Video Gaming: Left For Dead?

Hobbies I never took up include: Pogs, Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, Tomagachi, and Pokemon. These phenomena captivated many of my peers growing up and in some way I'm sure there's a reason each one became more successful than the last. I was never interested however, and the only thing that I may have in common with all the kids who were interested in those activities is that I play video games. I wasn't interested in acquiring slammers, or magic cards, or catching all of the pokemon. I just wanted to play games to pass my time and I found out that there were several different types of games that I was interested in playing over the course of 20 years. I never equated the above to video games because to me, these were fads, and they would die out.

I recently talked to a banker based out of San Antonio who made the assertion that video games would die out. The conversation started when I suggested that the gaming industry's growth over the years was phenomenal and that they were a sure investment for the future. He seemed to think otherwise and I couldn't understand. I looked at myself as a point of reference for the success of the video game industry. I am after all a 20 year customer, and I don't see any reason why I would stop buying games unless there were none left to buy. I would go so far as to guarantee myself as a lifetime customer for anyone doing market research on gamers.

I passed off the banker's comment as ridiculous until I read an article about one of the most important game creators today. Hideo Kojima, the creator of the "Metal Gear Solid" series, predicted the death of the console last week in Japan. As our society continues to grow in mobility with cell phones, and portable computers, and mobile internet service grows, Kojima predicts people are going to want to play their games whenever, and wherever, and not be restricted to the stationary console.

Personally, I like my consoles. I'll be putting them in my game room when I get one. A huge plasma screen television with all the available gaming consoles, a pool table, ping pong table, a dart board, poker table, and a fridge. Most likely I will not be bringing any kind of mobile phone with me to this mindless sanctuary either. Who would want to ruin a good thing like that? For the source article, click here.