The first computer I ever used, and the first one on which I played any form of computer game (generally typed in painstakingly over hours from BASIC source code) was the TI 99/4a. This was, at the time, the PREMIER computer gaming rig, as with a color TV, it produced color graphics of superior resolution to the Atari 2600 (which was solely a console game system, and thus didn't count) and better looking than the far more popular Commodore 64. The TI's didn't last long, as there were things like the Coleco ADAM to compete with, the Apple II, and eventually the IBM PC and PCjr. The IBMs were notable not for their own merits, as far as gaming goes, but for the advent of the "PC Clone."

"Clone" PCs, and their eventual evolution into name brand machines derived from clones (Dell, Gateway, Micron, Compaq, and the Tandy 1000s) created the PC game software industry not quite overnight, but in a short order. Sierra, Electronic Arts, and Broderbund were some of the early giants in the gaming industry. The first PC Games I ever played were the original King's Quest (Sierra, with the beginning of Roberta Williams' glory days) and Lode Runner (published by Broderbund) on our Tandy 1000 HD. The "Tandy 16 color Graphics Mode" on King's Quest was considered revolutionary at the time, until EGA (32 colors, wow!) and eventually VGA came about. So this all means that some of us have been playing PC computer games (discouting the entire University/Unix gaming which predated even those) for the better part of 20 years. However, only in recent years, has PC Gaming started to really catch on big time, and this has started some people asking questions about its societal impact. "Is Computer Gaming just a fad?" "Is it an addictive trend which should concern parents and employers?" Perhaps most importantly, "Can Computer Gaming actually and finally become an accepted, popular, and "normal" part of our society?"

My answer is YES. American Culture (which this column primarily relates to), has tended to be more sports-oriented than a lot of other countries/cultures. Japan, as an example, can already be said to have more of a Gaming Culture than America. The Japanese have been far more quickly accepting of forms of "frivolous" entertainment - Pachinko, console gaming systems, and of course PC Games. Their general approach to recreation has been more accepting at all levels to games - be they card or board games, Playstation/DreamCast, or systems built around the almighty Intel processors. It's fine and "normal" for not only children and teenagers, but for adults of all ages to play and enjoy computer games. This is slowly being reflected in American culture as well - gaming is becoming more of a "serious" industry (that in itself has its own issues, both negative and positive) and with a widening base of game types, more accepted by different age groups. With more games catering to young girls (the incredibly well selling Barbie games), desktop/office sportsmen (Big Game Hunter or Deer/Duck Hunter), and even sports games with fantastic 3d acceleration and gameplay, more and more people are finding reasons to justify buying that first game for their computer which was used previously for "serious" stuff - information/research on the internet, school work for the kids, work at home, home/small businesses, etc.

What will it take for Computer Gaming to become a broadly accepted part of mainstream society? A lot of things, in my opinion. Here are a few of the ones which pop to mind:

First, more game companies need to take the huge financial risk necessary to find untapped markets and styles of games and produce successful games for those markets, raising the number of regular gamers significantly. Sites like GameGirlz tell us that "Girls like to play games too" but there do not seem to be that many games which try to cater to anything other than the "typical gaming target market" which seems to be teenage to 20something males. Thus there a lot of fast, action-packed, testosterone driven games which often portray unrealistically proportioned, scantily clad females. Even the mega-hit real-time strategy game StarCraft has been criticized heavily for its lack of female characters/units, despite of, or perhaps because of, the major player in Brood War, Sarah Kerrigan. Female gamers are but one example, but there are certain to be other niche markets that hold tremendous untapped potential.

Second, gamers need to stick to their guns, and raise the awareness of gaming themselves. As they age, more gamers will show they can responsibly play games and get everything else done they need to in life, and get more people hooked. One of the best ways of raising the awareness for things like this is the third thing I think we need more of, which are more gaming leagues, competitions, and so forth. The PGL is a good step, the ISL is an even better one (if it produces what it has promised). When people start seeing that anyone with a computer, a decent mouse, and some time to spend practicing and learning a game can become good enough at it to compete, interest and acceptance are sure to increase. If nothing else, interest and awareness can be raised simply by providing coverage and publicity of the same type and caliber of professional sports. Just as everyone cannot be a star football quarterback, everyone cannot be a Thresh or Gadianton - but everyone CAN read about "gaming heroes" and teams, develop their own icons, follow league play and stats, and root for their own personal favorites.

As most of the people who will read this column are Gamers, we should remember that we're still far outnumbered by those who don't "get it" or think we're more than a bit obsessive about "those silly computer games." Gaming will TRULY be in the societal mainstream when it is an accepted and understood form of entertainment as much as television, movies, or sporting events, and it's not uncommon to see televised and print news about computer gaming on the same level as current events in the music, movie, or sports industries.