Technology: Video Games in Action
By Stephen

It is said that as human kind grows more modern, technology must keep up. It is safe to say that today's technology surpasses the technology of 50 years ago, and that modern technology makes life easier to live. Cars are more efficient, computers have better performance, and household appliances such as vacuums, dishwashers and microwave ovens are every housekeeper's dreams. With the growing use of technology in the 21st century, expectations for performance are at their peak, and companies everywhere strive to create the perfect product, the safest product, the best product. One of the highest technological accomplishments of this century is video games: we know them, we love them, but are they the best that they can be?

We see them everyday: advertisements for the newest and most technologically advanced video game systems available today. It is true that modern technology has increased the graphics of many of the "top-notch" games, those games that everyone wants because it is what they should have, but in the end are they ever really anything more than just plain video games? As technology progresses, new models of products are released: new car models that get better gas mileage and use less oil, vacuums that perform better under the toughest conditions and even computers with better memory and better capabilities. This cannot be said for video games, however.

It is ridiculous to believe that what is being released in the 21st century is in any way, shape, or form the best that's out there. The release of an X-Box 360 or a Playstation 3, to surpass the quality and expectations of their predecessors after only a year or so. This is ridiculous. How many gamers out there would be able to take a Playstation 3 and truly appreciate its technological advantages over the Playstation 2? How many gamers can truly appreciate the joy of a Playstation 3 when they just finished playing a game on the Playstation 2? All that is being done is that companies release a different looking game station and pass it off as state-of-the-art so that gamers everywhere will buy their new products. At the end of the day what are these new "technological advancements in game systems" used for? For playing video games.

When pong was first released to the public, it swept the nation. These were times when there was no such thing as a Gamer, and although they did not have expectations for Pong to be better than its predecessor (because there was none) the people were able to appreciate the advancements in technology that allowed them to spend hours and hours playing the simplest of "video games." It is with great interest to the people that video game companies release the best that they can—NOT. The release and selling of these systems has become a monopoly, only the best and the newest is accepted, and only if it makes the money. Here's an example, when Sega released the Dreamcast, it was the hottest item on the market . . .for a while, until Sony released something better. It was quickly evident that sales of the Dreamcast dropped until eventually they were discontinued. Was there anything wrong with the Dreamcast? No. The truth of the matter is that these companies have you brainwashed into thinking that you need the most recent systems in order to be somebody, and thousands of people fall pray to this and spend countless hundreds on the newest systems and the newest games.

At the end of the day you have to ask yourself. . .was it worth it? Was there anything wrong with your Playstation 2 that made you want to buy the Playstation 3? Does the Playstation 3 offer anything that the Playstation 2 doesn't? Did I need to pay $300 on a Playstation 3 when I just spent $300 on a Playstation 2 that works just fine? In order to understand these things you must first hear about them. Well here it is, now listen. At the end of the day a video game is a video game. There is no new feature that sucks you into the screen, or brings the imaginary video world out to you. You sit in front of the television and play. What did the people of the 50s do with Pong? They sat in front of the television and played. Video games serve one purpose, to entertain. Technology grows to make life easier on those who use it. Let me ask, is your life easier now that you have $300 less to spend on necessity? I thought so.

It's important to realize that nothing beats the classics. With the release of countless new video games and systems we lose sight of the significance of video games in general. Technological advances are supposed to revolutionize the way we live, and ever since the 16-bit era of video games, things have gone downhill. What is truly revolutionary is the creation of Pong, the first video game ever created, the first classic ever formed. The video game era swept the nation and provided an entire world with entertainment. Ever since the creation of "modern" video games, we have lost sight of what it means to be able to play such classics as Pong or Pac-man, which even today provide countless hours of entertainment. Instead of spending countless dollars on the newest stuff, try spending it on the classics. If we lose sight of why video games are important, then why play them at all?