Video games no longer for the average nerd

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- The video game community has long had the stigma of belonging to “nerds.” However, that point of view eroded over the years due to the growing popularity of video games and massively multiplayer online games or MMO.

It may raise a few eyebrows to hear that friends and fellow Marines choose to stay at home and play the popular World of Warcraft (WoW) game on a Saturday night instead of going out in town to socialize with their friends.

Nowadays it is not uncommon to hear of a Marine in San Diego playing an MMO alongside a college student in Japan.

“What I enjoy most about playing MMOs is playing with other people around the world,” said Cpl. Eric House, network administrator, MCAS Miramar. “I play with a group of friends that span from Europe, the United States and Australia.”

Gaming may be economically advantageous encouraging Marines to buy video games rather than spend their hard-earned money at the pub.

“Buying a $60 video game is definitely cheaper than paying for a night out on the town,” said Cpl. Daniel Kemp, an adjutant clerk at MCAS Miramar. “Paying for cover charge, drinks, a cab ride and buying food can be very costly.”

Many things can attribute to the rise in popularity of video games amongst today’s society.

According to House, overcoming downtime and boredom, the entertainment and challenge found in gaming, interacting with people worldwide and the economics of buying the occasional video game as opposed to partying every night contribute to the popularity of gaming.

“The best thing about online games is that you can continue to enjoy them for months or even years,” said House. “Unlike the computers you play them on, these games are not obsolete after six months to a year.”

Kemp has a slightly different take on the subject.

“In my mind it’s what people now do to pass the time,” said Kemp. “First it was the newspaper, then the radio, then TV and now computers. It's just the natural progression of entertainment mediums with the advancement of technology.”

According to www.answers.com, the popularity of computer and video games as a whole has been increasing steadily. The average age of the video game player is now 33, belying the myth that video games are largely a diversion for teenagers.

Whatever the cause, the video game industry is steadily growing and showing no signs of slowing in the near future and it is taking a number of Marines along for the ride.