The death of E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) as we know it notwithstanding, the future is bright for gaming, which is already a big business and will continue to grow in the years to come.
According to DFC Intelligence, revenue from interactive entertainment (that's electronic games in plain English) will reach US$42B in 2010, up from US$28.5B in 2005.
I'm convinced that gaming will become one of the leading means for communication and social interaction among people from all over the world, becoming a new common ground in the face of the decline of mass media.
Which is why I find it amusing that many people still think of gaming as a frivolous activity or something that only kids can enjoy. Let's face it, we gamers don't get much respect, and while I'm not glossing over the harmful effects of too much gaming, the unfortunate truth is that the media often focuses on negative news.
The thing is, anything is open to abuse. Gaming in itself isn't inherently good or evil. For instance, some people are reckless or drunken drivers, often resulting in tragedy. This doesn't mean, however, that you will blame the cars or ban them altogether, just because of some bad apples.
Those who think that nothing good comes out of gaming may be surprised to learn of efforts such as the Serious Games Initiative. What some people fail to realize is that games are an excellent way to teach complex skills. We accept the fact that airlines make use of flight simulators before letting a pilot fly an actual plane, yet we don't see that video games can also be used for training.
Some business schools use the simulation game Capitalism II to teach students. Certain real estate firms include Sim City as part of the application and training process. And the great thing about games is that we're willing to absorb a lot of information and develop manual dexterity in order to win.
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