Why Study Games?

I chose to study games because I have enjoyed playing games since I was young. I have been involved in a couple of online games which got me thinking about the culture of gaming, especially online. Additionally I am a business student. I therefore understand the market potential of the game industry with the USA alone reaching $7 billion in sales in 2005. It is a growing industry and looks to stay that way for some time. Better understanding of the culture that surrounds the games leads to better understanding of how/why the industry works.

The average age of players being 33 suggests that there is a surprisingly diverse demographic of gamers. This is in contrast of the assumption gaming is just for kids. Another myth is that gaming is an entirely unproductive process. Much can be learned from playing a game, not just knowledge but behaviour too. With this of course comes a culture. a culture that knows no national boundary. This culture has grown exponentially over the last few years. One of the factors I attribute to this is the birth of the massively multiplayer game (MMO).