Booming Gaming Industry is Expanding to Include Healthcare, Education & Finance

The days of video or computer games being just for the entertainment of a small segment of our population are over. The gaming industry is exploding and developing beyond the confines of simple games into applications for healthcare, rehabilitation, education and even finance. The business of gaming is worth over a $100 billion globally per year. Games bring in more money that music and movies combined, says Chris Volpe, entrepreneur and CEO of Multivarious Games headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Volpe is also the co-founder of the Ohio Game Developer Association, a group designed to bring more gaming business to the heartland. Volpe says that the Midwest is perfect for start-up game development companies. As more and more people become internet connected at younger ages, Volpe says that developers need to take advantage of this “opportunity for growth.” Volpe notes that the average age of a gamer is 36 and a game purchaser is 40 years old. He also says that 42 percent of gamers are female. It is no longer just a teenage phenomenon. Volpe also sees videogames as a storytelling medium. This is especially true of new Virtual Reality technologies being developed and explored. Because the technology and game methodology are growing so fast, Volpe says that being a game developer is like operating in the historic “Wild West” where there are few rules or limitations and there are major opportunities. Volpe’s company is working especially closely with healthcare professionals to provide therapeutic games. Recently, Multivarious Games produced a game for Nationwide Children’s Hospital to help children with muscular dystrophy.