In the current generation gaming has come even further, thanks to the likes of Nintendo, whose Wii and DS have both opened out a market to a much broader audience of families and instilled a larger slice of accessibility into the mix.
Whereas gamers had prided themselves on hours of skilled controller use suddenly, with the Wii, people could pick up a controller and wave it around without feeling foolish.
Better than that, they could actually compete with their peers, regardless of how good they all were at Gears of War.
I suppose, for me, gaming has never been anything but cool. I have always adored the interactivity and imagination of an industry that has become increasingly aware that its audience is both growing up and broadening.
In some ways I think it was inevitable that everyone else would catch on – but it’s nice to find that admitting that I play games no longer makes me a social outcast.
So what do you think? Is playing games cool or just something you do when nobody's watching?
