Sports and their Vidoe Games

The name John Madden has become a household name over the last decade. The reason for this is not because he is both a hall of fame player and coach in the NFL, or becuase he is a commentator for all Monday Night Football games. Rather it is because it is his name that headlines the cover for every single version of the best selling sports video game in history. Sports video games have revolutionized how we perceive sports. These games have helped nealry every sports venue reach out to a broader audience and attract more viewers. These games attract some many more viewers that I ofter find myslef wondering if sports video games have become bigger than the sports themselves.

Games like Madden, NHL 09, and MLB the Show are played by world wide audiences. Many gamers who play these games have never seen an NHL or MLB game let alone actually been a spectator at one. This brings me to a second question that I always ask myself. Should professional sports leagues be spending more money on promoting themselves or promoting a video game that represents their sport?

I truly believe that professional sports would be greatly benefited by putting a greater emphasis of advertising their video games. The reason for this is because these games are played primarily by young children and by teenagers. The people in this demographic group are the future fans of the sport. Children especially will be encougaged to watch and play a sport that they enjoy playing so much on the television.

Video games also bring attention to many of the league's players who otherwise would not get nearly as much attention. This will help increase both jersey and memorabilia sales. Similarily to a greater player exposure is more team exposure. Many gamers find favorite teams while playing video games. This in the long run helps to sell more tickets as well as to increase TV ratings.

Overall, video games as significantly aided many sports and have helped them appeal to a new and greater fan base. As the popularity of these games grow as should the popularity of the sports that they represent.