Growing Gamers

By Peyton Jutton

CMHS Journalism Alum

People's preference for different game systems differs on people's vastly different personalities.

“Xbox is my favorite game system. I’ve never owned a PS4 or anything else,” stated senior Kenzy Smith.

Today’s video gaming industry makes up to 100 billion dollars globally. Nearly two-thirds of American homes have household members that play video games regularly, according to scmp.com.

“ Even though I like playing all of the game systems, my least favorite game system is the Wii,” said former CMHS student Alvin Mills.

About 67 percent of Americans, roughly 211 million people, play video games on at least one type of device. More than half of those people play on multiple platforms, according to a new study released by Electronic Entertainment Design and Research.

According to variety.com, the study, which is based on an online survey of 5,000 people, also showed that 90 percent play games on their smartphones, tablets, or both. Gamers spend an average of six hours playing weekly, according to limelight.com.

“I don’t have a game I don't like to play,” stated Smith.

Video games have been around since the early 1970s. The first commercial arcade video game, Computer Space by Nutting Associates, was introduced in 1971. In 1972, Atari introduced Pong to the arcades, according to history.com

In 1972, Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney decided to strike out on their own and incorporated their preexisting partnership as Atari. After seeing a demonstration of the Magnavox Odyssey ahead of its release.

“Children can play games I play because they are child appropriate,” said former CHMS student Jamario Harris.

In 2005 and 2006, Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Sony’s Playstation 3, and Nintendo’s Wii kicked off the modern age of high-definition gaming.

“I like Ps4 because it has more quality than any other game system,” Harris says.

“I believe it’s best to educate your kids about gaming. I've been allowed to play M rated games since 6th grade, but my mom helped me understand what I was playing. I just played and had fun. As innocent as that sounds, little kids still shouldn’t be exposed to those games at a young age,” said Peter Abramovic, a former family friend.