Jacob’s Post: Video Game Growth
Today, I will discuss how “Gaming” has changed over the decades and why we play the games we do.. Many of our parents and possibly grandparents may have told stories of what video games looked like in their day and almost all will have mentioned it was “Ping pong”. It was part of the gaming system “the Brown Box” which debuted in 1967, but was not sold until 1972 (the first residential game console created commercially, as reported by Chikani………). In the past fifty years we have come a very long way, but let’s take a brief look at some of the milestones.
In general, sales did not take off for the first home version game console….I believe as Chikani…..that it was built before its time and people just were not ready for it. But with the birth of the arcade machines from the 1970s to 1985, excitement and competitiveness was at an all time high. These arcade style machines were found everywhere (in malls, convenience stores, restaurants). The lure of playing against someone and seeing your initials as the top scorer were quite a draw.
It was also during this time in 1973, that computer-based gaming was created and multiple players could play on separate screens. Due to its expense of needing multiple computers and connections, it was only popular with the universities. And as Chikani points out “one of the first steps on the technological road to the Internet, and online multiplayer gaming as we know
it today.”
Atari sold gaming consoles in 1977 and 1978 but were rather expensive and games such as “Pong” could only be played for so long before boredom set in. The release of the game “Space Invaders” in 1980, set a new craze with its use of integrated microprocessors. This also lead to the gaming platforms of magazines and communities for gaming enthusiasts. Unfortunately, during this time companies, consoles, and games were popping up at a rapid speed, but quality was an issue leaving many companies broke. Another reason for its decline, was the fact that home computers had become more affordable, their processors were more powerful, the whole family could use them, the games were better, and people could also create their own games.
In the early 1990s, LAN networks was the next big thing, along with “deathmatch” type games. Shortly thereafter, the internet was introduced to multiplayer gaming. It wasn’t until 2000, that an internet-ready gaming console was created by Sega but failed, because of paying high
internet bills for its users. “Experts related the console’s failure to the Internet-focused technology being ahead of its time, as well as the rapid evolution of PC technology in the early 2000s — which led people to doubt the use of a console designed solely for gaming,” as pointed out by Chikani….. The development of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) such as “Runescape” made gaming consoles popular again. Every year gaming is improved through its quality of graphics, speed, and how interactive it is. I personally began playing video games at 5 years old, but was not allowed to play online until my teens, but have been hooked ever since.
Computers, consoles and mobile (cell phones and tablets) apps makes it possible to play at all times and reaches all ages today. We all have individual tastes and likes, but what makes some games more attractive, more appealing, more popular than others? With so-o many games to choose from there must be some magic formula that gets one to play it over other games, and for these answers I turn to Extra Credits… to better understand why.
Creating games is considered to be an art form in its own right and it has its own design language, which is made up of visuals, sounds, a narrative, and game play. This enables a game to communicate ideas and experiences. In my opinion, game apps on mobile devices are not as developed in these areas since they are made for on the go play; whether it be for just killing the time (Candy Crush), trying to get a higher score (Angry Birds), playing with someone else (Words with Friends), or doing some mental exercise (Word Smart). Online computer-based and/or game console-based games have more depth and dimension to them. Games come alive with you in them (as and Avatar or through virtual reality). In these types of games, it is all about the player experience. According to Extra Credits, it includes emotion, opinion of the characters, expectation of what will happen next…. the “Game actively listens to the players.” Game creation can be simplistic with good graphics or detailed with a storyline and a goal/conquest. Online gaming is the definite choice for me.
