Whenever bored or alone at home, video games are and always will be there to alleviate the loneliness.The influence of video games on the youth of America is undeniable.
Nearly everyone has played on or owns a video game console. Video game popularity has proliferated so much that there are even leagues of professional gamers. Not only does the video game industry provide fun ways to kill time and have fun at the same time, but it brings in the dough — at least, until now.
It seems not even the gaming industry is safe from the recession. In the year 2009, the gaming industry suddenly plummeted. Games weren’t being sold, and people were just becoming uninterested in purchasing any games. It fell 8.6% from $22.11 billion to $20.2 billion.  While it was a weak year, one still can hardly believe how much popularity video games have enjoyed, especially considering the profits a decade ago in 2000: a meager $7.9 billion.
One reason why there was such a sharp decline in video games is the exclusiveness to games. A different gaming company manufactures each video game console, and each has quite a number of exclusive titles to them. This means that you can’t play Halo 3 on your Wii, and you can’t play Super Mario on your PS3, unless you buy the specific console, and the price tag can easily reach $400.
This can discourage people from buying a game that they cannot play on their console. Having games exclusive to one console only feeds fuel to the console wars,’ and leaves out a large demographic of the gaming population.
“I don’t like it because it excludes people. If your friends have an Xbox and you have a Playstation, you can’t play games together,” remarks junior Emil Petersen.
However, sophomore Majed Ayoub has a different opinion on the matter; he says, “I think it’s fair because every console is unique, and it’s a good way for the companies to make money. Every company just wants the money.”
Even though the industry is losing profits, they cannot afford to raise the price of their games, or else they risk alienating the demographic of people already struggling to pay for their games. The average price for a video game now is $50-60.
“I think the prices are fine as it is, although I think those ‘special edition’ version of games that make you pay more are stupid,” says Ayoub.
Probably one of the biggest reasons why the gaming industry is screeching to a halt is the advent of pirating. Piracy is becoming more and more popular as time goes on, and it is easy to see why: you can get software for free, and it is relatively easy to crack the security code.
“I love piracy because I usually cannot afford it [the games]. However, if I do have the money, I try to buy the game to support the gaming industry,” says sophomore Phillip Sue.
“I think piracy is stupid — not only is it illegal, but if you’re really that desperate for a game, you should find other things to do,” says Petersen.
Things are looking up for the video game industry, with many highly anticipated titles that will no doubt leave fans craving for more.
“I’m definitely looking forward to Halo: Reach,” says Ayoub.
“[I’m excited to play] Starcraft II, Diablo III, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm,” says Sue.