Video game industry in North America - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages... Interactive game industry is the other term used in reference to the video game industry as it comprises of thousands of disciplines. The industry developed in the 1970s because of curiosity in which their development shifted from a focused market to a mainstreamed one (Huntemann & Aslinger, 2013). Presently, the video game industry is the most profitable component of the North American economy as it the profits generated from the sale of video game merchandise translates to billions of dollars. Ideally, the advancement in the computer or technology industry draws influence from the video gaming sector as the sector has facilitated significant improvements. For instance, the video game industry influenced the development of sound cards as video game players sought to develop the quality of sound produced but video games. Presently, modern games are a demanding lot as they require advanced applications on personal computers hence influencing the purchase of high quality equipment. Therefore, this essay will delve on the video game industry in North America while focusing on the benefits and disadvantages of the same on the economy and the population. History of the Video game industry in North America Video games developed in North America contribute at least thirty percent of the games in the video game market. With this attribute, the industry that started almost forty decades ago has attracted the interest of many researchers in terms of their impact on the reality of the game players. Many researches have had their focus on the contents of the video games or the production aspects of the same. Ideally, the video game industry has a correlation with the development of the software industry in the North American continent, but the two industries took divergent paths as time progressed. However, the establishment of the video game industry is a subject that has dotted lines as it is not clear whether it started with Russell Steven with his colleagues or Baer Ralph as they developed Magnavox Odyssey and Space wars respectively (Yost, 2005). These two individuals are just among the few that the video game industry cites as the developers of video game consoles in North America. In essence, the game console is the most significant aspect of video games as the device is needful in the running of video games. In definitive terms, the game console is a gaming device that can host numerous games that have different contents and display the contents on a television screen. For instance, the Nintendo 64 was the greatest game console to have hit the video game industry with its release in 1997. On the other hand, video game companies emerged in a period between the 1980s and the 1990s, but the game console sector remained as the principal force in the North American continent. Appendices 1: Comparison between the sales of video game consoles and PC game sales Year Console games Net sales Personal computer Game Sales 2006 231.8 Million pieces 1.2 Million pieces 2007 388.4 Million pieces 5.2 Million pieces 2008 628.5 Million pieces 9.3 Million pieces 2009 602.3 Million pieces 8.8 Million pieces 2010 636 Million pieces 17.6 Million pieces The table asserts that sales in video game console are higher as compared to the sales of PC games making this aspect the object of focus for video game publishers and developers (Tremblay, 2007). Essentially, video game consoles are vital in the maintenance of the existing structures of the North American video game industry. Video game structures in North America As part of the regulations governing this industry, the acquisition of a license from the manufacturer is vital before a game development studio creates a game console. The license is an agreement ...Download file to see next pagesRead More