Video games a hobby, a lifestyle

It doesn't bother me in the slightest bit that some people are super addicted to their video games. Everyone is entitled to do whatever it is they wish to do with their lives, that's the message that attracts so many people into America in the first place. People who devote their lives to playing and studying video games may very well make more money then your average joe at a "normal" job. Games are in a huge market right now. A single game for the 360 can go as high as 70 even more if your really dedicated. Their is a lot of money to gain in the universe of gaming. Even if your just a player, if your good you could enter a tournament and win a couple thousand dollars, or hey a life time supply of cup ramen haha.
I used to play all sorts of mmo's (massive multiplayer online games) bute lately they have been quite repetitive. A lot of the animes i watch depict a person playing a game where they are virtually put into another world with all senses active. Sometimes it would turn out that they could not escape the "game" and it ended up being the real world and "real life" was just a dream. A virtual reality where you could import your mind would be amazing, i would definitely look into it. A "reality" in which you can personally change at your will by inputting your own code. A chance to play God and create the world you think is fit for your new life.
Although i enjoy games and the advancements that are inevitable, I'm worried that the virtual reailt i dream can be very dangerous. Perhaps the game is too real and the senses are very real to your brain. Your brain is very powerfull your brain could shut down important organs in your body from functioning if it believes it is horribly injured or "dead". In a very good book series that i highly reccomend (fiction adventure) Pendragon it sort of dives into the realm of virtual reality. The main character ventures into a world where 98% of the population has turned to a device called lifelite where you get plugged in and get to live out your fantasies for as long as you want. Noone leaves these machines as its pure bliss inside them. The machines feed them food that the skin absorbs by itself and all seems perfect to the user. The only problem is that EVERYONE is on these machiens and noone wants to be in the real world where so much real troubles burden them. The city is in ruins since it is barely used by the people and society is falling apart, yet its citizens are either oblivious or don't care in the slightest. I'm scared that this will happen to humanity since we are so easy to dump our burdens away and ignore them.
In my eyes instead of making video games more life like we should make video games more applicable to the real world. Wars decided over a match of the newest shooting game. Space explorations manned by millions of people who log into their game systems and explore for themselves while simultaneously gathering space information for the world/government. We need to spread our imagination and ingenuity for the better of the Earth, education, science, and our beings. Video games not horrible not perfect, a lot like us humans.

off topic but i was very amused by this quote, "light a man a fire and he will be warm for the night, light a man on fire and he will be warm for life" haha