Evolution of video gaming and computer networking - Research Paper Example

? Evolution of video gaming and computer networking Evolution of video gaming and computer networking Introduction Surprisingly, video gaming did not attain a mainstream popularity until sometimes in between 1970s and 1980s when game consoles, home computer games, and arcade video became available to the public. Since then, things changed and video gaming is today a popular type of modern culture and a mechanism of entertainment in the developed countries. Currently, there are considerable eight generations of video game consoles whereby the sixth, the seventh, and the eighth are as of today ongoing (Jason, 2004). The history of human computer interaction has its beginnings written in the 1950s. In the year 1952, S. Douglas acquired his PhD degree at the Cambridge University and wrote a book on Human Computer interaction. The first version of graphical computer game that Douglas created was the Tic Tack Toe (Steven, 2004). He programmed the game on an EDSAC vacuum tube computer that contained a cathode ray tube display. This paper will seek to provide a basic analysis of evolution of video gaming and computer networking. Development of Video gaming As stated earlier, video gaming traces its beginnings in the 1940s. During these decades, inventions were not that great and did not produce forthcoming or welcoming results until 1958 when William Higginbotham created the one and only first video game (Allen & Denton, 2010). He created this game at the Brookhaven National Laboratory and referred to it as “Tennis for two”. Due to the increasing demand, Steve Russell came about with the “Space War” in 1962. The most interesting thing about Space War is the fact that Russell intended this game for computer use. He employed a MIT PDP-1 mainframe computer while designing this game (Wallace, 2007). At this time, there were computer systems that supported terminals hence allowing users to operate the computer in a different room from its house. These systems also supported time-sharing in which multiple users could use the computer simultaneously (Steven, 2004). Soon after invention of computer terminals systems support, there came modem links that further expanded this particular range that enabled users to be at different locations from the computer. This happened because terminals were able to connect to their host computers through a leased telephone line or dial up. Due to the increased remote access, scientists created “host based” games wherein users connected to a central computer through a remote system played singly. Soon after, there came multiplayer games. In 1967, a Sanders Associate by the name Ralph Baer put into writing the first video game called “Chase” that played on a television set (Allen & Denton, 2010). As time went by, computer-networking technology started maturing as in the 1970s, there were introductions of packet based computer technology. As such, in 1971, Nolan Bushnell in association with Ted Danby came up with the first arcade game, which was a Computer Space game and based on Space War earlier created by Steve Russell. A year later, (1972) Nolan Bushnell and his associate completed the creation of the arcade game Pong with the support of Al Alcorn and started the Atari Computers the same year (Jason, 2004). The first operators of the arcade included Larry Kerecman. In his memoirs, Larry wrote that, the brilliance and the most astonishing fact about the arcade game was that Nolan and the Company took what Russell programmed in his game Space War and transformed it into a much simpler version of the game without gravity by use of hard-wired logic circuits (Wallace, 2007). Ideally, the circuits printed on the boards of these games composed of electronics that used integrated circuits commonly referred to as “small scale integrated circuits”. Creation of Ethernet Years between 1973 and 1975 witnessed, the creation of Xerox PARC developed on a Local Area Network that based on Ethernet hence allowed the creation of Local Area Networks founded on Ethernet (Steven, 2004). In addition, the Wide Area Network ARPANET further transformed from it usual 1969 roots and led to the creation of the world transformers, “The Internet” on the first day of January 1983. Creation of these LANS and WANS provided space for network games where a created game received network packets. Additionally, it received a system located across the internet or LANs and could run games with one another in a client to server or peer to peer models (Jason, 2004). In the same 1970s, the Control Data Corporation together with the University of Illinois created the PLATO time sharing system that allowed learners at numerous locations to rely on online lessons. This was available in one of the earliest systems versions or systems of computer aided instruction (Allen & Denton, 2010). In 1972, students were able to create versions of multiplayer games due to the introduction of PLATO IV terminals that contained new sessions of graphics capabilities (Wallace, 2007). Creations continued and by the end of 1978, PLATO had various multiplayer interactive graphics with dungeon crawls, air fight, space battles, tank combat, as well as other special features such as the persistent game characters, team play and inter player for not less than 32 simultaneous players. Year 1972 was a remarkable year for the evolution of video gaming and computer networking as it witnessed the release of the first commercial console of video game that was playable at home by the Magnavox (Allen & Denton, 2010). Ralph Baer designed it and gained legal rights to the game at the same time when the company he was working for, the Sanders Association” rejected it. When he released the Odyssey, it came along programmed with twelve games. Network host based systems On of the relevant and vital objectives of the early network systems such as the JANET and the ARPANET aimed at permitting users to interactively use programs of dumb text based terminals manually attached to a single host computer on other host computers. This implied that games available on those systems were also accessible to many other different users in different locations using programs like telnet. Users played most of these early versions of host based games singly (Steven, 2004). These games originated frequently from universities. Students wrote sizeable DEC-200 mainframes since these mainframes had large and strong market presence within the universities. Games that included Star Trek and Colossal Cave Adventure both created in 1972 and The Oregon Trail of 1971 were very familiar with many students playing their own version of the game simultaneously, and sharing the system with one another as well as with users running other programs (Cecilia, 2012). However, eventually, inventors of video games and computer networking systems continued developing host based games (Allen & Denton, 2010). Example of the most vital of these developments was the MUD of 1978. In this development, a program spawned a genre that had a significant input towards the development of one of the concepts of shared world design, which had a formative impact on part of the evolution of the MMORPG’s (Cecilia, 2012). Following pragmatic computer developments, MAD debuted on the BITNET in 1984 and was the first fully accessible MUD from a worldwide computer network. Reliable sources assert that, 10 percent of the sites connected to BITNET during its two-year existence (Jason, 2004). Efforts by BITNET did not fade at this time as in 1988, it named another of its kind called MUDA, which lasted for only five years prior dying a natural death because of the retirement of the computers that supported its software. Evolution of games networked via a computer was complex as sometimes inventors created versions of games at one given time then completed them later in their course of invention. For instance, Fairchild released one of the first programmable home game consoles in 1976 called the Fairchild Video Entertainment System. Later, he changed the game’s name and referred to it as the Channel F, which was one of the beginners of electronic systems that used the newly created “microchip” (Steven, 2004). The inventor of this microchip was Robert Nonce who was part of the Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation that permitted video games not to have TTL switches limitations. With the introduction of powerful computers that supported multiple versions of video game creation, the Copyright Office registered the first two video games called the “Asteroids” and the “Lunar Lander” created by Atari on June 17, 1980 (Wallace, 2007). This was a pragmatic move towards realizing a revolutionized world of computer games given the fact that many scientists had zeal to invent new video games but the law was skeptical. According to Mary Bush, analyst at Net Tips, another essential thing to human beings apart from food, shelter, and clothing is entertainment. Since the human race dawn, there have been many entertainment forms such as acting, chanting, and dancing. From across the globe, these forms are becoming part of their traditional cultures as most people are shifting from these forms to others based on internet where video gaming is taking the lead (Jason, 2004). Different people play video games with different aims. Some opt for video games with the view of relieving boredom. Others aim at escaping some of the harsh life realities and others simply prefer video gaming for relaxation purposes (Wallace, 2007). Regardless of these and many other reasons that cause people to play video games, everyone plays video games. As a result, the evolution of video games has come along with technological advancements. This shows that, video gaming traversed a long distance since the error of Space Invader and Pac Man. Agreeably, one of the aspects that aided wholly to the development of video games is the introduction of computer networking (Steven, 2004). Computer Networking Computer networking refers to the act or process of connecting networks or computers together (Center for Digital Technology and management, 2003). Computer networking could be the connection of computers along with other devices whereby users see this connectivity through interconnecting devices such as fax machines, webcams, modems, and printers to computers. Computer networking gave rise to Local Area Network connectivity that joins computers within a house, room, or a building. Many gamers continue to experience the advantages experienced by video game players that utilize computer-networking systems (Wallace, 2007). Multiplayer games that include real time strategy games, first person shooters, and racing video games are popular among video game players. Gamers are bale to game on connected computers and interact with one another within the game. This factor made video gaming a social activity followed and practiced by people of every kind of generation, unlike before when gamers would only play singly or by themselves or particularly one player at a time (Cecilia, 2012). Nevertheless, with the availability of local area network connectivity, it is possible for 10 to 20 players to engage in the same game at the same time. Online games Obviously, the introduction of internet revolutionized the means by which people interact with one another (Information Resources Management Association, 2010). Today, there is a lot of information that a gamer as well as any other individual can find online. Many games are today playable online. With respect to this reason, gamers around the world are able to interact with one another online. For instance, one player could be playing a shooting game in Ohio with another player citing n Barcelona (Jason, 2004). According to experts, this is simply the power of technological advancements that has led to tremendous development in video gaming and need for intensified computer networking. This is also resulting from the spawn of new game genre commonly termed as the massive multiplayer that gamers engage online via role-playing games (Allen & Denton, 2010). As I stated earlier, the most populous name for this system is MMORPGs. In this game which is today a really popular game amongst young people as well as adults of all age, players play online massively since the game has massive online role playing features. It makes it possible for players to move around in a virtual world whereby they develop certain characteristics (Center for Digital Technology and management, 2003). The most interesting thing about this game is that, one player could be gaming with other thousands of players around the world. Thus, one player could interact with other players around the world by dueling, teaming, trading, or simply chatting (Information Resources Management Association, 2010). In the midst of 1980s, video games evolution bred systemic characteristics, which led to release of video games such as Battle Zone, Bards Tale, and Zork (Steven, 2004). The 1990s was video computer’s golden age as it gave birth to a huge number of game publishers and developers such as Electronic Arts, Activism, id Software and Blizzard. From a graphics and design point of imaging, the evolution of video games was great and continues to be greater (Center for Digital Technology and management, 2003). It is somewhat funny and at the same nostalgic, to write about 1990s games in 2012 due to what is expectable from a 100 MHz machine and a 16-bit graphic display. However, upon remembering that these configurations in those days were king just as three, 6 GHz, and Nvidia GeForce 9400 are nowadays (Wallace, 2007). Video game crash of 1977 Truthfully, as technology improved vastly in the past couple of years, the gaming industry continued to benefit from these technological advancements (Allen & Denton, 2010). Year 1977 is memorable in the history of video game evolution since manufacturers of obsolete and older consoles as well as pong clones offered their systems at a throw away price in order to clear the stock that in turn crated a glut in the market. This caused RCA and Fairchild to relinquish their game condoles (Jason, 2004). This ensued that only Magnavox and Atari remained in the heart of console market in spite of suffering losses in the years between 1977 and 1978 (Information Resources Management Association, 2010). What accounted to this large clash were the significant masses of pong clones, which flooded both the home and arcade markets (Center for Digital Technology and management, 2003). Ideally, the crash eventually ended when Space Invaders created by Taito succeeded in 1978. However, this later sparked the renaissance of the video gaming industry and paved way for the golden error of video arcade games. Soon after, the Space Invaders game took license for the Atari VCS that later became known as Atari 2600 hence become the first “killer app” which quadrupled the sales of consoles (Wallace, 2007). Passionately, the success attained by the Atari 2600 came as a revival of the game video market that included video game crash of North America in 1983. Second generation consoles of 1977 to 1983 With the earliest consoles, game inventors hardcoded computer codes for either one or more games into microchips by sue of discrete logic, thus adding more games was not possible. This happened to be an obvious issue for many developers. In the midst of 1970s, gamers could find video games in cartridges. Interested users burned programs onto ROM chips mounted inside a plastic cartridge casings plugged into the slots of those consoles (Jason, 2004). When one plugged in the cartridges into general-purpose microprocessors, the consoles read the programs stored in the cartridge memory then executed whatever programs that was in storage. With this development, gamers could not confine themselves to only a small selection of games available in a single game system but had the opportunity to amass libraries of game cartridges (Steven, 2004). Nonetheless, it is agreeable that the production of video games was still a particularly niche skill (Center for Digital Technology and management, 2003). Whilst the inventors of video games harvested their fruits of retail, development that appeared mainly in home consoles and video arcades, home computers started appearing lately in 1970s with a rapid evolution in the 1980s, which eventually allowed game owners to program their games simply (Wallace, 2007). Soon, there was formation of hobbyist groups then followed invention of personal computer game software. Within a short while, game distributors were vastly distributing first clones of mainframe clones that comprised of Star Trek then later ports of populous arcade games such as the Pac Man and Space Invaders (Cecilia, 2012). Genre innovation Documented evidence reveals that the golden age describing evolution of video games attained its zenith in the 1980s. The age came along with many defining genres of games and technically innovative computer networking systems. Game owners released many of their developments in the last years of the decade. Some of them included the Action Adventure game referred to as the “legend of Zelda” released in the year 1986 (Cecilia, 2012). Its release facilitated the establishment of action adventure genre that combined instruments from different genres in creating a compelling hybrid that composed of exploration, transport puzzles, monetary system, and a simplified RPG style of level building with no experience stages among many other features. Followed by this innovation was the Action Role Playing games such as the “Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu” released in 1985 (Center for Digital Technology and management, 2003). This game considered part of the first full-fledged role-playing action games and contained larges quests as well as character stats. The game also composed of action based combat, a factor that set this game apart from any other RPG game (Wallace, 2007). In 1987, advancements took place and there was release of “Zelda II: The Adventure Link”. Shigeru Miyamoto the developer of this game genre further defined hence popularized the emergency of this action PRG genre making it crucial for the development of the video gaming industry (Cecilia, 2012). Gaming computers Following the congruent success of Commodore PET and Apple II in the late months of 1970, a series of incompatible and cheaper rivals resurged at the wake of 1980s (Steven, 2004). The second batch comprised of the Commodore Vic 20 and 64, NEC PC 8000, ZX Spectrum, and Sinclair ZX80 among others. Presence of these rivals catalyzed both game markets and home computer by spear heading awareness of gaming and computing via their competitive advertising campaigns (Jason, 2004). The Acorn, Amstrad, and Sinclair offerings had general popularity in both Africa and Europe while the sharp and NEC offerings were general and known to Asians. On the other end, MSX had cognitive popularity in South and North America, Asia, and Europe. The US based Apple, Atari, and Commodore sold in both the Europe and the United States. Conclusion In conclusion, today there is up to the eight generation of video games and computer networking. The latest generations of consoles has seen online gaming rise to prominence with the introduction of mobile games that made it possible for gamers to access video games anywhere anytime just by touching a button. As the motion control revolutionized game play, Nintendo capitalized on casual gaming and as time went by, cloud computing came to video gaming (Jason, 2004). Technology made it clear that people could play without controllers on November 4 2010 with the release of Kinect in the Northern America. After the release of play station Vita, Nintendo released an official statement that announced a system aimed at succeeding Wii called project cafe (Allen & Denton, 2010). This is where the evolution of video games and computer networking is today. References Allen, J. & Denton, R. (2010). Communicator-In-Chief: How Barack Obama Used New Media Technology to Win the White House. Lanham: Lexington Books. Cecilia, C. et al, (2012). Applications of Evolutionary Computation: EvoApplications 2012: EvoCOMNET, EvoCOMPLEX, EvoFIN, EvoGAMES, EvoHOT, EvoIASP, EvoNUM, EvoPAR, EvoRISK, EvoSTIM, and EvoSTOC, Malaga, Spain, April 11-13, 2012, Proceedings. New York, NY: Springer. Center for Digital Technology and management, (2003). Implication of digitizing, miniaturization and convercence in Media and entertainment - Trendreport 2001. Norderstedt: BoD – Books on Demand. Information Resources Management Associa, (2010). Gaming and Simulations: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools and Applications. Hershey: IGI Global. Jason, W. (2004). The cyberspace handbook. London: Routledge. Steven, P. (2004). Trigger Happy: Videogames and the Entertainment Revolution. New York, NY: Arcade Publishing. Wallace, W. (2007). Techno-Cultural Evolution. Dulles, VA: Potomac Books, Inc. Read More