take their kids to school or pick their husband up from work (that's right chicks are playing this thing non stop). I didn't believe it at first, but I think video games are the new soap opera.
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ntlgnce, 8 May 2006 @ 7:04pm

comment...
Have you ever played a video game? Will you play a game in the future? If you answered yes to both of these questions, then your a gamer..
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Anonymous, 8 May 2006 @ 7:14pm

Games: Food for the Soul
Been a gamer my whole life, Takes the stresses of life and puts them in an understandable situation. A way to blow off steam and Literally fill in time. My response to "Video games rot your mind" At least I'm not a couch potato, something's getting exercise! :P
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Jim Garrison, 8 May 2006 @ 7:20pm

New Research Project
People with more money buy newer and better games for their consoles. You can help fund this important new research project by PayPal'ing your contribution to my email address. With enough funding I'll also be able to complete my research on whether expensive brands of beer result in better hand-eye coordination during long gaming bouts as compared to the cheap stuff I usually have to buy. :-)
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Dan, 8 May 2006 @ 7:39pm

Couple nights ago, on a cabletv show called "Discoveries This Week", I saw a doctor who credits his skill with the latest fiber-optic/manipulator arm gizmo with his affinity for xbox type games. Turns out, a lot of the skills you develop when you play video games are the same ones you need to operate several kinds of surgical equipment.

Huh. Who'da thunk?
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PopeRatzo, 9 May 2006 @ 4:18am

How stupid that the Booth Babes have been banned. With the audience for video games being overwhelmingly male, what is the harm of having some hot chicks to sell the stuff? No problem with games having scenes of human bodies being rent apart or blown to bits, but god forbid there should be a breast.

I really had hoped the video game industry wouldn't become politically correct.
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zinedine, 9 May 2006 @ 4:53am

Internet Gaming
If I got glued on Atari's Tennis game 25 years ago despite the players looking like models of the skeletal system, then I guess it doesn't take a prophet to know that the future of child entertainment lies on video games. And the game is evolving. Gone are the days when you have to invite your friends to your place in order to be able to play together. The Internet is fast becoming the next frontier in video gaming.
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Another Dan, 9 May 2006 @ 7:55am

Re: Turns out, a lot of the skills you develop whe
> I saw a doctor who credits his skill with the latest fiber-optic/manipulator arm gizmo with his affinity for xbox type games. Turns out, a lot of the skills you develop when you play video games are the same ones you need to operate several kinds of surgical equipment.

--> Turns out that some people will believe anything they read or see on TV. Don't expect to gain valuable skills playing video games. Yes, video games are fun, and I'm an avid gammer in his 30s. However, what makes my gamming healthy is that I don't delude myself into thinking that it is anything but frivolous. You don't become a doctor by playing Mario brothers.
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m0rd3r, 9 May 2006 @ 10:00am

Re: Re: Turns out, a lot of the skills you develop
--> Turns out that some people will believe anything they read or see on TV. Don't expect to gain valuable skills playing video games. Yes, video games are fun, and I'm an avid gammer in his 30s. However, what makes my gamming healthy is that I don't delude myself into thinking that it is anything but frivolous. You don't become a doctor by playing Mario brothers.

Of course you dont. He's saying that his videogame skills helped him operate surgical equipment better. Not that he became a doctor because of videogames. Videogames helped my driving skills too BTW. So its not totally frivolous. Its better than sitting on your ass drinking and watching football like my dad always did. One time when I was younger my dad got mad because I was always on my computer so he yelled at me to go watch TV instead. Some people just dont get it.
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m_violine, 2 Jun 2006 @ 1:38am

video games is not for babies
i have a baby brother which has been addicted to video games since he was about 2 (now he's 4)
my mom has 4 children
i can say that she use video games to have my baby brother sit and calm down for an hour or two (he's 'a bit' naugthy, actually)
i, myself, love playing video games too
although i aware of the dangers of this hobby, sometime i play a bit too much

vid-game is good for learning other language (my first language is not english and i learned MUCH by playing vid-game), growing aspirations to technology, reduce stress, and adding knowledge (anything like histoy, herbology, etc.)

children received the biggest effect of playing vid-game
they could be agressive, care for nothing else but playing vid-game, social problems, etc.
but my biggest fear to my baby brother is that someday he will get repetitive strain injury because he often play vid-game in the PC
even he's now a bit agressive --'

that's why i don't suggest vid-games for younger children
(even the ABC and 123 vid-game, don't let them play too much!)
maybe it's okay for the older ones, about 8+
but of course, it will be much better if their parents understand both the advantages and disadvantages
so they can control their children's playing better
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Jun 2006 @ 8:30pm

Hello Moto!!
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