>wondering how/if my games are solving real user problems or whether they are only providing distractions.
Keeping ourselves entertained on this planet is a very real user problem. It has been a core part of all human cultures for millennia. As we become more productive at producing all the essentials for survival, entertainment will take an ever growing share of our economies.
Entertainment is the one industry that I'm sure will still exist in a 100 years and employing people. I would be very surprised if it were not at least 50% of our economies at that point.
I would make the opposite prediction. Entertainment is becoming cheaper and more abundant all the time due to computerization, and this is happening faster than in industries like energy and health care. So I wouldn't be surprised if we end up with a lot more and better entertainment, but it seems unlikely that we'll pay a larger percentage of income for it. More likely, people will be paying less and getting more.
Keeping ourselves entertained on this planet is a very real user problem. It has been a core part of all human cultures for millennia. As we become more productive at producing all the essentials for survival, entertainment will take an ever growing share of our economies.
Entertainment is the one industry that I'm sure will still exist in a 100 years and employing people. I would be very surprised if it were not at least 50% of our economies at that point.