In recent times the games industry has made the move into mass culture with, as Guest (2005) reveals, around 27 million people per week passing through virtual online worlds. A major reason for the rise in popularity of games is the vast technological improvements made to the gaming world. From the Sega, to the Playstation 1, to the Xbox 360, gaming has come a long way.
Online gaming is highly popular with many gamers. Playing online gives the opportunity to create a profile and play against other gamers from all over the world. In some cases, for example on World of Warcraft, an entire online virtual world is created by the user. They can create their own character and live out a virtual life through the game. Although improvements in technology may have contributed to the rise in the gaming industry, the need and want for games has always been there. Before technological advances, people already played games. As children, everyone role played with their friends in the playground. Gaming consoles have merely provided a platform for these games to be played. Through the use of virtual worlds, it has become acceptable not only for children, but also for adults to create virtual profiles and role play in a scenario that they may never get the opportunity to be a part of in real life. Perhaps this is what draws people to the virtual worlds of games.
No comments:
Post a Comment