Issue date: 2/14/07 Section: News

Whether it is scoring a touchdown on Madden or getting a kill on Gears of War, the popularity of video games has skyrocketed over that past year. U.S. sales of software, hardware and accessories reached $12.5 billion in 2006, according to the market research firm NPD Group.

Dr. Leo Finkelstein, a professor of Computer Science at Wright State said, "For many, the same things that have drawn people to other kinds of games: the need to interact, compete, escape, and achieve."

When asked what further attractions video games hold he said, "I would say the attraction of video games for some centers on the ability to do and be what they perceive they can't do or be in real life."

Another aspect of video games that might be causing the popularity to go up is advancement of technology in the video game itself.

Dr. Finkelstein explained that there are many factors that are in place that can affect the level of realism such as processing and display technologies as well as high-speed internet connectivity.

John Campana, second year accounting major, said, "The interaction with the video game is what got me into them to begin with. How much control a video game provides to the players is what gets them attached."

Campana said, "I think the popularity of video games have gone up recently because of the drastic increase in the quality of the video graphics."

Many students said that it was other people that encouraged them to start playing.

Dr. Finkelstein speculated on the next step in the progression of video games.

He said, "We already have (virtual reality) technology for the home. How fast it will diffuse will depend on design and production considerations, economic viability, and innovation."

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