The Impact of Gaming on Society and Culture

Video games are certainly nothing new, every kid alive today has grown up with video games, and as a society we are just on the cusp of how much this technology can impact our everyday lives. Much like laughter and music, technology transcends language barriers and allows people who have never met to connect through the language of gaming. Video games are no longer limited to having to invite friends over, but players can team up from around the world to play, chat, and interact. It is time that the idea of “video games” encapsulates a larger ideal – improving society in general.

Fantasy and Simulation

Much like a book or movie can take viewers and readers to another place, video games can do the same thing. Storylines have gotten more complex, and graphics are more realistic than ever before. Video games are like books that have come to life and allow players to experience adventures that their grandparents could never dream of. Hopefully, people will never have to fight zombies in real life, but video games let players journey to an apocalyptic world of survival just the same way that novels can. Without realizing it, video games are directly impacting our decision making skills, challenging us in adventures, and mentally rewarding ourselves in a victory. In many cases, they are training our brains and making us smarter.

Video games can let people FLY! Without the advent of flight simulation, many pilots today would not have the training necessary for them to live their real-life dream of being a pilot. Without video games, many military personnel would be subjected to harm and ill-prepared for potentially deadly real-world situations. For some reason, people don’t want to consider these things “video games” or “gaming” implications – but when you really strip it down, that is exactly what many around the world are working with on a daily basis. A great example is the story of Take 2 Interactive.

With as much news as there has been lately about UK online casinos, it is apparent that video games can have a negative effect on an entire populace, in terms of mental health and financial stability.

Medicine

What about the medical field? Seems the only benefit video games would have would be for patient recovery, but that is not the case. The same technology that is behind Mario jumping on a mushroom has blossomed into life-saving technology.

3D renderings of internal images and structures were all done largely through graphic design and utilize many of the same interfaces as video game technology. The insight provided by video games has directly lead to saving people’s lives. Those mini cameras that doctors use in complex surgeries were a direct result of technological advances used in computing, graphic design, and even gaming itself.

Education

Video games are reshaping the way that the youth of the world are educated. No longer are trips to the library based solely on books, but gaming applications have been developed for children and young adults of all ages. Research shows that information is retained longer when it is received through entertaining means.(http://onlineblackjack.casino) Could it be possible that the same negative idea of gaming hindering learning that some have, has shifted towards a more beneficial educational tool?

The Future

Overall, video games and the world of gaming is going to continue to evolve. Many companies have virtual reality gaming systems that will be introduced to the public next year. Given everything that gaming has already done for us as a whole, the embracing of gaming and the technology associated with it, have the opportunity to make the world, smarter, safer, and friendlier.

Wow. This is going to be awesome.

Now the question for most, either outside of the industry or wanting to get into the industry; how does one keep up with the changing pace of game development and technology?  Besides outside reading and periodicals, the best solution is to attend classes at an accredited university.  One school that offers education in new technology and game design is digipen.edu where students can learn online and still keep a job.

Additional factors that will weigh-in in the development of gaming are issues of law.  One of the strictest in terms of control by law for casino gaming in Australia.  The laws in Australia permit its citizens to play at offshore casinos but not companies within Australia except those land-based facilities authorised by the government.