The Video Game Frontier

If one is to quickly reflect on the history of video games, an obvious trend can be summed up with two words: "no limits."

Years ago, older generations enjoyed their time with board games, card games, and of course the classic pinball machine. In the late 70s and early 80s, youth indulged in games like "Pong," "Donkey Kong," and Space invaders" when they were early adolescents (and perhaps many haven't stopped). But it was the First Globals who were introduced to the more graphically sophisticated games. Since the introduction of the original Nintendo, the games have become increasingly violent, almost to the point where even some of the most ardent video gamers express concern -- from "Mortal Combat's" blood battles in dungeons, in which the gamer is to execute his or her opponent in a gruesome fashion, to the ever increasingly psychopathic "Grand Theft Auto" series, in which the player has to fulfill mob missions including selling drugs, stealing cars, and making hits.

How far will game producers take it? Does this have any psychological and/or social impacts on individuals, especially those who are frequent gamers, or will the pendulum shift and adolescents (and adults too) will revisit either more simple or less violent games? Or will a new unknown style surface, and what might it look like?