Entertainment software is one of the leading segments in the US economy and according to a projection made by Price Waterhouse Coopers; this segment is all set to witness above average growth till 2011. Video games have come a long way since the 1970’s when individual video game enthusiasts used keyboards or dials to manipulate dots across a screen, to the modern era of highly digitized superior multimedia experiences. The gamers have matured, evolved, grown and diversified significantly over the years with the rapid strides made in the video games segment. It is worth noting here that between 2003 and 2006 the video games industry grew at a rate of more than 17 percent whereas the US economy grew at an average rate of 4 percent during the same time. Presently the video games industry employs more than 80,000 people across 31 states in the US.

The programming for video games has evolved from being simple, linear, DOS based pieces of programs to dynamic, dramatic and highly interactive multimedia experiences that literally explode in front of your eyes and take you to a whole new trip altogether. Modern video games enable gamers to change their environment through intelligent use of motor sensor controllers and realistic animation. Today, video games are no longer used as mere tools for entertainment. The United Nations World Food Program has used video games to impart knowledge to children about hunger that is prevalent in the world. Companies such as American Express, IBM, Pfizer and Nokia use novel video games to provide interactive training using appropriate computer graphics and simulations.

As the population of video game enthusiasts increases rapidly, the video game industry also evolves significantly to cater to the changing demands of the gamers. Senior citizens opt for Sudoku and Word Scramblers to keep their minds sharp, whereas the youngs crave for more action, animation and intelligent interactive features.

Video games like many other modern innovations bring with them positive as well as negative influences. The most positive factor is that it employs a huge number of people and is a booming industry contributing significantly to the GDP growth of a nation. The other factors in their favor are: they promote intelligence, encourage creativity, offer an entertaining way to learn new things and help enhance the hand-eye coordination among gamers.

However, there are people who believe that video games promote laziness, aggression and stupidity in the name of entertainment in addition to encouraging escapism by creating a make believe world for the gaming addicts. They also argue that video games promote ill health and cause a lot of health hazards as the gamers shun all forms of outdoor activity and remain absorbed in games through out day and night. People also complain that video games make people unsocial and unproductive.

On whichever side one may choose to be, it is definitely not possible to remain immune to the multi-billion dollar gaming industry. The video games are here to stay and so if we use them to our advantage, they can be a boon to us.