MediaWise Goes Gaming for New Year

Gaming is becoming a monstrous playing field as new and increasingly exciting opportunities flood the market with the coming of the 2006 New Year and the advancement of technologies to entertain and engage young people and families.

So cliché is this realization that few realize just how explosive the growth of the industry has been, and what impacts this may be having on our generations of players and thinkers, young and old alike. Since 1995, nearly 3 billon games have been sold globally, generating $25 billion in revenues last year with expectations of more than a doubling of that amount over the next four years.

Or so say two recent reports released by MediaWise, a public service monitoring arm of the National Institute of Media and the Family. A November 29th, 2005 Report Card details what occurred in the field during the year just past, and the other companion assessment recaps the trends over 10 years.

Both also offer projects, predictions and recommendations for a healthier future.

The Institute bills itself as the world’s leading and most respected research-based “independent, non-partisan, non-sectarian, non-profit organization” dedicated to the impact of media on children and youth.

While many aspects of these reports are critical of the content of the games and industry/public efforts to make them better, they do recognize the important fact that these entertainment avenues are hitting home: games are big sellers everywhere and finding their way into increasingly important aspects of the lives and social networks of young people. Which means, of course, that the young people (and adults) want even more.