Electronic games are taking over the world. Computers, which were once used mainly for work related

Have you ever wondered how so many people can play video games for hours? Or how gamers can connect to people in the “virtual world” and learn life lessons? In the book, Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World and the article “Becoming Part of Something Bigger Than ourselves” by Jane McGonigal says “the single best way to add meaning to our lives is to connect our daily actions to something bigger than ourselves and the bigger, the better” (446). In 2009, McGonigal’s best video game, SuperBetter, went viral. The popularity from the video game increased gamers to battle health challenges like depression and anxiety. Mcgonigal's video game also increased better communication skills between friends, family,

Video games have become a key element of popular culture, because they have attracted players from many different cultures and age groups. Video games have come a long way since Pong and Spacewar. Since the first video games, there have been innovations in this industry nearly every year, always striving to defy the impossible. Today, the newest generation of gaming consoles are extremely powerful, and with this comes the ability to make games that are increasingly realistic and advanced. Because of this advancement in video game technology, video game genres have expanded to include racing, shooting, adventure, horror, and so many more. Many of the games today even feature a historical element. To the outside viewer, it may seem as if these

Video games have become a massive icon that has spanned decades, technology and even cultural boundaries. Whether you play on a computer, tablet, phone, or console: at some point in your life, video games have been a part of what you do. Strike up a conversation about games and you can make lasting friendships or bitter enemies. Even if they might not know the specific game, everyone knows what the genre is, and because of this, video games have taken their lasting place in our pop

Our lives have become busier and therefore there is less time for complex gaming. Casual game use is on the rise as such games are simple and can be played quickly (“The Rise and Rise of Casual Gaming,” 2008). Jesse Schell (2010) observes games are becoming an extension of our real life, for example, fitness trackers and Wii fit, ‘brain exercising’ apps to ward off dementia, good driver apps that are provided by car insurance companies, point systems for shopping rewards and weight watchers. We can even compete with others in these games using leader boards. In the future there may be reward systems for brushing your teeth or using public transport (Schell,

Now that technological companies all over the world have set most of the seven billion individuals in the world with a computer, smartphone or tablet, it is time for better software to use with them. This is where games come in. Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello stated in a recent interview that PC gaming is the ‘fastest growing platform’. This shows the growing interest in gaming bearing in mind that gamers also have the means to play on. The term ‘gamer’ refers to an individual that plays a game or games, typically a participant in a computer or role playing game. The gaming community has grown so wide in the last few years because of the shift from single player games to multiplayer games on the internet

Devices give people new skills that could be used in the real world. A very important skill is finding information; according to new imaging studies “the brains of internet users become more efficient at finding information.” Being able to find information quickly is something that can help many people in school and work. Games are something that are providing us skills

Kutner and Olson also report on interviews with kids. One respondent said that he plays video games because he wants to see something that will hopefully never happen to him—experience it without actually being there (Kutner and Olson, 2008, 116). Some other kids said that they played M-rated games with groups of friends, and further research showed that M-gamers were more likely to play games in social settings or with more friends in the room (Kutner and Olson, 2008, 130). Other research shows that video games are a good tool for bringing people together—especially new kids, shy kids, or mentally disabled kids (Kutner and Olson, 2008, 132-134). This book does a good job of describing the effects of video games on lots of different kinds of kids—from different regions, different races, depressed kids, both genders, and mentally disabled kids (Kutner and Olson, 2008, 134).

The researchers found that kids play games to cope with their emotions, to enjoy challenging situations, to keep up with peers playing similar games, to create their own worlds, and to relieve stress ( MassGeneral, 2012 ). A child may revel video games because it gets the child's mind off whatever is going on in his or her life situations. In addition, the child may be seeking a challenge from computerized gaming. When a child plays a challenging game it works various parts of their brain, and who doesn't like to overcome a challenging situation, while being ignorant to your own life experiences. Keeping up to date with your peers is an absolute must for a solemn gamer. In most cases, an online game player wants to rise to the top of the leaderboards. Found mostly in role-playing games, the child is permitted to create a world of his or her own. The player can create, demolish, or act the part of a character in the world they have created. Lastly, the child may be playing the game to relieve current stress that he or she has. While playing the game, stress can easily vanish for the child. Thereupon, Video games are mostly used to get the child's mind off stress or emotions, to allow the enjoyment of difficult positions, to keep updated on the leaderboards, or to allow role-play in the child's own made-up

Many people have differing views on the topic of video games. While some individuals view gaming as positive, others view it in a negative light. Electronic games should not control a person’s life. Instead, individuals should prioritize and focus on objectives that matter in life. Spending time with family, friends, and studying, have countless benefits that gaming cannot provide in a person’s

To start with, gaming is a sizable industry of significant economic importance. More importantly, video games have great potential to be a tool for learning. Educational games combine entertainment with learning and are increasing in popularity (Lenhart et al, 2008). Additionally, video games connect those within similar communities or across the world in positive ways. Technology has made it possible to enjoy this hobby with individuals from almost anywhere in a matter seconds. While video games are a product that primarily serve to entertain and make profits for companies, one of their latent functions is to connect and socialize with

The game, Call of Duty, was my first shooting game. The game takes place at the time of World War 1, putting you in the meetings, or the frontlines of major battles of the country you decided you wanted to be playing for. Friends and I played together at each others homes, or online. For a time, it was our favorite way to socialize out side of school. We got so good that we started to do tournaments in different states, going on road trips to play the best of the best in our favorite games. We made lots of friends along the way. I haven't played video games in a few years, but with it, meeting people was so easy and

The term “gamer” tends to be synonymous with “geek” in many people’s minds. They see gaming as a device that absorbs the majority of the time of the user, leaving them as mindless empty, pale husks with no ambitions other than beating that next boss or shooting the enemy in the face. However, few gamers waste their life away. On the contrary, many of these so-called geeks tend to be more social than the average person, and farther down the technological curve than most. For the truth is that gaming is a rather useful and beneficial hobby. It gives people an outlet to focus on, and can connect them with many others worldwide. It can teach and entertain at the same time, and can be a useful distraction at other times. In this essay then,

Though one might say video games have no value in today’s society, technology is one of the most useful tools for children today. Video games can help to connect a person to their character through the actions they cause or the changes they make. It’s very easy for someone to connect to a world through a character’s eyes completely controlled by them. The idea of virtual reality is a very useful tool to help teach people how to work in the real world. However, Call of Duty is not one of those tools.

I am a part of the generation that only knows games that are played on home consoles. I grew up on games such as Halo, Call of Duty, and other big titles. Throughout the years, I have developed an appreciation for the form of entertainment. Where as some would have you to believe that games promote antisocial behavior. One would counter this by arguing for games, they bring people together. I have expansive, fond memories of playing Halo with my friends online. We developed a bond by playing together forming a “single mind” we could work together and know what the other people in the group were thinking. You could find this same bond among sports teams that have been playing with each other for a long time. Its these bonds that have made me firmly believe in the power of games to bring people

Children’s engagement in and motivation by video games is commonly observed by parents and teachers. The Joan Ganz Cooney Foundation conducted a survey of 505 in-service United States teachers that use digital games in their K-8 classrooms (Takeuchi & Vaala, 2014). Regarding low performing students seventy percent of the teachers agreed that digital gaming improved motivation and engagement (Takeuchi & Vaala, 2014). The motivation and engagement of games exhibited in both adults and children has been employed by marketing firms to encourage consumers to engage in sustained use of products such as social networking sites, fitness bands, and consumer data collection apps. This method has been coined gamification. The Oxford English Dictionary defines gamification as “the application of typical elements of game playing (e.g., point scoring, competition with others, rules of play) to other areas of activity,