Warning!

Do we really need a Video Games Day?

Yes! Video games have become part of our modern culture, the way movies and music have. Video gaming is, nowadays, one of the biggest forms of entertainment, and blockbuster games have similar or larger budgets than films. We game on PCs, consoles, handheld devices, mobile phones, and pretty much any device that has a screen and a few buttons! Video games are everywhere, and most people have access to them.

By having a special day to celebrate video games, we give recognition to an important part of our modern culture, spreading the knowledge and fun associated with video games into mainstream culture.

Why on December 6th?

There's been many other “Video Games Day” celebrated previously (“National Video Games Day” celebrated on September 12th and “National Video Game Day”, on July 8th, other dates mentioned online being October 2nd, September 18th and July 12th), but upon closer inspection, no justification exist for those dates, it seems it were chosen arbitrarily, or to benefit unknown interests. Read this article, by Cecilia D’Anastasio on Kotaku:

— We Are Starting To Suspect That ‘National Video Games Day’ Might Be A Nonsense Holiday

Most importantly, on December 6th, 2014, Ralph H. Baer, considered the “Father of Video Games”, passed away. He was a true visionary, and the man who thought that any home should have videogames (played on a TV set) as early as 1955. He created the very first videogame console, the Magnavox Odyssey.

Also, December 6th, 1958 is the birth date of Japanese game developer and Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. His contribution to the world of video games has been large and notable.

We consider these two men to be so prominent in the creation and development of video games that this date is sufficiently justified.