Have video games lost their magic? Is it possible to turn a game into an experience that will evoke an emotional response? Or is it simply a matter of a lack of creativity? Let’s discuss the latter. In recent years, we’ve seen a dramatic shift from games made by hobbyists to games created by corporate pyramid schemers. While some games still retain their magic, the majority of games are drained of their mystical nature.
The lack of soul in video games is no doubt a major cause for this trend. Despite the technological advances of recent years, game design has become increasingly unimaginative. While games once sported a unique storyline and innovative gameplay, newer titles lack those elements. The marketability of these games has also dwindled. It’s hard to find a truly unique game in today’s crowded marketplace, so developers have had to make games with an extremely low cost and limited release window.
Age is an underlying cause of cognitive decline, but video game play has the potential to reverse this trend. In fact, a recent study revealed that even the most gifted gamers began to lose their magic at age 24. The study also showed that those who played a video game for at least ten hours a week delayed the onset of cognitive decline by seven years. Even better, video games can be addictive – the research suggests they can be addictive.
