Creative Myth

Video games are not just for kids, as they have become a billion dollar industry enjoyed by people of all ages. While some may think that kids spend too much time on electronics, adults also play video games and even make a living by streaming their gameplay. Video games have evolved over the years, allowing people to connect and have fun together. So, are video games really just for kids? The myth I'm going to talk about today is the world of video games. You might think that video games are not a myth, obviously, you'd be correct. However, the myth that I'm going to talk about is that video games are for kids. This couldn't be further from the truth. Video games is, believe it or not, a billion dollar industry with people partaking in this from all ages. When I look back at video games when I was a kid, they were really just taken off. Atari and Nintendo was around, but it wasn't until the late 90s it really turned something for the video game industry and kind of that foundation for what it is today with the invention of the original Xbox and PlayStation. I recall coming home from school, playing certain games that consumed hundreds of real life hours, such as Halo, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Madden Football Series, etc. I did so much more than play video games, but that was a huge part of my childhood that allowed me to connect with friends. I learned communication skills and really enjoyed my time playing with hand-eye coordination and whatnot. When you think about video games today, everyone says the same thing. All these kids do is bury themselves in their electronics, which is true. I'm a culprit of that myself with my children. I always kick them off the games and tablets, tell them to get outdoors, do something that allows them to take advantage of their surroundings and their geographical area in which they reside. As I previously stated, this is much more than something kids do. There are numerous streaming platforms these days, such as YouTube, Twitch, Facebook Gaming, in which you have to be 18 or above in order to utilize this platform. Most of the people that are on that platform, this is their sole mode of income. Some of these top streamers earn millions of dollars each year playing video games. When I think back to my childhood and my upbringing, I would have never thought that video games or e-sports, as they call it today, would be what it is. I feel that this helps people connect to a similar interest and perhaps passion. Today I have children that play video games themselves. They play Roblox and games on their Nintendo Switch. I have an Xbox that I play a few games with, with friends every now and then, but I have downloaded Roblox to play along with my children. It's a new way to connect with my kids and spend time with them, however, it has been nice seeing the smile on their faces while meeting a common ground. I'm not saying I'm setting them up to be streamers or inspire myself to become a streamer by any means, but this is part of their lives that they enjoy doing in their free time and me being able to join them in that means everything to me. Video games have come a long way in the last 20 plus years. What used to be a fun way for kids to pretend to be a character through fantasy and a role playing game or pretend that they are a professional sports character by building a creation player for themselves in a career mode, it's now a billion dollar industry that allows people to real time stream them playing current games. Having said this, video games themselves are just not for kids. In fact, most video games these days are played by adults. They figured out how to work with video game developers to promote certain games while making the streamer money as well. So I leave you with one question. Are video games really just for kids?