It's all about the Benjamins, baby.

​From the basement to the living room, from hobby to professional career, from exclusively 16-year-old outcasts to every member of the family, young and old, video games have made quite a journey in the past couple of decades.

 

What began as controlling two paddles and a square ball for pocket change has evolved into a business of $60 titles that fly off the shelves at breakneck speed. In short, video games have grown up. And, according to The National, they're primed to topple the movie industry as the go-to source for worldwide entertainment.

 

Anyone in the 25-35 age range who has played games their entire life can attest to these changes in the video game industry. What we used to admit to with head lowered and cheeks flush has become a hobby just about anyone, including your grandparents, will gladly lay claim to.

 

According to The National, with gaming on the rise and titles earning a king's ransom in sales on a weekly basis, it won't be long before video games have claimed the throne for the most lucrative entertainment industry, highlighting late 2010's Call of Duty: Black Ops' record-breaking sales figures as a true sign of the times. The title broke the world record for first-day earnings of any book, film or game, earning $360 million in just 24 hourse, then went on to shatter the five-day record for the same categories ($650 million).

 

With more and more options becoming available for smaller developers to get in on the action, more titles than ever are releasing on a regular basis. With video raking in so much dough, it will also be interesting to see if any other companies will throw a hat into the console ring. And let's not forget the growing popularity of browser-based casual titles and telephone gaming.

In short, despite all of this success, it looks like video games are only just hitting their stride.

 

Let's all hope it's set to be a long, fun ride.