VOA标准英语2010-Video Games Are Not Only for Entertainmen

Jen Tonon expects to graduate from the gaming program at Montgomery College this year. She has already landed a job at a game development company
Young people in the United States start playing video games as early as age four or five.  Often the amount of time they spend at the games causes parents to be concerned. But now parents may have to encourage children to play more games.  Youngsters can find a promising¹ career in the video gaming and technology industry as serious games are rapidly expanding along with games for entertainment.

Jason Kenyon loves playing video games. He thinks his love for the games is a notch² below addiction³.  His parents were concerned. "To say the least, they didn't like it very much," he said. "They said, stop and focus on a real career."

But Jason thinks otherwise.  "I am really sure it is a real career. I think when I finish with my bachelor's degree probably two years or so from now, I may be able to find work pretty easily compared to most other industries. So I think I will have a good future," he stated.

Jason is one of a growing number of students seeking careers in the video gaming and technology industry.  He is in the game development program at Montgomery College, in Maryland.

 "The future of the video game industry is very bright," Deborah Solomon, a professor at Montgomery College.  "The game technology is bleeding into virtually every other industry from military to homeland security, health care, bio-technology. Advertising⁴ even uses it."

She says the federal government is spending millions of dollars on game technology for training and recruiting personnel in various agencies.  For example, the U.S. Army developed a series of video games called America's Army. The games, which can be downloaded free, are designed to help young Americans explore careers in the Army.

David Versaw is chief financial officer of Will Interactive⁵, a leading game development company in the Washington suburbs. The company has created video simulations for the Army's suicide prevention programs, for FBI training on hostage negotiations⁶ and for the healthcare industry.  Versaw says there is a growing need for serious games.

"It is a great medium to reach people, people in academics started to understand the power of gaming," he said. "The current state of the economy has slowed things down a little bit here recently. But we are busier now than we ever have been."

Brian Doyle understands the power of gaming.  After graduating from university in a computer gaming program, he founded an educational video game company called Let Me Think Games.

"Approaching the new generations, students of millenniums and post millenniums learn differently from previous generations.  And we need to adapt new methods of teaching them.  Video games are one of those methods that are assured to be very effective," he said. 

With demand growing, the D.C. area - including the Maryland and Virginia suburbs - has about 100 game-oriented technology firms.   

Jen Tonon expects to graduate from the gaming program at Montgomery College this year.  She has already landed a job at a game development company.

"As a female in this industry there are not a lot of us right now but it is growing," she said.   

Experts say companies putting out serious games still constitute a small part of the industry. But they're confident that market share will expand as companies target the younger generations that have grown up playing video games.

 

1 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

2 notch   

n.(V字形)槽口，缺口，等级

参考例句：

• The peanuts they grow are top-notch.他们种的花生是拔尖的。
• He cut a notch in the stick with a sharp knife.他用利刃在棒上刻了一个凹痕。

3 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

4 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

5 interactive   

adj.相互作用的，互相影响的，（电脑）交互的

参考例句：

• The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
• This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。

6 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。