So, little Timmy has his own cellphone. It connects him to the world, to his friends and to his family. It's also great for the occasional game of Snake when he's feeling bored. He plays it while waiting for the bus, between study sessions, and even during class if he's cheeky enough.
Fast-advancing industry
Just simple entertainment, right? Well, not exactly.
Beneath the surface of even the most mindless video game lies a complex world of electronics, computer processing and programming created and maintained by some of the most brilliant technical minds.
For the past few decades, the video game industry has been progressing by electronic leaps and bounds. From its humble origins in the programmer's basement, it has evolved into a multibillion-rand industry which rivals even the success of Hollywood. Throughout the world, people are gaming at their desks, in front of their TVs, or even between phone calls. Just like Timmy.
Kids playing games on their cellphones may not be most people's idea of rocket science, but swell that to the triple-A titles you see released for today's cutting-edge consoles and all doubt falls away.
In its place you'll be confronted with hundred-strong teams of computer scientists who've spent years studying mathematics, physics, graphic design and many other disciplines - all of them working on your virtual wonderland.
Demanding jobs
Game developers have among the most demanding jobs in the industry. Not only can their products take years to complete, but most of them are regularly pushing the upper bounds of technology, catalysing a lot of the growth that modern computers have enjoyed over the past decade.
The improvement in graphic technology is a notable example. Leading manufacturers such as Nvidia and ATI specialise in producing video cards for computers, constantly refining and upgrading their products to meet the demands of a burgeoning industry.
Each new card implements more sophisticated technology than the last, fitting more power into less space and shipping with more powerful built-in processors.
Quite impressive for a bunch of silicon and circuitry, isn't it? Well, it doesn't stop there. A new development in the gaming world is the physics processing unit (PPU), used exclusively to handle complex physics calculations and assist in the playability of games intense in particle physics, vehicle movement and even the realistic representation of running water. Child's play? Not at all.
Career path also growing
Game development as a career path has seen as much growth as the industry itself. In the old days, a lone coder could read up on some computer programming manuals, sit in front of a computer, throw out some odd games and be called a profes-sional.
Things aren't that simple any more. Entire institutions are now dedicated to the art of game-making - such as the internationally renowned DigiPen - while other organisations are offering degrees in game development, including local company IT Intellect.
For those who want a more casual introduction to game-making, there's an extensive amount of online resources and communities to help you on your way. A great tool for anybody who has a computer and wants to try their hand at making their own games is Game Maker.
It's free to download, is incredibly powerful and provides a gentle introduction to what it's like to code, design and release your very own video game.
Two other sites to add to this arsenal are www.gamedotdev.co.za and www.devmag.org.za.
The former is a portal to a community specialising in game design, affiliated with top SA game development companies and gaming magazines.
The latter is a monthly online magazine released by the members of said community, created to provide people with all the news, tutorials, articles, product reviews and design tips that people in today's world need for their gaming careers.
The next time you pick up your cellphone for a quick game of Snake, just remember what lies behind its creation.
Game-making is among the most intense and exciting disciplines that the IT industry has to offer, and its rapid growth both globally and locally is a clear testament to the immense popularity and success of this branch of the technological world.