The gaming industry is the most successful in the world right
now. The fact that the annual gaming revenue is larger than the movie and music
industry combined is evidence that we have come a long way from the days of Pac-Man.
As one of the biggest earning media sectors, the gaming industry has an
estimated $165 billion in revenue is generated in 2020.
Video games have been around for a long time. They were
first recognized in the 1960s, which led to Atari being famous for bringing
games. Video games were just starting, and one of the earliest video games
known to man was Pong by Atari in 1972. The game kickstarted the industry as
people were playing the game all the time. Pong became a sensation in the early
1970s. Many companies started their versions of the famous arcade table tennis
game. Atari was also the first company to release the world’s first console
back in 1977.
As the years went by, the technology advanced, and video
game companies took full advantage of those technologies. We saw more and more
innovative games, which created the industry we see today. The industry thrived
and engaged more people than any other form of media. Back in the PS1 days,
people were excited about the graphical enhancements and technology used. PlayStation
2 was released in 2000, and to this day, it remains the most sold console ever.
This era was the start of a global gaming sensation of consoles.
Not only gaming equipment but games also became increasingly
impressive and immersive. To put things into perspective, Spider-Man on PlayStation
1 and Spider-Man on PlayStation 4 compared side by side makes it evident how
far we have come.
Consoles were one thing, but PC gaming also became
increasingly popular. Counter-Strike 1.6 is still the most played first-person
shooter in the world despite being released in 1999. Then came MMORPG like WoW
and DOTA that took the world by storm.
Esports tournaments have also become mainstream as gamers
earn millions of dollars from a single event should they win. Not only that but
gamers who are good at gaming stream their gameplay and get tons of viewers,
which eventually leads to sponsorships and endorsements. People take gaming as
a fully-fledged career, which may be hard to digest for boomers, but it is a
thing now.
Infographic by: visualcapitalist
