Well with the biggest game industry trade show of the year, E3, having just wrapped up, I figure this would be the perfect time to share a little bit about my favorite medium since it's on the public's mind at the moment and being as it would appear that only a minority of our members play video games. I enjoy sharing the trivial gaming-related knowledge that I've managed to accumulate over the last 27 years of being a gamer. Why don't we make this an all-purpose video gaming Q&A thread? May not know everything, but if it's anything basic, I can probably answer it for you!
Here are some hypothetical examples of the types of questions one might pose here and the answers thereto:
Q: What was the first video game ever made?
A: It depends on exactly how you define a video game. Most people, however, would define it as a game played on a screen and by that definition the answer is 1958's Tennis for Two, which was played on an oscilloscope.
Q: How many people play video games?
A: At present, about half the U.S. population plays video games at least casually, though only about 10% of Americans describe themselves as gamers.
Q: How old is the average game-player?
A: 35 years old in this country, according to the most recent report released by the Entertainment Software Association (the game industry's trade association).
Q: How many girls and women play video games?
A: Females currently compose anywhere between 25 and 45% of all American video gamers, depending on exactly how you define that term.
Q: What's the most popular video game ever made?
A: The Angry Birds. The original Angry Birds game has been downloaded BILLIONS of times and is credited with, among other things, popularizing mobile phone gaming after its initial launch back in 2009.
Q: What's the top-selling video game of all time?
A: Minecraft. As of the start of this year, 2009's independently-developed world-creation game had sold 144 million copies and enjoyed a monthly active player base of 74 million people. (2009 was a something of a banner year for gaming as a medium, if you couldn't tell.) It's available for really every semi-current-gen device that can possible play video games.
Q: What is your favorite video game, Polly?
A: Probably the goofy visual novel Butterfly Soup, to be honest. My favorite game from the current calendar year-to-date, Celeste, is far more interactive though.
Q: I've heard that virtual reality is the future of the medium. Is that really true?
A: Maybe. If it becomes more cheaply available and finds a way to become compatible with multiplayer gaming. It's hard to tell as yet.
ETC. Got a question? Ask away!