In history class, we all learned about the Roman Empire, a civilization so powerful, one would have assumed its dominant rein would have lasted eternity.

Though, as we all know, the Roman Empire crumbled, leaving just a memory of what once was.

Video games are like the Roman Empire.

I’m not saying they are as powerful as one of the greatest civilizations in history, but they do share a similarity.

Video games, like the Roman Empire, experience a quick rise to the top, followed with a solid crash to the bottom.

In the modern age, people tend to drift away from the traditional video games systems such as X-Box and PlayStation, and stick to something that can fit in the palm of one’s hand.

Cell phones are becoming the newest gaming system. With just a 4 inch screen, gamers can stay connected anywhere around the world.

Apps are by far the most popular way for people to game on their cell phones. With an app, it is possible to play virtually any type of game.

However, like traditional video games, or the Roman Empire for that matter, whenever an app gets popular, it is sure to die after its fifteen minutes of fame.

Angry Birds was once one of the most popular games in Apple’s App Store. The game has a simple, yet addictive concept, shoot flightless birds into a tower and try to advance to the next round.

Within the first year of the games release, Angry Birds sold more than 12 million copies via smart phone. The game’s popularity sky rocketed and it seemed as if Angry Birds was everywhere.

As the time passed, people began to lose interest in shooting colorful birds out of a sling shot, and the game’s popularity steadily dropped.

The people wanted the next big thing, a game that in which one could challenge their mind, and their friends. And the game that filled that slot was Words with Friends.

Words with Friends is similar to the basic board game scrabble. Players build words on a digital board, crosswords style, and see who can gain the most points.

Though the game was an instant hit, its popularity soon died. The game that was once on everyone’s main screen, quickly found its way to the recycling bin.

“I used to play (Words with Friends) all the time back in the day,” said senior Eric Mazza. “The game was fun for a while, but I got bored pretty quickly with it.”

One of the most recent apps to reach the top, and tumble down is Trivia Crack. The name is fitting considering everyone I knew was addicted to the game. In the game, players face of with one another to see who can answer the most trivia questions correctly. It stimulated both the mind and one’s competitive nature.

When the game first came out, the average person could not stop playing, at parties, people would be on a couch playing each other in the game, rather than socializing with their friends, the game was truly addictive.

But no matter how addictive the game is, addictions can always be overcome. As the weeks progressed, I would see less and less people playing the game.

Michael Klopp was one of many people to find themselves addicted to the game.

“I still play the game every now and then, but I feel like it (Trivia Crack) just gets old after a while.”

In our generation, we will be faced with hundreds, if not thousands of the next great apps. I guess it is just the human nature to find the next big thing that puts the current big thing out of business.