If you are new to parenting, and your child is old enough to play video games, we have some information about gaming we believe you need to know. We are HiTech Creations, and back in 2000 we introduced our online, exciting combat simulator, Aces High. We’ve been going strong ever since, and with twenty-four years of gaming experience, we feel we have seen enough to qualify as, for lack of a better term, experts in the field of gaming.
Thus, we have a few things worth noting, things which will hopefully help you as you traverse the mine field that is parenting.
A recent study
A recent study of American adolescents reported that eighty-six percent gamed, with 32.9 percent gaming about every day and 24.9 percent gaming about every week (Giordano et al., 2022). A substantial number of adolescents in the study also reported watching other people gaming; almost one-quarter (25%) of participants said they watch others game about every day (Giordano et al., 2022).
Given the popularity of gaming among adolescents, parents are often left asking questions like “Is my child’s gaming a problem?” “How much gaming is too much gaming?” and “How do I keep them safe?” Below are important considerations and suggestions for parents of children or teens who game.
What to look out for
- Do your homework on the games they play. What is its rating (e.g., Everyone, Teen, Mature)? Be informed about violent content, about sexualcontent, and about foul language in the game. Check if players can interact with each other ( a mine field) and if in-game purchases can be made.
- Know how to use parental controls.Gaming companies have been working to address harassment, hostility, and safety issues. There are now many ways parents can control how their child games, such as managing communication between players, enforcing time limits, restricting access based on the rating of the game, and limiting or prohibiting spending money on the game.
Parents need to consider their options and make informed choices. For example, do you want your child to communicate with all the other players? Only communicate with approved players? Or no communication with others at all? Do you want your child to be able to spend real currency on the game? If so, how much? How long do you want your child to play in one sitting?
- Understand the risks of gaming, like player toxicity.Gaming is not all good or all bad; it has potential benefits and potential risks. It is important for parents to be aware of all of them to make informed decisions. For example, one potential risk in multiplayer online games is hostility or toxicity in player interactions.
- Understand the risks of gaming, like predators.Another risk of online gaming or multiplayer gaming is the reality that some individuals enter virtual spaces with the intent of harm. Without creating undo fear, it is important for parents to help foster common sense among their children and teens, help them to be “street smart.” For example, parents can teach children about online masquerading, in which a person presents themself as someone they are not (e.g., an adult masquerading as a child).
Final thoughts
Obviously, we think gaming is a wonderful thing, pretty much what you would expect from a game manufacturer. However, we are also very aware of the problems associated with gaming and, as parents ourselves, we are aware of the problems parents face.
When in doubt, be vigilant.
Aces High leads the way in the flight sim gaming field. Try our free two-week download of Aces High.
You won’t be disappointed. Strap on your flight helmet and fly the skies with Aces High, the leader in combat fligh simulators.
Here are some interesting gaming statistics, from your favorite flight sim game, Aces High:
- Global gamers: There are 3.09 billion gamers in the world as of 2024, with that number expected to grow to 3.3 billion by the end of 2025.
- Market Size: Growth is coming, and significant growth at that. By 2029, worldwide revenue for gaming could hit $200 billion.
- Regional Distribution: Asia is the largest market for video gaming, with nearly 1.5 billion gamers. Europe follows with approximately 115 million gamers.
- Demographics: Gaming is popular across various demographics. For instance, 53% of gamers are males and 47% of gamers are female.
- Devices: Gaming revenue is generated across multiple devices, including consoles, PCs, and mobile devices. Mobile gaming has seen a significant growth.
But wait, there’s more for your edification:
- Contrary to popular belief, the first video game was not It was preceded by Tennis for Two in 1958 and Spacewar! in 1962.
- The video game industry is worth more than the film and music industries combined.[14]
- Engineer Ralph Baer is often held to be the "father of video games." His "Brown Box" video game system, designed in 1967, paved the way for all future consoles.
- The video game industry consistently brings in more money than Hollywood. In 2018, the global gaming market was valued at 134.9 billion dollars, while the global box office only brought in 41.1 billion.
- Rockstar Games has created some of the most lucrative games of all time. Their 2013 title Grand Theft Auto Vearned a staggering one billion dollars within the first three days of its release, eventually earning a total of 6 billion dollars.
- The character Mario first appeared in the game Donkey Kong as "Jumpman." His name was changed to Mario in Donkey Kong Junior.
- Japanese video game giant Nintendo was founded in 1889 as the "Marufuku Company." They originally made playing cards.
- The word "Nintendo" roughly translates to "leave luck to heaven.”
- Nintendo video game developer Shigeru Miyamoto is responsible for many of gaming's most beloved franchises. His creations include Donkey Kong, Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Starfox, F-Zero, and
- Video games can be more than a hobby. A top-tier professional video gamer can pull in over $4 million annually in tournament winnings.
- Professional video gaming, or "eSports," has a longer history than you might imagine. While it's really only taken off in the past couple of years, video game competitions date back to a Spacewar!contest held at Stanford University in 1972.
- The most popular and lucrative competitive video game is DOTA 2, a multi-player online battle arena (MOBA) game. The total prize pool for professional play in 2018 was 41.26 million dollars.
A final word about Aces High
If you are looking for a great action game which also incorporates history, look no further than our wildly popular combat simulator, Aces High, rockin’ the gaming world since 2000. Want to try it out? Try our free two-week download of combat flight simulator, Aces High, no credit card required.
Something a bit different this week. Statistics were just released about video gaming and we thought we would share them with you. We are HiTech Creations, makers of Aces High, a leading flight sim online game. When what you want is the very best in a combat simulator, Aces High is the name to remember.
Video gaming industry stats
- Approximately 3.26 billion individuals worldwide engage in video gaming, showcasing the widespread appeal and extensive reach of the industry.
- A significant 89.5% of video game sales occur through digital platforms, underlining the growing prominence of online distribution channels.
- Gamers in the US collectively spent a substantial USD 55.5 billion on games in 2022, emphasizing the robust financial impact of the gaming market.
- Around 85% of all gaming revenue is attributed to free-to-play games, indicating the dominance of this business model in the digital gaming landscape.
- In 2022, an estimated 90 billion mobile game downloads were recorded from app stores, underscoring the significant role of mobile gaming in the industry.
- By 2025, the PC gaming sector is projected to accumulate a substantial USD 46.7 billion in revenue, emphasizing the continued growth and diversification of gaming platforms.
- People aged between 18 and 34 comprise 38% of the global gaming demographic, reflecting a broad age range among gaming enthusiasts.
- The mobile games industry is forecasted to reach an impressive USD 138 billion in revenue by 2025, further solidifying its position as a major player in the gaming market.
- Over one-third of the world's population are active gamers, indicating the immense popularity and widespread adoption of gaming as a recreational activity.
- China and the US stand as dominant forces in the gaming market, reflecting their substantial contributions to industry revenue and market share.
- Most US game purchases are now made digitally, highlighting the increasing preference for digital distribution channels among consumers.
- The gaming market is expected to experience significant growth, with revenue projected to reach USD 272.86 billion in 2024 and USD 426.02 billion by 2029, showcasing lucrative opportunities for industry stakeholders.
- Major companies in the gaming market include Sony Corporation, MicrosoftCorporation, Apple Inc, Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.), and Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc., driving innovation and competition in the industry.
- Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies are revolutionizing the gaming experience, providing immersive and interactive gameplay for players.
- Cloud gaming services are anticipated to drive market growth by leveraging cloud capabilities and streaming media services, offering convenience and accessibility to gamers.
- The Asia-Pacific region, particularly China and Japan, dominates the gaming market, contributing significantly to global industry revenue and innovation.
What does all this mean to you? How does it affect the average gamer? It probably doesn’t, but it’s still interesting, right?
A final word about Aces High
Aces High began as a dream back in the mid-1990s. It progressed to a specific idea, which led to the creation of Aces High in 1999, followed by its release in 2000. For twenty-four years now, we have ruled the flight simulator market. Find out for yourself how good a combat flight simulator can be. We offer a free two-week download of Aces High. It seems silly to pass up something free, doesn’t it?
Why Play a Combat Flight Simulator?
Both a combat flight simulator and a civil flight simulator offer the same basic flying and those satisfying moments, such as the first time you take off and land, or the joys of successfully navigating between two places. However, combat simulators include the ability to simulate advanced combat operations, and that means a new level of excitement and challenge to your simulation experience.
Getting Started in Combat Flight Simulation
To succeed in a combat flight simulator, you first need to learn the same basic flying skills as general aviation; these include take-off, landing, flying and navigating from point to point, managing different types of weather conditions, and managing basic aircraft systems. Then you can add to the challenge and excitement of flight simulation by incorporating elements of air-to-air combat and military-specific flying. In other words, a combat simulator.
The best way to get started with a combat flight simulator is to determine the type of experience you want. Once that is determined, pick one of the simulators and content packages that best supports that experience. More on this step later in the article.
Are you looking to fly a modern combat aircraft with guided missiles and precision bombs, make use of radar, or perform in-flight refueling? These are typical in a modern military simulator. Or would you prefer something from a historical setting like the swirling dogfights of World War I or II? These key decisions will help guide you to the simulator that suits you best.
Choosing the best combat simulator for you.
There are literally dozens of combat simulators to choose from, each of them with similarities and each of them with unique features not found in other games. The trick, and challenge, is to find the one which best fits your needs.
How do you do that? Do you simply read the summary blurb attached to each game and hope that blurb is accurate? Do you read reviews? Do you hope one of your friends has an informed opinion based on actual experience? None of those approaches sound promising, quite frankly.
In our opinion, and we’ve been in this market now for twenty-four years, the best way to find the perfect flight sim game for you is to play them all and choose from actual playing experience.
But how do you play the games without purchasing them? Some games, like our own Aces High, offer a free two-week download, an opportunity for potential players to play the game before purchasing and this, in our opinion, is the only way to make a reasonable decision.
But what if all the flight sim games do not give free trial periods like Aces High?
Then they are not worth considering in our opinion. It costs a gaming company nothing to give a free trial period, so if a company is not offering that option, they must have a very good reason why not . . . and that reason cannot be good for you.
A final word about Aces High
Aces High is the product of HiTech Creations, one of the very first combat flight simulators ever produced. Since 2000 we have been offering the very best in military action, centering mainly on World War Two. Download us for free and find out just how fun a combat flight simulator can be.
We are HiTech Creations, the makers of Aces High, the wildly successful online combat simulator, ruling the skies since 2000. You might suspect, as we weigh in on the question mentioned in the title, we would give a biased assessment leaning in favor of PC gaming. Read on to find out.
The PC gaming vs. console gaming tug of war has been going on for decades, with both sides arguing for the superiority of their chosen platform. New console launches are few and far between, so the PC had a fair few years in the past decade to boast superior graphics, framerates, and overall gaming experience.
Why PC Gaming is Better Than Consoles
Let’s start with the pros and cons of a PC system. If you’re not very enthusiastic about building your rig, there are plenty of premade gaming PCs that you can choose from, although they usually do cost a bit more.
However, if you’re willing to experiment a little, you’ll see that you don’t need to be a tech wiz to build your own setup. It’s basically like putting together a very expensive and delicate puzzle but one with very clear instructions.
Building a PC of your own gives you vast freedom to choose everything you’ll need, including the monitor’s field of view, refresh rate and resolution, graphics card, storage memory, RAM, processor speed, cooling, and more.
In the early stages of PC gaming vs. console gaming, and during the long breaks between console generations, PC users would enjoy higher framerates and resolutions and better game performance.
Although newer consoles have some measure of mouse and keyboard support, you are mostly stuck with a controller. On a PC, you have many more options - If a keyboard and a mouse are not your cup of tea, there are some very good options to consider, and you can also use a joystick or a steering wheel.
Like we said earlier - back in the days, consoles really couldn’t compare to PCs performance-wise. Today, however, it’s a very different story. The latest generation of consoles has cutting-edge hardware that can match some of the PC builds at a fraction of the price.
So, how about a PC vs. a console, graphics-wise? As we said, these new machines support up to 8k, but realistically both the Xbox X and the PS5 will struggle to keep a solid framerate even at 4k. There are graphics cards such as the Nvidia 3080/90Ti and AMD’s 6900XT out there, which will perform better than these consoles.
The problem is, their price will get you both consoles and some cash to spare, plus you’ll still need the rest of your system.
If we compare more realistic setups that the average gamer could get, we can argue that consoles currently offer much higher visual fidelity in roughly the same price range.
There is no stopping the gaming industry, meaning the war of console gamers vs. PC gamers won’t slow down anytime soon either. With new technology innovations, entertainment systems, and different features on different platforms, the battle is very much still alive and will be in the years to come.
At the end of the day, there will always be console diehards and PC enthusiasts, and those people will never be convinced to give other platforms a chance. For the rest of us, we’re just happy that there is so many good gaming options these days.
About Aces High
Aces High is all about flight simulator thrills. We invite you to try our free two week download of our combat flight simulator and see for yourself how much value there is in our PC online flight simulator.