Video Games Continue to Grow As a Medium for Entertainment
Video games as an entertainment medium continue to grow and expand even if it is still looked down upon in mainstream media. Video games offer an entertainment source that is unrivaled in our time. video games are now an ever-evolving and expanding medium that whenever you open a game there is a chance something has changed, whereas movies and books require a sequel to continue to expand.
Fortnite has become a worldwide phenomenon that continues to grow every year. Not only is the game free but it continues to add content for players constantly and has been doing so for over 5 years. Tv shows might be the closest thing in content output giving you a new episode every week to keep you hooked on the show but games like Fortnite add things weekly that keep you playing consistently from one week to the next. After realizing how well this model does for them and leaning into it Fortnite was able to increase its sales after 2 years of initial release whereas most games that don’t follow this similar model drop off.
Minecraft is the main exception to this rule. Minecraft is the best-selling game of all time and is ahead of second place by 73 million units sold. Minecraft is a game that offers unlimited creative freedom and lets players create and enjoy their own fun. For over 10 years Minecraft continues to offer free updates for players adding more and more content after a single purchase. Players have spent as much time in this one video game as they have in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. Video games offer a level of freedom and escapism that other media cant offer. It allows players to become totally engrossed in a game more so than movies and tv that they will continue to play long after they first open the game.
For over 10 years Minecraft continues to be sold and increase in sales. Every year more and more players join in on an experience that so many are already experiencing. Having a form of ever-evolving entertainment allows for more and more people to enjoy and become a part of a community. Sadly for video games, it's harder for mainstream media to see this as a good thing. Where a lot of older generations and mainstream news still see it only as a source of violence. According to a CBS News poll “37% of us — and 42% of women — finger violent video games as a cause of the mass shooting plague, trailing only gun availability and mental health issues.”
Video games like Minecraft have such a large community and most of the game is building with blocks, something that babies are taught to do. This is a game that allows for creativity to run wild, where according to the Unofficial Guide a community built the entirety of Disney World during the pandemic so everyone could enjoy the parks virtually.
The gaming medium is a growing and expanding form of entertainment that will continue to grow into the foreseeable future. Hopefully, as it becomes as big as tv and movies, people will realize that video games are a great source of fun and creativity for everyone and aren’t as evil as people believe.
