How Computer Graphics Grew Up — The Power of 90’s Kids History

Achmad Ismail Rivaldi
7 min readSep 26, 2017

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Hi! So this is my 3rd story and on this occasion i’ll tell you how the development of graphics technology based on what I feel and see until right now. Where should I start? The development of technology in terms of graphics is now very good and looks real with human life. Can we do nostalgia for the first time I know the first graphics technology, when I was a kid? And this story will be recommended and good to read for all of you kids jaman now —The child who grows in an environment with advanced technology and adequatethe — and the elders, XD. Here is the post of kid age 90’s (me) who want to share “childhood full of happiness” . Lets take a breath :)

My First Console!

Is this an egg? or is this watch? Yes! This is Tamagotchi. Tamago — mean eggs, and -tchi — that means a watch. My first experience to playing game in my life was tamagotchi! With a very very simple graphic design, we can take care our pets, it’ll grown and becomes a cute monster. Even simple and so rigid, the pets are “soft”. What can we do in this very traditional console game epic ever? We can feed our pet, cleaning its messy, and play with. We can also communicate just like a virtual pet. But, “cutey” will be angry if you leave it behind for much hours, and will be a deadly pet. What i remembered was in that time I haven’t got the burden of life just like now. I’m too innocent. Kids jaman now? Sorry you don’t understand what tamagotchi likes , lol.

First devices Just to Play?

Still, when i was child my momma told me not to use phone for playing game. But my naughty skill wanna plays a game called space impact on my aunt’s phone. On that “jaman”, i saw Nokia phone everywhere. I borrow hers, and it was too excited to play!! Even the color was only green i though. Do you ever think about what the graphics like when you just in 6 years old with the brain full of “i want to play a game !” ? uh, forget. Sorry, kids jaman now would be thinking the graphics , hehe.

Leveling Up in Experience!

Bounce on Nokia

One more step forward, now i feel the great experience of graphic to play one of this Nokia’s game! This called Bounce! Colors is still quite basic but there have some gradations. More comfortable than experience at before. In just this game for the first time i see “circle” form. In past graphics, the circle form are still looks not like a circle. Maybe like a triangle shape that forced to be likes circle’s form.

Trying for a java games!

I was just play sonic games at my first phone. Nokia 3010. Wah, the graphics is more comfortable and looks good. No more rigid shape that disturb my eyes. Its colors and graphic was so awesome when i was.. 9 years old? And if you ask me again the graphics right now at my age 20, what the answer that would make you excited to hear?

Let’s Move to PS1 !

Want to know what are the game above? Lemme tell you first. These are 3Xtreme, Harvest Moon, and Harry Potter: Sorcerer of Stone.

Hey one of that was my legendary game! Guess what? Of course, Harvest moon! When I was in Elementary School, i always playing this game every I go home, with my brother and sisters. Always have a happy face every we play this one. The graphics pixel looks flexibles and not rigid, and the story of the game… Unch! Who will get bored playing this? Until now, I still have the same sense of Harvest Moon, gah. Wanna play this right now! Good news that we can already install it with the emulator in android. Oh forget, how about Harry potter? Umm, do you see that ? in the pic number 3? That all faces look creepy! First i though it was a horror game, but the game actually have good story!!

PS1+1Experience = PS2

My first simulator game!! Life simulator! The Sims offers you great to simulate how do you make a choice in life. Although this isn’t entirely true, but how if we try it, right? The graphics slightly supple and comfortable to look at. Since its a life simulator, we’ll imagine the graphics as the same as life around us. And sometimes, it works.

PSP

This PSP is owned by Bayu — gabby’s friend

Naa! Portable version of Playstation! More comfortable and can be taken anywhere! What am being played is Dissidia, one of the Final Fantasy game titles! The graphics are pretty smooth. Sorry if you focus at another direction, cause there is a creature named Gabriel in front of me. lol! just kidding my friend.

PC (Personal Computer) !

My favorite genre is RPG or strategy. All battle-themed games are great! The pics are an example for Empire Earth and Rise of Nations. Graphic is very supportive and in accordance with its civilization.

Let’s survive with the Technology

Let’s see. Which one do you choose? Left or Right? If you’ve played this two, you should be choose both. The reason is only matter with the time it has been released. Since left was released in 1990, the Right was released next 13 years.

The pics above are the example of model animated of the games : Tomb Raider 2013. The real model was Megan Farquhar. The graphical model of its animated using a technique compiled performance capture

We can see the different graphics between top vs bottom. If you play the game in different platforms, you should find that. Games based on console may be practice, but the graph will be limited and can’t be modified. Dislike PC, PC can made the graphics so clear and detailed when the VGA capability is great. VGA on PC can be upgraded that would increase the ability of graphs. Also, It has much graphics technology such as anti-aliasing , anistrophic filtering, and some of them hehe. With this technology, no rough lines appear with anti-aliasing.

More Experiences, More Requirements!

Need more experience? So, just prepare for some “high” requirements to play high-detailed game. I love playing DOA 5, not only detail, but because of the graphic was very smooth! Sadly, we can reduce the detail of this game cause the setting was built-in on PC. However, Final Fantasy XIV is one of example graphics with very tight bytes. For gaming experience, there is two option for the requirements, such as minimum and recommended.

For example, here is recommended requirements to play FF XIV :

CPU:Intel Core i7 (2.66 GHz) or faster

RAM:4 GB

OS:Windows 7 32-bit/64-bit

VIDEO CARD:NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 with 768 MB VRAM or equivalent

So, the smoother and more used graphics technology, the requirement will get bigger. For gamers, it will also cost a lot to be able to play games with best and high quality graphics.

Virtual Reality

And at this very moment, VR is very much developed! How come? Graphics technology is very flexible like the real world eventhough I feel limited to playing games only. When you look at the video, we can feel the game and the graphics fit together with us! It’s as if we’re feeling in the atmosphere of the game! We can feel something happen inside, like adrenaline. You arent passive, but moving all parts of your body just feels what it’s like to fly. With VR Technology, It should be a futuristic playground without “having to eat many plot areas”.

Bonus:

Let’s end it

In fact, I felt such a great experience in graphical changes from time to time. At least, I had time to feel the first time the graphics are still very basic when I was a little kids. Tell me about yours too then. Bye !

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Achmad Ismail Rivaldi

Achmad Ismail Rivaldi , Bogor Agricultural University | Department of Computer Science