8 August 2008
The World of Video Games
Posted by Vincent Rudnick under: Entertainment .
Video games have come a very long way from when they were first introduced. Who could’ve imagined the variety of video game controllers currently available, the real life graphics, the sound and music options, the large number of players that you can play with and much more? Video games were destined to be popular, but who knew that popular meant a multi-billion dollar industry?
The idea of a video game was entertained as far back as 1947. But, not until 1971 was the first commercially made video game available. Created by Ted Dabney and Nolan Bushnell it was named “Computer Space”. On the heels of this was the Magnavox Odyssey in 1972 which was the first home gaming console.
30 years hence, video games have exploded into some of the most lucrative entertainment devices ever. A huge assortment of systems have appeared over the years and they are made better all the time apropos of Internet play, multiplayer capabilities, computing power, etc.
Video games can be played on various platforms. Among them are the PC game that is played on the computer, a console game which is a device connected to the television or monitor, a handheld which is gaming system that is portable and can be played nearly anywhere and the arcade game platform which is the standard, large electronic unit found in arcades the world over. Also, you can play video games on mobile phones, MP3 players, graphing calculators, GPS receivers, digital cameras, and watches however these do not offer nearly the same dimension and experience as the aforementioned platforms.
At first, arcade games permitted an individual to play a video game versus the computer and sometimes against another human player. Later on as technology advanced, video game consoles permitted as many as four different players to play simultaneously. With the invention of the Wii system, as many as 12 players can compete at once. An amazing feature of this technology is that you can play concurrently with local players and players worldwide.
Some may ask how this is possible. And the answer is via the Internet. Nowadays Internet capabilities are being implemented into these video game console systems. Local area networks and the Internet allow up to 32 players if not more to play in a single game at once. These capabilities also allow one to talk via voice chat or instant messaging.
Video games have come a long way from Table Tennis, Atari and Pac-Man. The universe of video games expands more and more every day with the rapid advance of technology. The video game makers are always incorporating new technological advances to make for a better, more exciting gaming experience. As video games become ever more powerful and realistic the line between reality and the virtual world is beginning to blur.