The Nineties in America - Salem Press (2009)

1994 to provide ratings for games and warning labels
for parents.
Although there were questions concerning car-
pal tunnel syndrome, eye strain, social withdrawal,
and the psychological impact of simulated violence,
video game advocates pointed to the benefits of
video gaming, including intellectual stimulation,
reflex improvement, and cognitive development.
Video games were also new venues of creative ex-
pression for visual artists, writers, and others.

Subsequent Events The corporate wars and eco-
nomic growth continued in the twenty-first century.
In 2000, Sony’s PlayStation 2 was the first console to
accommodate the newer DVD format and have
better graphics than personal computers. Unable to
compete with the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation 2,
Sega discontinued selling hardware. In 2005, Micro-
soft released Xbox 360. In 2006, Sony released
PlayStation 3, and Nintendo launched its Wii con-
sole, with a unique wireless remote controller per-
mitting players’ physical gestures to control a game.
In 2007, video game industry revenues approached
$40 billion globally.

Further Reading
Chaplin, Heather, and Aaron Ruby.Smartbomb: The
Quest for Art, Entertainment, and Big Bucks in the

Videogame Revolution. Chapel Hill, N.C.: Algon-

quin Books of Chapel Hill, 2005. An entertaining

look inside the video game industry. Illustrated.

Bibliography and index.

DeMaria, Rusel, and Johnny Wilson.High Score! The

Illustrated Histor y of Electronic Games. New York:

McGraw-Hill/Osborne, 2004. A comprehensive

chronicle including behind-the-scenes photos

and stories. Illustrated. Index.

Kent, Steven.The Ultimate Histor y of Video Games. New

York: Three Rivers Press, 2001. A fascinating

study, including hundreds of interviews and fun

facts. Illustrated.

King, Lucien, ed.Game On: The Histor y and Culture of

Videogames. New York: Universe, 2002. Essays on

the social and psychological aspects of video

games. Illustrated.

Wolf, Mark J. P., ed.The Video Game Explosion: A His-

tor y from Pong to PlayStation and Beyond. Westport,

Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2008. A well-researched,

thorough history. Illustrated. Bibliography and

index.

Alice Myers

See also Apple Computer; Carpal tunnel syn-

drome; Computers; Digital audio; DVDs; Internet;

Inventions; Jobs, Steve; Pokéman franchise; Toys

and games; World Wide Web.

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