Nintendo Entertainment system turns 30 this year.  It is still in the top ten listing of all time game console sales, albeit number 10.

This is the gaming console that brought us Super Mario Brothers.  Basically a franchise in the gaming world.  Personally I am not a big “gamer”although I do enjoy playing from time to time, it is relaxing.

I remember back to the decade of the nineteen seventies when arcade games like pong were just being introduced.  We could sit in the bars and pop quarters into the table top arcade machines with just one game (pong) for hours while supping on (and spilling) our draft beer (also 25 cents a glass).

Online Gaming

Today’s gaming consoles have largely transformed into entry ports to the online gaming world although the stand alone games are still available their popularity has declined dramatically.

Online gaming is a real sign of the change in how we communicate with each other.  The upcoming generations, millennials, Generation X and Generation Y are extremely comfortable with communicating with often faceless others in unknown locations by text messaging or other communication vehicles built into the game.

I remember in the early stages of on-line games a friend and I would join bridge game forums from separate locations, meet up online in the forum  and challenge others to a game.  Unbeknownst to our competition my partner and I connected via telephone and so could share our card values and suite distribution with each other.  It really was a playing advantage and we did very well, rarely loosing a hand.

Whats the future of Digital Gaming?

As with most things, if there is a business case and opportunity to profit it will be exploited.   So as stand alone digital gaming continues to lose popularity other forms, like online gaming will thrive until the next big thing.  If only I could forecast what that was and get in early.