Video Games: Evolving from a Simple Pastime to One of the Most Influential Industries in the World

Video games have gone from a childish pastime to a major force on the global stage. Many people today see video games as a pointless pastime, played only by young people, with little to no real use. But in reality, other industries have profited off the technological advancements of the video game industry. By consolidating articles providing information on technology and industries affected by the game industry found in engineering journals, and an interview with Dr. Steven Berdock, Director of Clinical Services Department of Anesthesia at the Hospital of Sick Children of Toronto in Toronto, Canada, I will show the game industry’s widespread effects on technology. Graphical rendering, hacking and reverse engineering, and low-cost, state-of-the-art hardware are allowing other industries to ride the game industry’s wave into new advancements of their own. The gamer of today may become the computer scientist of tomorrow. Who can say how far video games can really take us unless we continue to encourage young gamers to study game design and development and push the industry to its very limits?