Technological Advances In Video Games - Essay Example

Technological Advances in Video Games Through the Years Thesis: Video game technology has grown leaps and bounds since the late 1940s to the 2000s. Outline: A. The early beginnings (1947 to 1960s) B. 1970s – The video game empire is born a. Home game console b. 3D video game C. 1980s – The birth of the home computer a. 8-bit system home console b. 16-bit era D. 1990s – The internet opens the world to gamers (power to the player) a. 32-bit CD-based console b. 64-bit and 128-bit game system E. 2000s – A virtual universe F. Future technological developments of the video game industry G. Conclusion Technological Advances in Video Games Through the Years The video game industry has evolved into what it is now through the advancement in technological developments. This essay aims to present the technological advances that the video game has undergone spanning more than 50 years of constant innovations. A. The early beginnings (1947 to 1960s) In January 1947, a patent was filed by Thomas T. Goldsmith Junior and Estle Ray Mann for the first electronic video game, the Cathode-Ray Tube Amusement Device, where the players hit targets printed on overlays through light beam missiles by just adjusting knobs (Polsson , par 1). Later in 1952, a tic-tac-toe game, Noughts and Crosses, became the first known computer game which was created by A. S. Douglas (KCTS Television 1). It ran on the Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator (EDSAC), a big Cambridge University computer. This game enabled a person to play tic-tac-toe against a computer player. Six years later, Tennis for Two, an interactive game which uses an analog computer and an oscilloscope as a screen was created by American physicist Willy Higinbotham to entertain visitors of the Brookhaven National Laboratory (KCTS Television 2). A milestone was achieved in 1962 when Steve Russell created the Spacewar! which ran on a PDP-1 computer and uses a vector-graphics screen. The game consists of two small flying spaceships which are controlled by two players with joysticks and buttons (Polsson , par 4). The “Brown Box”, the first console that works on a standard television was created by German-born television engineer, Ralph Baer in 1967. This marked the birth of the first television ping-pong video game system (Polsson , par 9). Baer later applied for a patent for his invention. B. 1970s – The video game empire is born a. Home game console The 1970s was the start of the video game empire. It was in the year 1971 when Nolan Bushnell created Computer Space, the first coin arcade-style game and first commercial video game (Polsson , par 19). This game did not gain much popularity though, as that of the Magnavox Odyssey, which was the first home game console which contains 12 different games, including Ping-Pong (KCTS Television 6). This console was also the first to use a light gun for target shooting. Cards are inserted to select the games. The Odyssey however only used “simple black and white graphics enhanced by plastic overlays for the television screen” (Miller , par 4). In 1975, Atari sold a home version of Pong whose “unique feature is the single chip that produces both an on-screen score and the sound the game makes when the paddle hits the ball” (Time Inc. 3). In August of 1976, Fairchild Camera and Instrument introduced the first programmable home video game system (Miller , par 11). Moreover, it boasted of 16-color graphics and a variety of games as programmed by removable ROM cartridges. A year after, Atari launched the Atari 2600 which is the first multi-game home console which had cartridges that store game information (KCTS Television 9). It included the famous games Space Invaders, Breakout, Missile Command and Combat. It was during this decade that home computers were released in North America such as the Apple II, the TRS-80 and the Commodore PET, along with the famous Atari 400/800. b. Arcades Aside from home computers, arcade games rose in popularity because consumers could just pay-per-play. Arcade games became a cheaper alternative than having your own console at home. In 1972, Bushnell founded the Atari and introduced the arcade game Pong (Polsson , par 30). A year later, the first 3D multi-user first person shooter game was launched through the creation of the Maze War. It was also the first game which used avatars to represent the players (DigiBarn Computer Museum , par 1). In 1974, Atari introduced the Gran Trak which was the first video car-racing game which made use of a steering wheel attached to the cabinet (Polsson , par 38). In the same year the company also introduced the Got'cha maze video game whose system made use of two rounded rubber moulds on the console which are squeezed to control the game (Polsson , par 38). Atari then released in 1979 the Asteroids which featured a multi-directional shooter which allowed two players to shoot missiles from their spaceships. Aside from the joysticks which allowed the players to manipulate the ships clockwise or counter clockwise, an additional feature was the fire buttons at the end of the sticks which would blow up the asteroids (Discovery Communications LLC , par 2). An attraction to this arcade game is that for the first time it could save the player’s score which could be viewed by the whole arcade. In the same year, Namco introduced in the first multi-colored game, Galaxian. C. 1980s – The birth of the home computer Whereas the 70s was the age when the arcade games rose to popularity, the 80s was the rise of home computers. Home computers challenged the fame of the video game consoles because they were more affordable. The 80s was also the time of the video game crash brought about by the weak economy and low quality of games being developed. The most popular worldwide phenomenon of the 80s was the birth of the first animated main character with its own name, Pac-man, which was introduced by the Japanese company Namco, in collaboration with America’s Midway Manufacturing, to the U.S. (KCTS Television 12). In response, Nintendo introduced its character “Mario” through its game Donkey Kong, which consisted of four different levels unlike previous games which has only one level. The success of Donkey Kong somehow rescued the video game industry. In 1982, Microsoft decides to join the video game industry with its release of the Flight Simulator (KCTS Television 14). a. 8-bit system home console During this period, the home console became even more popular with Nintendo’s Famicom, a shortened term for family computer (Discovery Communications LLC , par 3). It was later renamed as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). “The system came with a two-button and "plus" pad controller, a Zapper light gun, and Robotic Operating Buddy mechanical robot that can interact with a few games” (Polsson , par 11) . The NES showed off the Super Mario Bros. which marked the beginning of the 8-bit system era in 1985. The game has numerous levels, features creative and colorful graphics and brags of sophisticated sound effects and faster game play (KCTS Television 18). It was the first video game that shows a smooth scrolling screen. It was during this year too that the Tetris game was released by mathematician Alexey Pajitnov. It was a puzzle game which was very simple but was addictive. This game was available in both the game console and the computer. In 1989, Nintendo achieved its second success with the introduction of the Game Boy, the first major handheld game console. It has an 8-bit CPU with a black and white 2.5 inch LCD monochrome screen (Time Inc. 7). Atari competed with the Game Boy with the launch in the same year of its first color hand-held video game system, the Lynx (Polsson, A Brief Timeline of Video Game Systems , par 14). b. 16-bit era Sega Enterprises released in 1989 the Genesis home video game system which has a 16-bit processor, 512 color output and 80 animated sprites (Polsson, A Brief Timeline of Video Game Systems , par 14). During the same period, NEC Home Entertainment introduced the TurboGrafx which also operated on a 16-bit processor, with 512 colors, 64 movable sprites and a stereo sound (Polsson, A Brief Timeline of Video Game Systems , par 14). D. 1990s – The internet opens the world to gamers (power to the player) The 90s brought new life to the video game industry brought about by the internet revolution and the advent of the 3D graphics. Arcade games no longer dominated the industry; rather, handhelds were the in thing. The Massive Multi-player Online Games (MMOGs), which were role-playing games, became popular during this period. a. 32-bit CD-based console In 1995, Sony launched it’s most popular console, the PlayStation which marked the onset of the 32-bit era. CDs were used instead of cartridges. “Interactive was the buzzword, with multiple players immersed in 3D virtual worlds online” (Discovery Communications LLC , par 3). Sega, on the other hand introduced its Saturn system, also a 32-bit CD-based console system and the first with a built-in modem (KCTS Television 25). b. 64-bit and 128-bit game systems Nintendo commenced the Nintendo 64, the first true 64-bit game system in 1996, but it did not have a CD technology; yet it offered exciting 3D games such as the Mario 64 and the Legend of Zelda. Two years later, it unleashed its virtual pet, the pocket Pikachu and the Game Boy Color handheld video game. Sega meanwhile released its Dreamcast video game system in Japan, which featured 200 MHz 128-bit Hitachi SH-4 processor, 12X speed 1 GB CD-ROM drive, and 56 kbps modem (Polsson, A Brief Timeline of Video Game Systems , par 23). The Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) was launched by Konami during the 90s. This was a physically interactive musical video game (Discovery Communications LLC , par 1). The game is played with a patterned mat and a console. Accessories such as a drum or a plastic guitar are used for the Taiko and Guitarmania respectively. E. 2000s – A virtual universe Sony’s PlayStation 2 was released in 2000 and became the most popular 128-bit console. It also doubles up as a DVD player. In 2001, Microsoft launched the Xbox. The gaming experience during this era is enhanced through laser and infrared technology, especially coated mouse pads, stylus, microphones and motion sensors. 2006 was the unleashing of Nintendo’s Wii, which revolutionized the controls by using handheld “nunchuck” and a wireless controller with built-in motion detector (Discovery Communications LLC , par 1). The latest development of the decade uses the motion-sensing technology which is found in Microsoft’s Kinect, which according to the Guinness World Records 2011 Gamers Edition is the fastest-selling consumer electronic device in history (Crewdson 16). It is a controller-free gaming which is a depth, motion and voice sensor device that allows gesture and facial recognition (Crewdson 16). F. Future technological developments of the video game industry The future of video games can be illustrated with what happened to Nintendo after launching this year its latest product, the Wii U console. It did not get the response which they were hoping for and did not have an impressive impact in the market. Akino, an investment analyst said that there was nothing wrong with the product but that the lack of impact was caused by a transformation in the market (Olson , par 6). He goes on to say that the video gamers now would rather play on their tablets or smartphones which they can bring with them anywhere rather than playing with consoles. G. Conclusion Major technological advancements paved the way for the tremendous growth in the video game industry. The innovations which ranged from wireframe 3D, polygons, the transition from 8- to 16- to 32-bit, 64-bit to 128-bit system to the addition of high dynamic range lighting and motion sensors, all enriched the gaming experience of consumers. By 2012, the global gaming industry is expected to reach $40 billion in revenue (Wang 136). According to Wang, 42 percent of Americans play games on wireless devices; thus, the way to go for video game developers is to go mobile. Eventually, consoles might just be a thing of the past. If a company belonging to the industry wishes to capture a large share of this projected revenue, all it needs to do is to think of new advances in technology which will mesmerize the video gaming population. The hunger for a better entertainment and gaming experience should be addressed by video game companies through outrageous technological ideas which will cater to the growing and more demanding video gaming consumers. Works Cited Crewdson, Ann. "KINECT Four and Win!" School Library Journal 57.8 (2011): 16-17. DigiBarn Computer Museum. "Introduction to Maze War." 2011. DigiBarn Computer Museum Web site. 30 October 2011 . Discovery Communications LLC. "Rise of the Video Game." 2011. dsc.discovery.com. 30 October 2011 . KCTS Television. "Interactive Timeline of Game History." n.d. pbs.org. 30 October 2011 . Miller, Michael. "A History of Home Video Game Consoles." 1 April 2005. informIT Web site. 30 October 2011 . Olson, Parmy. "Morning Tech Wrap: Nokia, Microsoft, Nintendo." 2011. Forbes.com. 30 October 2011 . Polsson, Ken. A Brief Timeline of Video Game Systems. 6 August 2011. 30 October 2011 . —. "Chronology of Video Game Systems." 6 August 2011. vidgame.info. 30 October 2011 . Time Inc. "A History of Video Game Consoles." 2011. time.com. 30 October 2011 . Wang, Jennifer. "Anatomy of the Game." Entrepreneur 39.6 (2011): 136. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY Polsson, Ken. Chronology of Video Game Systems. 6 August 2011. . The author presented a timeline of the development of the video games systems from 1947 to 1975. The article presented the major milestones in the industry during those years. The information outlined by Polsson is very relevant and beneficial to the research on how the technology systems have emerged in the video game industry. Discovery Communications LLC. "Rise of the Video Game." 2011. dsc.discovery.com. . This slideshow traced the chronology of the video game revolution per decade from the 1970s to the 2000s. It explored the major developments that evolved during the decades. The people and the stories involved in the shaping of what the industry is today are presented in the comprehensive show. This show is very informative and highly relevant to research involving the video game industry. The readers could easily manipulate the slideshow to proceed to any given period that interests him. The data is presented in a very interesting manner that does not bore the researcher as he travels along the timeline. Read More