Jason Bagent's List: Industry Growth

• In the past few years, titles such as Heavy Rain, The Walking Dead, or almost any game showcasing an in-depth and involved storyline stands as proof of how video games have matured and reached new heights as the medium progresses (even if only a little at a time). Take a nonbeliever, have him play a title like The Walking Dead, and witness how quickly his opinion may change about whether video games deserve to be taken seriously.
• In this day and age, developers have been able to use new and improved methods of gameplay, and looking back at where video games began, one cannot deny how far they have come from a simple two-button layout with 8-bit graphics.
• On the subject of sexism, you would have to be living under a rock to be uninformed about the staggering amount of sexism in the video game industry today. This stems not only from the community but also from the developers themselves.
• It’s also painful to witness the hostility coming from certain niches of the gaming community on the topic. In other words, women who are unafraid to voice their opinion are attacked, and men who support them are labeled as “white knights.”
• Aside from sexism, the industry today also suffers from an unsettling amount of what many see as greed. Disc-locked downloadable content, or downloadable content released the same time as the retail disc, has been creating tension and outrage among the community for quite some time — not to mention the varying opinions on whether paying an extra 10 dollars or so to partake in online multiplayer is fair or not.
• Of course, how can we forget the questionable journalistic integrity of the industry? The answer is not one that can easily be revealed, but many believe that the bigger the name of a franchise, the friendlier the publicity and reviews will be for that particular name as the underdogs are shamelessly cast aside, ignored, and criticized for qualities that would most likely be excused in a popular triple-A title.
• Let’s be honest here — the mainstream media does not take video games seriously in the slightest. The medium is more often than not looked down upon as shameful or as a joke. Think about the last time a “gamer” was portrayed in a movie or on TV. They’re usually lazy, antisocial, and out of shape, right?
• Now, do these traits accurately describe the entirety gaming community? Of course they don’t, but the fact is, video games are an area that the mainstream media may never quite understand. And when something is difficult to understand, it is always far easier to cast it off as “weird” than to put forth the effort required to see it from an insider’s perspective.
• the video games industry also acts as a convenient scapegoat for those looking to blame an easy target. In no way will I attempt to downsize the tragedy that occurred in Connecticut last month, nor will I attempt to do the same toward any sort of past event. However,

  I can’t ignore the level of hostility targeted at video games in the wake of any occurrence of this sort. It’s completely understandable that anyone experiencing that kind of loss would feel a certain way, and that person undoubtedly has the right to feel anger toward his society. This is not the guilty party who points the finger at video games for causing these attacks of senseless violence. I think it’s safe to say that most people know who exactly is to blame and who it would benefit to divert attention on to video games instead.
• This has always been the set-in-stone structure of scapegoating, seeing how other types of media have also taken the blame for violence before video games came into the picture.

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• Consider this: If American students scored just 40 points higher on international math tests, the US would generate $16 trillion of additional GDP income over their lifetime, according to a recent study out of Harvard. It seems like such a small gain for such a huge reward, but the question is: How do we get there?
• The Institute of Game Accelerated Multidisciplinary Education, or iGAME , is a nonprofit founded in Boston and focused on developing innovative educational games for schools. According to founders Naureen Meraj and Imran Sayeed, the goal is simple: bridge the gap between educational institutions and students by providing an engaging and meaningful learning experience.
• On September 28th, for the first time ever, iGAME is bringing together investors, start-ups, entrepreneurs, educators, academics, and students to hear leading experts talk about the latest breakthroughs in educational games. Attendees can experience games first-hand in an iGAME lab, hear educational start-ups pitch their products, and participate in workshops where they will see how effective games can be in the classroom. With speakers from the nonprofit, educational, and technology realms, this “Un-conference” will provide a platform to stakeholders to combine ideas, tap into new resources, and identify technology solutions for problems in our education system.

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• Through above-average tech knowledge, we are incredibly connected with our friends. Through online venues, playing games has become an extremely social experience and as such, gamers are now among the most social creatures in the known universe.
   
   

  Then there’s the gamer economics. New console games cost an average of $60. We can spend hundreds of dollars on “free-to-play” titles like League of Legends, or the more casual Candy Crush Saga -- all while paying mortgages, raising kids, and taking care of our aging parents, who just might live in our basement.
   
   We’ve got jobs, friends, we’re raising families, and even at the ripe old average age of 32-36 years old, we still take time to have fun. We are doing all right.