How did you play in 2013?

The era of home entertainment is here. In the wake of a massive recession and record unemployment, people are finding their entertainment where the price is reasonable and enjoying it in the comforts of their own home. Staycations are trendy, cable is fading and new gaming consoles are constantly being developed. Yesterday’s science fiction, where people get all their information and fun from one computer, is today’s reality. Everyone stepped up their game in 2013, and consumers were the ones who benefited from it. Check out who came out ahead in 2013…keep reading!

Original Programming

Streaming video used to equal current or past television shows and movies already out on DVD. Hulu and Netflix went one further and created their own stellar original programming in 2013. Hulu offered a number of different series, including Seth Myers’ animated “The Awesomes, Mother Up!” with Eva Longoria, and “Behind the Mask,” a documentary of the people inside team mascots. Netflix has increased the stakes even more with critically acclaimed series such as “Orange is the New Black,” and the first online series ever to win Golden Globes Best Performance awards and be nominated for Emmy consideration, “House of Cards.”

Online Games

Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games, or MMORPGs, continued to be among the top forms of entertainment for increasing numbers of people in 2013. For a nominal fee each month, players could entertain themselves for hours in virtual worlds. Casual games were rising in popularity once again, with download sites like iWin offering new games literally every day in multiple genres. Whether you’re a fan of hidden object games, puzzle games or television tie-in fun, you can find free or inexpensive entertainment online or for instant download. For the extremely casual yet obsessed gamer, Zynga released dozens of new games on Facebook, adding to the addictive list of titles that beckon you every time you log on to check your feed.

Downloads

The internet offered an almost endless supply of downloadable ways to pass the time in 2013. Amazon, Sony and Barnes & Noble all have dedicated eBook readers and offer millions of instant-download books, both free and for pay. Those with iPhone or Android phones, tablets and devices have choices between thousands of apps. Read the newspaper on your phone. Play games that teach reading with your child. Download cartoons to keep the kids busy during car rides. Play casual games that take 30 seconds per round or get into elaborate game worlds that offer endless game play. The online world doesn’t just live in a desktop or laptop computer universe anymore. There is a world of apps and downloads that can entertain you and your family on any small and wireless device you can fit into your backpack or pocket.

BTM Guest Author: David Hall / David has owned every gaming system since Atari. He loves his cat and hotpockets