Basics of Gaming: Types of Video Games Part 1
This is not the first time we are using the word game and definitely not the first time we are going to be addressed as gamers. However, it would be quite hard for you to articulate things if you were being asked to define what a game is.
The definition of a gamer and gaming might be easy to come by but that is why we are here having this conversation. To really understand the theory of gaming and the types of games available in the world today.
Game. Gaming & Gamer
According to Collins, a game is an activity which would usually involves skills, knowledge or chance. During a game, you follow fixed rules and try to win against an opponent, against the system or to solve a puzzle. Gaming on the other hand is the action or practice of playing games while someone who plays is called a gamer.
The first step is knowing it and then there is understanding its history and evolution. So, before we go to the types which are where we are really here, let us first attend a little history class with the focus turning towards electronic/video games.
History Lesson: Evolution of Gaming
If you are looking at video games, it all started with pong. The electronic table tennis simulation game was popular in the 1970s. However, before then we already had a computer simulation of tic-tac-toe which was developed for the electronic delay storage automatic calculator (EDSAC) — this remains one of the first stored-information computers. In 1958, a game was developed at the Brookhaven National Laboratory called tennis for two. The reason behind this game development was to create entertainment for people who came here to tour the place.
At the time, these games were a delight to all who got the chance to play. However, all this is history as these games wouldn’t interest you if they were available today. These early games played a pivotal role as a form of media as they helped give the experience of computer & technology to those who could not access it. Even as video games evolved, their job description as a form of media increased as well. This is evident with game streaming and gamer interaction popular in modern-day gaming.
For game consoles, it all started in 1972 with the Magnavox Odyssey which was modelled on prototypes built by Ralph Behr in the late 1960s. You could read more about the evolution of gaming by clicking here.
Types of Video Games
When the dust settles from all the evolution, video gaming remains the leader of the gaming revolution. There are so many types of gaming and we are going to be listing them out. In the coming articles, we will pick a few of them and talk about them extensively. They include;
1. Strategy games
2. Sports games
3. Action games
4. Adventure games
5. Action-adventure games
6. Strategy games
7. Simulation games
8. Idle games
9. Role-playing games
When you are looking at games in general, you might have to consider genres like;
Alternate reality, Pervasive, Strategy, Adventure, Interactive fiction, Casual, Board, Educational, Social, Lose-lose, Win-win, Party, Serious, Card, Incremental, Chance, Action, Augmented reality, Virtual reality, Real-time strategy, Puzzles, Game of skill, Turn-based strategy, Idle, Multiplayer online, Zero-sum, Conversation, Collectible card, Gamification, Role-playing, Art, Tabletop, Mod, Physical, Mystery, Simulation & Tactics.
