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This article is about computer and video games. For the magazine see Computer And Video Games (magazine) . 's '' Pac-Man '' was a hit, and became a cultural phenomenon. The game spawned merchandise, a Cartoon Series , Pop Song s and was one of the most heavily cloned video games ever.]] A computer game is a Computer -controlled game. A '''video game''' is a computer game where a video display such as a Monitor or Television is the primary feedback device. The term "computer game" also includes games which display only text (and which can therefore theoretically be played on a Teletypewriter ) or which use other methods, such as sound or vibration, as their primary feedback Device , but there are very few new games in these categories. There must also be some sort of Input Device , usually in the form of Button/joystick combinations (on arcade games), a Keyboard & Mouse / Trackball combination ( PC games), or a Controller ( Console games), or a combination of any of the above. Also, more esoteric devices have been used for input (also see Game Controller ). Usually there are rules and goals, but in more open-ended games the player may be free to do whatever they like within the confines of the virtual universe. The phrase interactive entertainment is the formal reference to computer and video games. To avoid ambiguity, this game software is referred to as "''computer and video games''" throughout this article, which explores properties common to both types of game. In common usage, "computer game" or " PC Game " refers specifically to games played on a Personal Computer , " Console Game " refers to games played on specifically-designed set top box, that play through a TV and "video game" (or "videogame") refers to any game played on a device that plays through your TV but also includes PC, Console, Mobile Phone or PDA or other handheld device.
HISTORY See Also: History of computer and video games Beginnings The first primitive computer and video games were developed in the 1950s and 60's and ran on platforms such as Oscilloscope s, University Mainframe s and EDSAC computers. The earliest computer game, a Missile simulation, was created in 1947 by Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle Ray Mann. A patent application was filed on January 25th, 1947 and U.S. Patent #2 455 992 issued on Dec 14th, 1948. Later in 1952, was a version of tic-tac-toe named '' Noughts And Crosses '', created by A. S. Douglas , as part of his doctoral dissertation at Cambridge University . The game ran on a large university computer called the Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator (EDSAC). In 1958, William Higinbotham - who previously helped build the first Atomic Bomb - created '' Tennis For Two '' at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York to entertain visitors at the lab's annual open house. In 1962 MIT 's Steve Russell created '' Spacewar '' and '' John's Great Adventure ''. The game ran on a PDP-1 mini-computer. The game spread quickly to universities and research facilities around the country. In 1968 Ralph Baer , who would later be known as the "Father of Video Games", applied for a patent for an early version of a video game console named the "Television Gaming and Training Apparatus." In 1967, Baer created a ping-pong like game for the console that resembled ''Tennis for Two'' (and the future 1972 arcade game '' Pong ''). He worked with Magnavox to create and release the first console, named the Magnavox Odyssey , in 1972. The Golden Age Arcade Games were developed in the 1970s and led to the so-called " Golden Age Of Arcade Games ". The first coin-operated arcade game was '' Computer Space '', created in 1971 by Nolan Bushnell . In these pre arcade days, the game was placed in bars and taverns. The game required players to read a set of instructions before playing, and never became a hit in the bar scene. In the spring of 1972, Bushnell attended a demonstration of the Magnavox Odyssey system in Burlingame, California , and played Baer's ping-pong game for the first time. Soon afterwards Bushnell and a friend formed a new company, Atari . Nolan envisioned creating a driving game for arcades. He hired an electronic engineer named Al Alcorn and directed him to build a Ping-pong game. The game Alcorn created was so fun that Nolan decided to go ahead and market it. Since the name ''Ping-Pong'' was already Trademark ed, they settled on simply calling it '' PONG ''. The intuitive interface led the game to be wildly successful in the bar scene and ushered in the era of arcades. Consoles and beyond The 1970s saw the release of the first home Video Game Console s. The patent for Ralph Baer's Magnavox Odyssey was granted in 1972, and paved the way for the next wave of home consoles. The late 1970s to early 1980s brought about the improvement of home consoles and the release of the Atari 2600 , Intellivision and Colecovision . The Video Game Crash Of 1983 , however, produced a ''dark age'' in the market that was not filled until the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) reached North America in 1985. This presented Americans with games such as Mario Bros. and other Nintendo franchises, many of which are still popular today. The last two decades of game history have been marked by separate markets for games on Video Game Consoles , Home Computers and Handhelds . See the article on Console Wars for additional information on that facet of game history. In 1989, Nintendo released the Game Boy , the first popular Handheld Console . Included with the system was Tetris , which became a popular puzzle game. Several rival handhelds also made their debut around that time, including the Sega Game Gear and Atari Lynx . While some of the other systems remained in production until the mid-90s, the Game Boy remained at the top spot in sales throughout its lifespan. The North American market was dominated by the Sega Genesis early on after its debut in 1989, with the Nintendo Super NES proving a strong, roughly equal rival in 1991. The NEC TurboGrafx 16 was the first 16-bit system to be marketed in the region, but did not achieve a large following, partly due to a limited library of English games and effective marketing from Sega. In Japan, the PC Engine 's (Turbografx 16) 1987 success against the Famicom and CD drive peripheral allowed it to fend off the Mega Drive (Genesis) in 1988, which never really caught on to the same degree as outside Japan. The PC Engine eventually lost out to the Super Famicom , but retained enough of a user base to support new games well into the late 1990s. CD-ROM drives were first seen in this generation, as add-ons for the PC Engine in 1988 and the Megadrive in 1991. Basic 3D Graphics entered the mainstream with flat-shaded polygons enabled by additional processors in game cartridges like Virtua Racing and Starfox . '' became a defining title for 3D platformers]] In 1994-1995, Sega released Sega Saturn and Sony made its debut to the video gaming scene with the PlayStation . Both consoles used 32-bit technology; the door was open for 3D games. After many delays, Nintendo released its 64-bit console, the Nintendo 64 in 1996, selling more than 1.5 million units in only three months. The flagship title, '' Super Mario 64 '', became a defining title for 3D platform games. Nintendo's choice to use Cartridges instead of CD-ROM s for the Nintendo 64, unique among the consoles of this period, proved to have negative consequences. In particular, SquareSoft , which had released all previous games in its '' Final Fantasy '' series for Nintendo consoles, now turned to the PlayStation; '' Final Fantasy VII '' (1997) was a huge success, establishing the popularity of role-playing games in the west and making the PlayStation the primary console for the genre. By the end of this period, Sony had dethroned Nintendo, the PlayStation outselling the Nintendo 64. The Saturn was successful in Japan but a failure in North America, leaving Sega outside of the main competition. 1998 saw the releases of the Sega '', being available at the system's launch. Nintendo released their successor to the Nintendo 64, the GameCube , and the first all-new Game Boy since the console's inception, the Game Boy Advance . Sega realized they could no longer compete especially with Sony's new PS2, and announced they would discontinue the Dreamcast and no longer manufacture hardware, becoming a Third-party Developer in 2002. Nokia entered the handheld market with its N-Gage game-phone Hybrid in 2003. It was criticised for being poorly designed, and flopped. In 2004 Nokia released a re-designed N-Gage, called the N-Gage QD , which didn't fare much better. The other two more technically advanced handhelds to be released in 2004, the Nintendo DS and the PlayStation Portable (PSP), didn't help the N-Gage. The Nintendo DS is a highly innovative handheld, the PSP is much more powerful and also includes limited media capabilities. In Western countries the consoles have had similar levels of success but in Japan the DS has been a huge hit, vastly outselling the PSP. The end of 2005 saw the release of the Xbox 360 - the first of the seventh generation of video game consoles. The future of console gaming 2006 will see the continuation of the next generation of console gaming in the form of two new consoles. Sony with the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii will join Microsoft with the already released Xbox 360 in this year's "technology race". The Xbox 360 is powered by a multi-core CPU , the PlayStation 3 will be powered by Cell Processor technology, and Wii will allow the gamer to interact with the game via a wireless motion sensing controller (such as using the controller in driving game by moving it left or right, or using it as a light sabre in a star wars game) and promises more innovations, although full technical specifications are yet to be revealed; but it has been rumored that its graphics processor is similar to an ATI X800 graphics chip, one of the most effective of its kind on the market. All the next-generation console are starting the transition from traditional media-based games (e.g. on a cartridge or DVD-ROM) to be able to utilize streamed content that is downloaded. This innovation is possible due to the increasing ubiquity of broadband internet access and availabilty of large storage mediums on the consoles. GAMEPLAY See Also: Gameplay In computer and video gaming, gameplay (sometimes called "Game mechanics") is a general term that describes player interaction with a game. It includes direct interaction, such as controls and Interface , but also Design aspects of the game, such as Levels and graphics. Although the use of this term is often disputed, as it is considered too vague for the range of concepts it describes, it is currently the most commonly used and accepted term for this purpose when describing video games. GENRES See Also: Computer and video game genres Games, like most other forms of media, may be categorized into Genres based on gameplay, atmosphere, and various other factors. In fact, games are often much easier to classify by genre than films, music, or books. Due to gaming's relatively short history, technical limitations, and the commercial pressures currently affecting the North American and Japanese markets, electronic games are ensconced in a period of extreme Formalism . Recently, video games have begun to explode in popularity, a rise which coincides with an increase in production value, and thus, development cost. As gamers come to expect talented voice acting, enormous, meticulously-constructed worlds and Hollywood-quality sound effects, production costs rise, and owing to the tremendous investment required by publishers (who want to maximize profits), most choose to make games based upon "tried-and-true" ideas, borrowing heavily from previous games and concepts. This is most evident in the fact that publishers' tend to establish "franchises", which often recycle the same characters, situations, conflicts, gameplay mechanics, and themes for any number of sequels. Therefore, though many games may combine genres, very few exist outside the paradigm of previously established genres, with notable exceptions. The most common genres in use today include Platformer , Adventure , Role-playing Game (RPG) , First Person Shooter (FPS) , Third Person Shooter , Sports , Racing , Shoot 'em Up s, Fighting , Action (note that this term is abused often), Puzzle , Simulation , Turn-based Game s, and Real Time Strategy (RTS) . Most games nowadays are a combination of two or more genres (e.g action/RPG). There are also number of genres, which are mostly unpopular today, that were hybrid forms of other media, such as books or movies; the most familiar being Interactive Fiction and Interactive Movie s. The increase in the popularity of Online Gaming has also resulted in sub-genres being formed, such as Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game (MMORPG). CULTURE See Also: Computer and video game culture Over the last twenty five years, as computer and video games have become more popular, an entire sub-culture has arisen. Gamers, as is the collective term used for computer and video gaming enthusiasts, have created a vast body of their own Neologism s, Fan Fiction , and Fanmade Game s. In regards to video game consoles, there is a vocal community of supporters for each competing console company. Often times, as is the case with Fanboy s, supporters are vocal critics of the competing platforms. Ever since the first High Score table was put on an arcade game, there has always been an element of competition embedded within gaming culture. This competition has exponentialized with the incorporation of internet multiplayer into the different gaming platforms. With competition there has been cooperation, with many early and modern games allowing players to work together. With today's massive multiplay online games, gamers not only compete against each other but work, socialize and politicize with each other in virtual worlds. In the United Kingdom at least, however, the social and artistic importance of video games has recently been officially acknowledged. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) recognised the "growing importance of video games to entertainment culture" which "has elevated the sector to become an equal to those for Film and Television", arranging the London Games Festival in October 2006 in association with ELSPA (the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association), TIGA (The Independent Games Developers Association) and the London Development Association (LDA) 1. POPULARITY The popularity of computer and video games, as a whole, has been increasing steadily ever since the 1984-1987 drop-off caused by the Video Game Crash Of 1983 , and the popularity appears to be continuing to increase. The average age of the video game player is now 30 2, belying the myth that video games are largely a diversion for Teenager s. Sales , Switzerland ) with a large selection of games for several major consoles]] The four largest markets for computer and video games are the United States , Japan , Australia and the United Kingdom . Other significant markets include Spain , Germany , South Korea , France , and Italy . Both India and China are considered emerging markets in the video game industry and sales are expected to rise significantly in the coming years. Sales of different types of games vary widely between these markets due to local preferences. Japanese consumers avoid computer games and instead buy video games, with a strong preference for games created in Japan, that run on Japanese consoles (one reason the American Xbox series is less popular). In South Korea, computer games are preferred, especially MMORPG games and Real-time Strategy games; there are over 20,000 PC Bang Internet cafes where computer games can be played for an hourly charge. The NPD Group tracks computer and video game sales in the United States. It reported that As Of 2004 :
These figures are sales in dollars, not units; unit shipments for each category were higher than the dollar sales numbers indicate, as more software and hardware was sold at reduced prices compared to 2003. Retail PC game sales have been declining slightly each year since about 1998, but this fact should be taken with a grain of salt: the retail sales numbers from NPD do not include sales from online downloads, nor subscription revenue for games like MMORPG s. The game and film industries are also becoming increasingly intertwined, with companies like Sony having significant stakes in both. A large number of summer blockbuster films spawn a companion game, often launching at the same time in order to share the marketing costs. Computer and video games in the broader culture See Also: Computer and video game culture ( E³ ) is held every year in Los Angeles . New projects are shown every year.]] Computer games are huge business worldwide. Take for example South Korea . Developers there boast MMORPG s such as '' Lineage '' and '' Ragnarok Online '' with millions of subscribers and a third of the world's MMOG revenue. '' StarCraft '' Gosu (expert players) are celebrities in a game that some have called the country's National Sport . The success of computer and online gaming there is usually credited to South Korea's push for Broadband Internet connections in the home and earlier bans on Japanese products (these restrictions were removed by the late 1990s). Numerous websites and publications devoted solely to games have been created, including ''''. Video gaming is now ingrained in popular culture in the United States. Many T-shirt s are available that directly reference video games, such as one with a picture of an NES controller with the text 'Know Your Roots.' Also, video games have also become a major part in cross marketing platforms, such as in Pokémon or Yu-Gi-Oh , where a child can watch the television show, buy the trading cards, and play the various video games available. Video game properties have had mixed success when migrating to the movies. One of the first films based on a video game property was '' The Wizard '', which some criticized as a 90-minute ad for '' Super Mario Brothers 3 ''. In the mid-1990s, films for '' Super Mario Brothers '', '' Street Fighter '', '' Wing Commander '' and '' Mortal Kombat '' were released. Reviews have generally been poor, although Mortal Kombat was a financial success. Despite the ultimately poor performance of these movies, many studios still want to turn big games into films, hoping to cash in on the popularity of the original game. However, after the initial bunch, many projects materialized that were never finished, but the success of films like '''' has led to more films materializing. '' Doom '', a game which film makers were trying to cross over since the mid '90s, finally hit theatres 12 years after its initial release. John Woo also has producing rights on a movie based on the popular Nintendo game '' Metroid ''. There is still debate in the movie industry on whether video games can consistently be turned into good, profitable movies. Films like '''' may change some people's minds, although it was released directly to DVD , skipping the theaters entirely. On the other hand, video games get much more success when adapted into cartoons/anime. Some notable examples of major success includes the various and '' Earthworm Jim '' while '' Sonic Underground '', the American '' Mega Man '' cartoon and '' F-Zero GP Legend '' are cited as being poor. Sometimes, they even "help" more obscure/Japan-only games pick up popularity in America although rarely; '' ToHeart '' would be the best example of such thing. Movies have had far more success moving the other direction, onto video games. Most summer blockbuster films now have a simultaneous video game release; some of the most lucrative video games of recent times are based on movies, such as '' and the series of EA ''LotR'' games that followed it, and Activision 's two '' Spider-Man '' movie games. Even though movies have had more success in game conversion, not all movie games are popular amongst the gaming community. Some publishers believe that the success of the movie will help the game sell, and so may not have as lengthy a development schedule as needed to make a compelling game. Some examples of this are the '' Catwoman '' and '' King Arthur '' movie games along with nearly all of the television-to-game franchise starting with the 32-bit Era . Also, video games have found themselves on MTV2 , in a popular show called '' Video Mod '', where characters from popular video games perform songs from hit artists, such as characters from '' The Sims 2 '' performing the song "Stacy's Mom" by Fountains Of Wayne . On the Internet, gaming has also become a popular subject of many Webcomic s. Currently there are two varieties. The first one is the Sprite Comic , such as 8 Bit Theatre , in which the artist uses Sprites from the earlier Final Fantasy games to tell stories. Sometimes these are original stories, but are often parodies of the game in which the sprite came from. The other is a more traditional comic strip, containing original art, like Penny Arcade or VG Cats . Here, the storylines or jokes revolve around current events in video gaming. The success of Penny Arcade has attracted many people in the industry, including Ubisoft . Other parodies have come in the form of amateur videos on '' Tetris '' or '' Ghosts And Goblins '', such as those of Mega 64 . Online shows are fast becoming the place to view live action gaming broadcasts such as Gamespot's 'On the Spot' What the player gains Computer and video games differ from other forms of Entertainment in that the person experiencing them is in control, one way or another. In order to experience the game, the player must first determine the objective(s), as well as how to complete them. She/he must then learn the game controls and how the human-machine interface works, including menus and HUDs . An experienced player will be able to do all this in a very short period of time upon first discovering a new game- such quick learning skills can easily be transferred to other areas of mental application. To win at a game, the player may devote his/her entire attention to it, and utilise newly-learnt skills or tactics. It could be said that when players stare at a screen with a blank expression, it isn't one of hopeless mesmerization, but one of intense concentration. More obvious benefits to the player is education on the game's subject matter. For example an RTS game set in the past may require use of ancient armies or outwitting a famous world leader of the time. Games which encourage strategic thinking have well-honed rule sets that the player needs to thoroughly grasp. A well-designed game will be easy to pick up but difficult to master, like Chess . Development of techniques are tested against an advanced computer player or online against other human players. Despite the popular image of videogames being manic tests of the player's Reflexes , some successful games do the opposite- stealth games, for example, reward patience. |