Videos games have fundamentally taken over recreational time in most homes in America and although they can have negative effects on a person they also have many positive ones.

A study conducted by research scientist Douglas A. Gentile, Ph.D. a few years ago showed that an estimated 72 percent of American households play video games and the average length of time spent playing video games was 20 hours per week.

With the game industry rapidly advancing, it is safe to assume the percentages could have exponentially increased since then. People are offered a flood of options fitting their interest whether its educational, adventure, strategy, role playing games, simulation, fighting, sports, online and more.

Although mainstream media shows violent, gory, explicit, and graphic videos games do well as evidenced by what they grossed in 2013, there are also some benefits to sitting/standing in front of your favorite video game console.

Game play can involve repeated actions that strengthen the brain cell connections underlying memory and learning. Video games can promote a release of dopamine, which is involved in learning, feelings of reward, and stimulates decision making, to naming just a few of the positives as reported by onlineuniversities.com.

Games that require teamwork help develop collaboration skill; others can improve peripheral vision, hand eye coordination, and mental rotation. The website goes on to say violent video games increase aggressive behavior, suppress emotional responses, and long term playing can lead to obesity, attention problems and poor work performance.

A report done on OnlineColleges.com showed how gaming has changed the educational system. Educators are now tackling literacy, science, geography, logic, and history by using video games.

Millions of people are using games to socialize with others via massive multiplayer online role-playing video games. Sciencedaily.com said social interaction between members of multiplayer communities shared values and goals and those are the basis on which a shared understanding and a sense of community are built on.

A number of game consoles are now making the gaming experience more interactive than ever with their motion sensor capabilities. It can be used to help physical therapy, fitness and to slow down the aging process.

Video games are the norm for today's world of entertainment, and moving on into the future they may slowly integrate into everyday life.