Games+and+Leisure+21+G6

=Games and Leisure=

Games and leisure are a huge part of the American society today. No matter where you turn you will see something that represents some kind game or leisure activity that we as Americans take part in. They have become a staple to everyday life here in America. Games and leisure, today, include anything from professional Athletics to games at home, including board games and gaming counsels. No matter what way, shape, or form they come in, we can't seem to get enough.

Professional Athletics
Professional Athletics are an enormous part of American society today. They include the sports of: the great American past time, baseball, to football, basketball, and hockey. Those are just the four most grossing sports in America, there are a wide variety of others as well. Professional athletics are such a major focus point to Americans, that the best athletes that play each sport are some of the wealthiest people in the country today. Many people look up to professional athletes as role models, and many children hope to someday be just like them. Approximately 79,502,524 people attended an MLB (Major League Baseball) game, 21,394,757 attended an NBA (National Basketball Association) game, 21,236,255 attended an NHL (National Hockey League) game, and 17,469,552 attended an NFL (National Football League) game, just in the past year, 2008, alone. Professional Athletics really do have an impact on Americans today.



Gambling
Gambling is another major part of America's society. Today's legal age for gambling is 18. Meaning that at the age of 18 you can participate in buying lottery tickets, scratch offs, pull-tabs, parimutuel betting, and gambling in casinos. There are hundreds of casinos spread throughout America, with most being located in Las Vegas, Nevada. In most states it's legal to gamble in the casinos at 18, but if alcohol is served you must be 21 to gamble there. Millions of people go to gamble at casinos. In 2007, alone, casinos in the United States made a grand total revenue of approximately $92.27 Billion. Gambling has a definite impact on America today, and is another major part of the American society.

Board Games
Board games were a big part of American culture for quite some time. Board games really took off in America with the game Monopoly in the early 1930's. During this time America was going through a Great Depression, right after the stock market crash in 1929, many people felt it was the ticket to financial success and out of the desperation of the depression. The game was sold by the Parker Brothers, who made six different versions, including the two original versions, Popular Edition, Fine Edition, Gold Edition, and Deluxe Edition, varying from the price from $2 up to $25, in the 1930's. Since then, hundreds of other special editions have been manufactured, including the likes of: Garfield, Coca-Cola, the Simpsons, and Elvis Presley versions. There are hundreds upon hundreds of different kinds of board games today, including games like: Scrabble, Yatzee, Pictionary, Cranium, and Axis and Allies, although, they are slowly being phased out due to the advancements in technology with the creation of gaming systems.

==Gaming Systems== Gaming systems have basically sent older games, like board games, into extinction. The world's first video game counsel was the Magnavox Odyssey, it was released in August of 1972. The Odyssey's main game was PONG, which was a tennis like game where you move a block, to bounce a ball back and try and get it past the opponents block. Gaming systems have come very far since the creation of the Odyssey. Today we have gaming counsels like the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and the Wii, all created by a different manufacturer. Today you can play video games just about anywhere, on your television, computer, or on most hand held devises, including the ipod touch, iphone, and the Blackberry. As of January 1, 2008, the Xbox 360 has sold 9.15 million units in the United States at anywhere from $199-$399 a piece. The Playstation 3 had about 1.2 million counsels sold around Chirstmas time in 2008. And the Wii has sold over 10 million units since it's debut in 2007. With technology and the industry for games increasing so does the demand. As you can see, gaming systems have a huge impact on the American society.