Why Gaming Has Become an Actual Industry

For years gaming has been looked down upon by non-gamers. Pushed aside and concluded as fantasy-like or nerdy distractions from the real world, gaming was hardly realized as a serious industry. Yet, aren't all things considered "entertainment" fantasy-like distractions in one sense or another? I mean c'mon: fans of Harry Potter constantly look to the stars and allow their minds to wander through the halls of Hogwarts, twilight fans damn near decapitate each other over which team is better, and Doctor Who fans all wish to be Time Lords. Aren't all of these things distractions?

The truth is what everyone has said about gaming is indeed a fact, but it is probably one of very few pastimes that allow you to actually submerse yourself into a world that is literally before your eyes. Whether it's tangible or not (which our heroes of the gaming industry are working so frantically on; but that's another article for another day) does matter, because gaming is a step above perception. There is no guessing, no fantasizing, or imagining what your favorite character actually sounds like.

So what else establishes gaming as a legitimate industry? One word: originality. Sure some games stem from books, movies, and even tv shows at times. But there are plenty titles that we know and love that have just come from the stellar minds of game creators and developers, and the fact that they are able to share that with us through interactivity and (sometimes) carefully articulated design in multiple aspects has earned gaming some well-deserved respect over the years.

Okay, so we've gotten originality and the fact that gaming does actually fall under the "entertainment" folder. What else can we say? Ever heard of a fanbase? Gaming has a huge collection. Just as an author has its frequent readers, game developers have their loyal gamers as well. Whether you are "pwning noobs" in Halo from 343 Industries or button-mashing your life away in Street Fighter from Capcom; you don't notice it, but you are part of a fanbase. And if you don't believe me, how many hours have you spent searching for the next game in a series? Don't worry I'll wait...

Done? Great.

Gaming has always been an industry with its veterans and its newcomers, but lately it has blown up faster because of technological advances. In the golden years, we took friends to play Round Robin in the arcades and today we are looking for our next random opponent online. Let's face it, gaming will just become bigger industry in the future. And we're totally fine with that, right?