I would like to apologize for some harsh statements I made earlier. As someone who suffers from AvPD, I have found acceptance in the videogame community, and no where else. There I am judged by my skill and the fair way I treat others. So when the community comes under attack I tend to get triggered to its vigorous defense.

Videogames can be addictive to some folks, as can many things (alcohol, sex, gambling, food etc) If one has a personality prone to addiction, it is best they stay away from gaming.

My industy is a young one, I have watched it grow from the days of Pong (which I had as a pre-teen) through to PS3. It is still young compared to film and TV, and has much to learn still. There is still unexplored potentional in games to become the next great venue for story telling. Consider though how far we have come in terms of artistic direction, production values depth and ability to deliver a narrative.

Some of the best talents work in the world of gaming. Consider the sound tracks that acompany Uncharted 2 and God of War 3, arguably both are the equal to the best in cinema scores if not in some cases surpassing them.

The same goes for visuals, how can anyone look at an Ico, Gran Turismo 5, God of War 3, Uncharted 2, or Alan Wake, and not admire the skill and creativity involved in bringing a world to life from a bunch of numbers?

There is so much depth and variety to gaming these days that the industry has something to offer for everyone. The fact that grannys in rest homes are playing Wii Sports, puts a smile on my face or when an 11 year creates from scratch his or her first level on something like Little Big Planet.