How Gaming Went Mainstream and Became a Big Part of Culture
Whenever a new form of media becomes available, it’s typically faced with a mix of excitement and scepticism. A similar pattern has played out time and time again over human history, for example, the invention of the printing press may have revolutionised civilisation but its mass-produced books were perceived as an inferior product and even looked down on. Today, however, mass-produced books are practically the only way the physical medium can be found at libraries and bookshops.
In the 1980s, when synthesisers became widespread for music production, they were also seen as a lesser way to make music than playing traditional instruments. Yet, digital music creation is the standard for most genres in the 21st century.
Video gaming has followed a similar trend. It’s gone from a niche hobby that was looked down on by some corners of society to a form of entertainment that’s enjoyed en-masse by almost every demographic.
Early Video Gaming Was Pioneered by Computer Enthusiasts
Early video games were a novelty enjoyed by technology enthusiasts. In fact, some of the very first titles could only be played on powerful hardware that was found in the computer labs of universities at the time. For example, Spacewar!, which is widely regarded as the first video game, ran on the PDP-1, a machine that would cost $1.25 million in today’s money.
But even when games and gaming hardware became more affordable, they remained a hobby enjoyed by a sub-section of the computer hobbyist demographic.
Segmentation
As the hardware matured and devices like the Nintendo Entertainment Centre became available and affordable, gaming companies began to market their products to more people. However, at the time, many executives believed that the main demographic for video games was young men, so they focused on churning out titles that were designed exclusively for them.
Only when this approach was abandoned could video games become more widely accepted, appreciated, and adopted. This happened in several key ways over the last few decades.
Blurring the Line Between Real Life and Video Games
One of the earliest steps towards narrowing the gaming gender gap was the development of the iGaming industry. In the mid-1990s, the first websites offering online card games sprung up, bringing an already widely loved genre to a new format.
Today, players of online poker games can transfer their skills into live games and tournaments since the online and offline versions of poker are almost identical. They both use the same poker rules, including hand rankings, betting rounds, and limits which allows many players to learn the game online before stepping into live games.
In the early 2000s, the first of many online players began winning major tournaments like the World Series of Poker. This helped to establish online poker, and therefore other digital games, as on the same level as their physical counterparts.
Gaming as a Social Activity
Early games consoles were designed primarily for single-player functionality, with players tucked away in their homes enjoying their games alone.
A big step towards making gaming a more culturally accepted activity was to make them social. In the late 2000s, this happened in two distinct ways.
Nintendo’s Wii console encouraged players to enjoy its physical games with others in the same room. Its famous Wii Sports title helped to showcase the console’s motion-tracking technology that made social gaming more entertaining.
At the same time, Microsoft led the way in online multiplayer gaming. This allowed the majority of gamers to play with their buddies from anywhere, making it much more convenient. Online multiplayer also allowed players to make new friends online, helping to create entire communities of people who enjoyed the same types of games.
A short while later, Facebook also helped to make gaming more social by opening its platform to developers to create social games that let you challenge your friends to battles in titles Mafia Wars or to help you tend your digital livestock and crops in Farmville.
By leveraging the social sharing functionality of Facebook, developers were able to demonstrate to the masses that games were a medium enjoyed by all types of people, helping it to become socially acceptable amongst every demographic.
