Section 1: Games as a Developing Medium - Part 2

The reality may be surprising for many, as the average age of a gamer in 2017 is 35 years old. In fact, the average age has been steadily increasing year on year since the birth of video gaming with arcade machines and the Atari 2600. Over 65% of households own a device used for video games and the average number of years that people have been playing games is 13 years. Despite this, the young gamer stereotypes remain. This may not be entirely surprising however. Most forms of media have endured this slow evolution from their inception to public acceptance. Early film and cinema was often dismissed as a passing fad, or by some, as an attractive evil. Similarly, the spread of comic books can be compared to the gaming industry. Early comics were aimed at younger audiences and were devoid of radical or mature themes. This fact perhaps created the notion that they were incapable of expressing controversial ideas or had no deep artistic qualities. It was perhaps the rebranding of some comics as graphic novels that allowed certain current masterpieces to arise.