I remember when I was younger, I would always beg my parents for a handheld video game console. First it was a Gameboy Colour, then Gameboy SP, then a DS, DS Lite, PSP, until I finally learned that no matter how much I begged, my parents were never going to buy me one. (I still remember going to my cousin's house and asking to borrow her GameBoy Light even though it was clearly outdated even at that time. I was just happy I was playing with one). One day, for my 12th birthday, I convinced my parents to buy me a Nintendo GameCube because my best friend had one. Then if I bought one, we could trade games and we could play together. So my parents bought one, and for around a month or so, the GameCube was incredibly fun. I bought game after game, beating level after level ................ until it got boring. I could predict what was going to happen. I had a game called The Incredibles based on the Pixar movie. And after passing 3, 4 levels or so, I knew I went the right way if there were more villains for me to attack. Slowly but surely, I became uninterested in the GameCube. (The GameCube still currently sits on my tv stand collecting dust.) After experiencing the GameBoy Light and the GameCube, I started getting more involved on the internet. There were online games on the internet where you can play with people from across the world. I was so wow'd by this, I immediately signed up for the game called Runescape. It was a game where you can pick a job, fight monsters, chat with friends, and trade customizable items with each other. I became addicted to this game. At school I would be thinking about how to get past a certain part in the game, or how to finish this mission I have yet to complete. This was all until I realized there was no point into playing games like these. All you're doing is leveling up your character in an online fantasy when in the real world you could be doing more important (and healthy!) things. Over the past few years, technology has certainly improved: graphics are much better, colours are more enhanced, even characters are more lifelike. Take in NBA2k10 for example. The players in the game are so lifelike, it's shocking to see how much technology has improved from the the original 2D Mario. The below two images are both pictures of Kobe Bryant. The left one is the character in the game, and the right one is the real life Kobe Bryant. Look alike?









Originally, video games like these were made for entertainment. Some parents didn't like buying video games for their kids was because they thought some games may be violent, and you would pick up these bad habits. Other parents thought if you played a lot you would need to wear glasses. Some parents thought, "If we buy the game for our kids, maybe I'll get some time to rest."

Throughout the ages, technology has improved, and certainly, video games have also improved. Today, many people around the world are maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This was how the Wii came to be. The Wii is a video game console that uses a a censor controller so you can control how you want your player to move in the game. For example, if you were playing boxing, you would be swinging your arms and your character would swing the same way. This provides not only exercise for you, but you would also be entertained.

In my opinion, I think these games have gone both beneficial and detrimental to you. Games like Wii Fit are beneficial because not only are you entertained, but you also are working out and getting exercise. But certain games can be more harmful to you. Games like Call of Duty and Killzone can be harmful because these games are based on the army and war, and it may cause a problem to some players who might take it too seriously. It may lead to extreme violence in reality.