Video games chart a bold new world 

There are many interesting statistics regarding computer and video games, which have become a major global economic driver now, and one of the most intriguing has to do with the average age of game purchasers. According to reliable reports, people approaching 40 are the biggest group of buyers, meaning that, if people who play but don’t want to pay are included, the age aspect can get even more eye-popping.
Aside from their effect on the economy, digital games are driving creativity and imagination and having bigger and bigger influences on technological advancement, entertainment, art and education, as well as lifestyles. From something that only kids were attracted to, computer games have evolved into a key source of innovation and inspiration. For example, the virtual-reality technology that promises to change the world beyond recognition revolves around attempts to make games more appealing.
According to a senior executive in the industry, games will see an increased role as providers of out-of-school learning experiences. Like pilots learning from flight simulators, more and more people will be honing their career skills by playing digital games. Another executive said a major advantage of games as learning tools is their flexibility and adaptability, and they can be beneficial not only at schools, but also in workplaces.
The industry is employing the best in all important segments, like design, engineering, animation and visual and sound effects, while many players have found their own hidden strengths, like strategic thinking or the ability to solve riddles. Game development is pushing the virtual-reality envelope further every day, and this important aspect of the technology has only got started.
On the downside, children excelling at war games eventually could end up being recruited as, say, killer-drone controllers. The fast-developing technology makes that worrying scenario increasingly possible. This is apart from the long-standing criticism that children can become lazy game addicts.
For all the pros and cons, the people who matter are looking at games with perspectives vastly changed from years ago. Opinions are still divided between achieving a goal in real life and being given a “superficial” aim by computer software, but the line between the two has become undoubtedly blurrier. It used to be that gamers were perceived to be good only at gaming, but increasingly they’re seen as at least “good at something”. 
And tournaments are organised for gamers that bring extremely lucrative prizes. Thai gamers have won major awards, and they’re far from the stereotype of obese addicts playing and snacking in front of their screens. They’re more like professional athletes, disciplined in their diets, training and teamwork. Such gamers remain a minority in Thailand, of course, but they’ve reached their high status thanks to what games demand from everyone – the will to win. And it is this very demand that makes the future of games, their players and developers highly interesting indeed.