Entertainment was once intricately tied to geography. It was unthinkable that one could engage in truly competitive gameplay without visiting the arcade during the early era of video games. It was also hard to believe that one would be able to watch a film at any point during the day on a portable mini-computer. One would need to visit the cinema in order to do that.
But that has long stopped being the case. The modern era is one of convenience. We want everything delivered to us; rather than having to seek entertainment out. The question is why that is? The text here explores the split between entertainment and destination. The goal is to discover how new forms of entertainment are pushing the boundaries that have existed for years to come.
Why Gaming is Rising in Modern Entertainment
It is fair to say that games are the breakthrough form of entertainment in the current century. It is because the digital technology that powers our modern era is absolutely necessary for games to run. More than that, people are finally beginning to see the story telling potential that games have to offer. It is why video game-based television programs like Arcane and The Last of Us have been such massive hits in the realm of television.
Gaming is not just limited to narrative though. There are certain games that run entirely on mechanics. We can say that online casinos have attracted a whole new generation of fans and gamblers; even at a time when land-based betting destinations like Las Vegas are struggling. Online gambling platforms like https://casinodaysalberta.com/ have carved a niche for themselves. But that niche seems to be growing bigger by the day.
But why have games become the go to entertainment method in the modern era. It is not just that they’ve improved drastically in visuals and gameplay. Video games are also widely available across consoles. Mobile gaming is not just the simple affair it once was. You can now play complex RPGs or strategy games on the bus to work. Even some of the most well-known indie games have a mobile option. Dead Cells is the perfect example of this; attracting a ton of mobile players.
Museum Tours in Virtual Reality
A lot has been said about virtual reality. Not much of it has been positive. Gamers have particularly shown disdain for the underwhelming visuals and mechanics of VR content. But one can explore the sues of virtual reality outside of the gaming market. What is more, the technology is clearly improving. Many early testers are satisfied with the success of Deadpool VR. The game manages to bring the Merc with a Mouth to life and improve on all issues with graphics and visuals.
But VR is not only a tool to enhance gaming. Museums have already incorporated virtual reality into their own business model. Fans of art and history, or any other field for that matter can get virtual tours of some of the biggest and most well-known museums in the world. These tours manage to perfectly blend education and entertainment; which is why they might become the norm in a decade or so. But some are worried about the slow progress of virtual reality.
VR headsets are not very cheap as of right now. There also aren’t many games that make these gadgets worth the price. While alternatives to gaming are optional; they are also not as enticing for the average museum goer. But that doesn’t mean that virtual reality technology will remain stagnant forever. It is entirely possible that the technicians and engineers studying VR are going to figure out some method to improve it in ten years’ time. We may see a fully virtual reality akin to TRON in just short of a decade.
The Cinematic Experience is Being Replaced
Many have bemoaned the downfall of the movie theater. Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime came along and granted us access to any film we can imagine at any time during the day. With such technology at our disposal movie theaters have become redundant. Or so some would have you believe. Movie theaters still serve a great purpose in modern culture. They may have dropped in popularity because of alternatives. But we believe that we are far from something as dramatic as the death of the movie theater.
There are those that have brought up another interesting point; that being that talks about the death of cinema have been taking place for decades now. When television first came about, many in Hollywood were worried that it would spell the end of the theater. Decades later and movie theaters are still going strong and attracting viewers. The truth is that people just have more options for engaging with one of the most popular art forms of the modern era. That is a good thing from our point of view.
Destination Still Matters for Some
We’ve talked about how fun is not tied to destination or geography in the modern era. But we would be remiss if we did not bring up the fact that some entertainment is still entirely reliant on travel. We wouldn’t think of a family summer vacation as something that can be done from home. Though there are some who are trying to turn travel into a virtual reality experience; most of us still prefer actually seeing our vacation destination with our own eyes.
There are certainly ways to create a virtual dance party; especially with games like Just Dance or Dance Dance Revolution. But there are very few club goers and dancing enthusiasts who would give up the land-based experience for a video game. Clubs are still a popular attraction all over the world. Club culture has even grown to unprecedented degrees in some cases. Berlin is known as the club capital of Europe for example.
While the relationship between entertainment and destination is being blurred, it has not been fully erased. There are still plenty of benefits from actually visiting theaters and arcades; even when many of us can play the same or similar games from our own home.
