Ask the average teenage boy what he did over the weekend and his answer will most likely include ?video games?. Has the seemingly innocent entertainment form fed a growing gaming obsession?

The video game industry is one of the top moneymakers in the nation, with teenagers among its biggest contributors.

In the Fresno Bee’s reprinted version of a Los Angeles Times article on Nov. 20, 2007, reporter Alex Pham states that video games bring in more than $30 billion in annual sales worldwide.Plugged In magazine states Halo 3 raked in money faster than any entertainment release in history, including Spiderman 3 and the Harry Potter books.

Due to a continual increase in commercial success, gaming creators have a sizable invested interest in keeping kids glued to their game systems. To highlight this intentional strategy, Bob Hoose and Kevin Simpson?s article, from the Focus on the Family magazine, ?M-Rated Video Game Tops Teens Christmas Lists,? includes the following comment from Halo 3 designer, Paul Bertone Jr.

?We do a lot of testing to make sure (the game) is easy to pick up, easy to play and hopefully, easy to get addicted to.?

Bertone told Entertainment Weekly, ?Some games, after you die, a box saying ?Do you want to continue?? will pop up. We never ask you if you want to stop playing.?

The October 2007 edition of Focus on the Family magazine reports that four out of every five kids over eight years old own a video game system. In addition, a recent survey conducted by Iowa State University found that teens between the ages of 13-18 play an average of 14 hours of video games per week, but many gaming enthusiasts exceed that amount.

Some in the field of psychology and addiction say that for many teenagers the lure of the fantasy world (provided in virtual life) becomes more appealing and exciting than reality. Mathew Stumpf, ?10, owns an Xbox 360 and describes himself as a hardcore gamer.

?I?m not into sports and outdoor activities, so other than occasionally reading and writing there?s not much else to do,? Mathew Stumpf, ’10, said. ?I play about 4-5 hours of video games a day. I think that video games are a whole lot more interesting than my average everyday life.?

Some argue that excessive gaming is often harmless compared to other ways kids spend their time. Yet, the American Academy of Pediatrics recently changed their recommendation regarding maximum amount of screen time (including TV and video games) to 1-2 hours per day.

Their Committee on Communications states the reason for the change is that Pediatricians could no longer ignore the latest brain research and its implications: that overuse of screen technologies can have effects on children?s brain development.

?I think that it?s fine for kids to play video games, but they can easily be overdone,? Frank Daniel, ?11, said. ?When video games consume their lives it wastes valuable time.?

According to Kurt and Olivia Bruner, authors of Playstation Nation, video game playing has the potential to become addictive.

They believe video games produce physiological reactions in the brain similar to those associated with substance abuse. Research shows that the chemicals triggered by about 30 minutes of play rival an amphetamine high. A process called ?habituation? rewires the brain and creates a physiological dependence on the game.

“I play video games with my brothers once in a while,” Kally Batesole, ’09, said. “Although they may help some kids with hand-eye coordination, they do not take the place of being active and playing a sport.”

Check out Trevor Bodi and Micaelah Aleman in the Photo section as Guitar Heros..