Video Games Round Out the Entertainment Package
Andy Marken April 19, 2024
0 Comments
By this, I take it you think everybody is who they say they are. - Evelyn Salt, Salt, Sony, 2010
Say the word entertainment and immediately you think of blockbuster movies in theaters or studios/streamers stuffing a continuing stream of great content into their libraries to ensure you don't drop them for someone else.
So why would the people in the hallowed halls of US government get all upset because Microsoft wanted to acquire a lowly video game company (Activision Blizzard) for the mindboggling sum of $68.7B?
Of course that didn't phase Disney who laid down their $1.5B bet with Epic Games that will enable them to share IP (intellectual property) and more.
Jeez, let's see:
The global box office hit $32B last year
The streaming video market is set to hit $108.5B this year
The video game market is set to hit $282.3B this year
Ten of the 2023 blockbusters of 2023 were based on video game IP (yes, and one on a doll)
You mean the stuff you played as a kid is actually more popular?
Well, we have a couple of friends who can't get enough movies/shows as long as they aren't bladder-bustin' three hours long.
However, taking on how a six-hour gaming session is a good warm-up.
No, we don't ask them if they take periodic breaks because some things are just personal.
The point is, the video gaming is big business.
Microsoft's game division and Activision each rack up huge dollars from folks who pit themselves against enemies of every shape/side and situation that push them to the limits.
Given a few hours or a days' rest and they're ready to enter the realm again. Put the gaming giants together and they make more than all of the US movie houses combined.
Industry Shuffle - With Microsoft's acquisition of Electronic arts, they moved to being a strong number two provider in the video game industry. The shift to mobile and streaming games will provide growth for everyone.
No, they're not as big as China's Tencent; but after lobbing off two thousand jobs, they make even more money.
And to prove that game IP (intellectual property) is good for things other than playing with, Disney dropped a cool $1.5B on Epic Games to ensure they could get an inside track on really cool movies and maybe just maybe beef up their gaming activities..
Yeah they know!
Folks don't just play a game once and move on to the next big hit, they come back for more and more and more.
The industry is dramatically different from the days when we worked with Tamriel's Atari. Back then, you sold a game system then sold box after box of pretty good games.
Cutting Back - Best Buy and nearly every entertainment software reseller have quit selling video game and movie packages as producers and consumers turn to online sales.
Today, 70 percent of the game sales are digital, which is probably why big box stores like Best Buy emptied their shelves.
And while they were at it, they dumped the movie DVDs because well, we stream our entertainment all of it.
Streaming is just too convenient!
But gaming is different from films/shows.
First of all, streaming video is a fairly passive activity. The most activity, excitement, anxiety you experience is popping fresh popcorn and searching from one service to another until you finally settle on something/anything to watch.
With games, it's the whole range of activity/experience, depending on whether you're playing single-person contests, MMOGs (massive multiplayer online games) or puzzles.
Good for You - There was a time when people said spending volumes of time in front of the screen playing video games would ruin you; but today, healthcare professionals are saying video game play may be beneficial.
Entertainment has to be good.
Our gamer friends critique their games on the plot, characters, content flow, weapon/tool selection, challenges/options and outcomes of some actions/decisions over others.
Or, as one dedicated gamer explained to us after wrapping up a gaming session:
Very moving story and emotional, depending on your decisions. And it's cool to actually interact with ST tech on a Federation starship.
Voice acting is stellar.
Graphics are fair and good enough.
Being your own director (making choices that impact the relationship with your fellows) is great although it doesn't really affect the storytelling.
Playing as two protagonists (2nd female officer and male engineer) really adds to the overall immersion
Overall, 7.5 / 10 and well worth playing IMO
Our gamers, our son and members of the healthcare community even say video games are good for you.
They're great for stress relief/escapism, productively fill spare time, are good for manual dexterity, brain exercise, problem solving, improves vision (especially peripheral vision) and gives you a sense of accomplishment or at least adds to your perseverance level.
And, if you're playing a multi-player game, it's a great way to socialize, gives a sense of community and mutual accomplishment.
That's better than becoming one with your couch for three plus hours or going from social media video to social media video watching people do dumb tricks or pimping some product/service or worse getting drug into some deep/dark/sinister rabbit hole.
There's certainly something convenient about being able to go to a gaming site, pick up the latest version of a game, pay for it/download it and play it forever.
O.K., technically you don't own the game you purchased - read the user's agreement in small, small type - because when they tell you they're going to quit supporting your version or de-list a game, you have no recourse.
Of course, there are winds of change even in the video game i
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
13/05/2026
New Adobe Premiere Color Grading Mode Accelerated on NVIDIA GPUs
Joel Pennington May 13, 2026
0 Comments
New NVIDIA RTX-accelerated features streamlin...
13/05/2026
Grass Valley announced that dB Broadcast has delivered new IP-based outside broadcast (OB) trucks for Cloudbass, featuring Grass Valley LDX 100 Series cameras a...
13/05/2026
Ikegami will exhibit the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast production cameras, control units, viewfinders and monitors on stand 5D3-1 at Broadcast...
13/05/2026
FISE, working with the founding members of the XR Sports Alliance (XRSA), Accedo, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and HBS, have collaborated to develop an immersive...
13/05/2026
Canon Unveils New EOS R6 V Full-Frame EOS Camera and RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ Bu...
13/05/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Honors Beth Morrison and Moses Pendleton at Comme...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Creative software developer Foundry today announced the latest developments on Nuke Stage. A purpose-built application for end-to-end virtual production and in-...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
13/05/2026
Agentic AI is changing the way users get work done. Following the success of OpenClaw, the community is embracing new open source agentic frameworks. The latest...
13/05/2026
Reinforcement-learning agents - AI systems that learn by trial and error - can c...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
Video Games Round Out the Entertainment Package 
