The world of gaming has grown to new levels of complexity and appeal. Today’s sophisticated consoles and personal computers allow users to immerse themselves in an incredibly immersive virtual world. There are many different types of video games, each with its own specific genre and sub-genres. Many of today’s most popular games can be played for free online. While it used to be that video gaming was primarily a teenage pastime, today it has grown into a massive industry with multiple markets.
Gaming is an ongoing, ever-evolving process. Video games have evolved from the simple game of maze and Pac-Man, to complex, highly realistic worlds requiring hundreds of hours of real-time gaming time. A video game is literally a computer program that involves interaction using a user interface or physical input device including a keyboard, mouse, joystick, or motion detector. Game systems often include thousands of computer programmable (CPC) cards that can be reconfigured to run various types of video games. Most PC games also use a digital optical disc that contains all of the game data; this disc is then played back through a regular CD-ROM drive.
The popularity of video games has exploded in recent years. One of the driving forces behind the explosion in popularity has been the rise of Internet gaming. Internet video games allow players to interact with digital characters in a way not possible in real life. Video game systems have also reached the point where they can support a large database of user profiles that feature different levels of interaction and game play experience. As more people try out different video games and new game systems, the variety and quantity of available information increases.
The growing interest in video gaming is fueled by three major factors: the explosive growth of the global economy; improvements in video game technology that have made existing game systems quite affordable; and the emergence of a new market for electronic entertainment. All three of these forces are contributing to an explosion in the number of people who own at least one video game system. While a great number of people still live in the United States and a few other countries, many people from abroad now spend a lot of money on video gaming. As a result, video gaming markets are now bigger than most people realize.
While a great deal of people get their video gaming systems from local stores, there are also many individuals and companies who sell video gaming systems online. One of the largest online retailers of video gaming equipment is Best Buy. Best Buy sells a wide variety of home and video gaming systems, computers, and accessories. In addition to selling video gaming systems, Best Buy offers other consumer electronics such as televisions, DVD players, recorders, and camcorders. Because Best Buy’s inventory is so broad, the company regularly puts back games that were returned by customers.
Other large retailers that have a large selection of video gaming equipment are Circuit City and CompUSA. Circuit City sells a circuit board called the Circuit City Builder Kit which allows people to build their own video gaming console. CompUSA also sells electronics and video gaming systems. Other large retailers that sell video gaming systems include Wal-Mart, Circuit City, and Circuit City competitor Wal-MartLCOZ, which owns a variety of popular video gaming brands including Gamegear, Nintendo, and Sony. Online retailers that specialize in selling video gaming systems include The Gaming Connection, which has an extensive inventory of video gaming systems and accessories. Finally, on television and in video rental stores, you can find a variety of video gaming shows, such as Top Gear, Discovery Channel, and The Oprah Winfrey Show, which feature video gaming.