Millions of Americans play video and computer games. The reasons are no mystery （神秘）. The games can provide fun, action and, in some cases, education.
Players can lead their favorite sports team to victory （勝利）. They can imagine they are secret agents like James Bond. They can form a nation and lead it through thousands of years of war and peace. They can develop their skills at card games like poker. Game players may improve their reaction time （反應(yīng)時間） and thinking skills （思維）. They may improve their ability to direct their thoughts, or learn word and number skills.
Some experts worry about the possible harm to children who play video games that contain a lot of sex （性） and violence （暴力）. Yet some young people now study electronic games in college. In Los Angeles, for example, the University of Southern California has classes in game design. Other students there can learn about games as part of modern culture （現(xiàn)代文化）.
Industry officials say the United States had more than seven thousand million dollars in sales of video and computer games last year. It was an increase of four percent from the year before.
Electronic games will be a popular gift during the winter holidays this month. One recent night, some people lined up at stores at midnight （午夜）. They waited to buy the new Xbox Three-Sixty game system by Microsoft. The Xbox Three-Sixty can play digital video （數(shù)字視頻） discs and music. It can even handle conference calls.
Some players have returned the new system because of technical （技術(shù)的） problems. But Microsoft said the rate of return was below the three to five percent that is normal with electronic products. Sony （索尼公司） leads the industry in worldwide sales of game systems. Microsoft （美國微軟公司） is second, followed by Nintendo （任天堂）.
But Microsoft is the first to release its next-generation game system. Sony announced in May that it was preparing to launch its PlayStation Three in the spring of two thousand six. Next year is also when Nintendo plans to release its new system, called Revolution （改革）.
Children are not the only ones who play electronic games. The Entertainment Software Association （美國娛樂軟件協(xié)會） says almost one-fifth of Americans over the age of fifty played video games last year.
In fact, it says the average player is thirty years old. The players who buy the most games are an average age of thirty-seven. The group also reports that forty-three percent of players are women.
Players can lead their favorite sports team to victory （勝利）. They can imagine they are secret agents like James Bond. They can form a nation and lead it through thousands of years of war and peace. They can develop their skills at card games like poker. Game players may improve their reaction time （反應(yīng)時間） and thinking skills （思維）. They may improve their ability to direct their thoughts, or learn word and number skills.
Some experts worry about the possible harm to children who play video games that contain a lot of sex （性） and violence （暴力）. Yet some young people now study electronic games in college. In Los Angeles, for example, the University of Southern California has classes in game design. Other students there can learn about games as part of modern culture （現(xiàn)代文化）.
Industry officials say the United States had more than seven thousand million dollars in sales of video and computer games last year. It was an increase of four percent from the year before.
Electronic games will be a popular gift during the winter holidays this month. One recent night, some people lined up at stores at midnight （午夜）. They waited to buy the new Xbox Three-Sixty game system by Microsoft. The Xbox Three-Sixty can play digital video （數(shù)字視頻） discs and music. It can even handle conference calls.
Some players have returned the new system because of technical （技術(shù)的） problems. But Microsoft said the rate of return was below the three to five percent that is normal with electronic products. Sony （索尼公司） leads the industry in worldwide sales of game systems. Microsoft （美國微軟公司） is second, followed by Nintendo （任天堂）.
But Microsoft is the first to release its next-generation game system. Sony announced in May that it was preparing to launch its PlayStation Three in the spring of two thousand six. Next year is also when Nintendo plans to release its new system, called Revolution （改革）.
Children are not the only ones who play electronic games. The Entertainment Software Association （美國娛樂軟件協(xié)會） says almost one-fifth of Americans over the age of fifty played video games last year.
In fact, it says the average player is thirty years old. The players who buy the most games are an average age of thirty-seven. The group also reports that forty-three percent of players are women.