The video games industry has developed into a multibillion-dollar business. Scores of games flood the market every year, and thousands of people visit supermarkets with the sole objective of finding the latest hits of the season. I am into video games since the Atari game systems were marketed. We were the first generation to adopt video gaming as an entertainment medium, but the youth of today have really turned it into the mega-industry it has become. While most of us simply enjoy a good game, for many it has become the evident career choice.
Video gaming is not only for entertainment, it is also a means of earning cash. Certain global gaming tournaments offer huge prizes to the winners. This has made them very attractive to game addicts. Gaming competitions can afford to make such hefty prizes because many firms see a golden chance for getting access to the youth. Often, the winners of gaming tournaments are 20-year-old youngsters. The remaining onlooker crowd is usually composed of teenagers or at most reaching 30. This young group of people spends the most on entertainment products and is therefore valuable for marketing companies.
Video gaming tournaments are not the preserve of the US. Abroad, in Europe and in Japan, this trend is virtually everywhere. In Japan, video gaming champions get the same recognition that rock stars and high-class sportsmen get. They are accompanied by bodyguards wherever they go because their admirers go frantic at the mere sight of them.
Needless to say that they make tons of cash at gaming. It is reported that the top gamers can get up to a million dollars worth of prize money every year. Moreover, they can cash in between 5-10 million dollars annually from advertisement contracts. The day is not far when children of all ages will aim to become top video gamers instead of top athletes. Maybe, top gamers will soon replace the stars of football and other sports on the cereal boxes!