The Video Game Explosion – Article Review – Mayra OrtizSearchEssaysSign upSign inContact usTweetIndex/EnglishThe Video Game ExplosionHook:In 2008, Mark Wolf, author of “The Video Game Explosion,” traced the beginning of video games back to 1958, to William Higinbotham’s Tennis for Two experiment. He notes that, “The experiment demonstrated interactive control of on-screen game play.” Because of today’s standards, however, most people do not consider this to have been a video game.
Preview:Gaming has come a long way since the 50s, but its high entertainment value has secured its success and popularity for the last 60 years. The history of video games can be divided into three eras: the era of theory, the transitional era, and the era of pop culture.
Point 1: (Era of Theory)Today, video games are a large industry with many competing developers. In the early 50s, however, computer gaming was just a theory. While many people regard SpaceWar!, a game developed in 1962 by MIT students, to be the first computer game, Earl Carey writes in 2005 for his book “Retro Game Programming,” that Noughts and Crosses, developed by A.S. Douglas in 1952 preceded it by 10 years. Noughts and Crosses played similarly to tic-tac-toe and, while simple, it was revolutionary for its time. Followed 6 years later by William Higinbotham’s previously mentioned Tennis for Two program, the 50s marked a time of inspiration for computer gaming, and the first steps toward video games becoming popular in culture. It would just take a little more time for them to become mainstream.
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[quote=Earl Carey, May 3, 2016][url=http://www.twitch.tv/walt3g0p&st=tweets=1239195548894#tag=team_bombers_tournament]1. Video Games will not stop at “games.” A lot of the world’s top video game designers have come from the video games scene. They went on to develop very successful games like Tomb Raider, Call of Duty and, eventually, Call of Duty: Black Ops II (and many others). You’ll be curious to find out why this is, and what this means for video games. But first, let’s talk about that game by way of a refresher on the very game that the writer of this article wants to discuss. The only thing I haven’t talked about in this article is, as I wrote previously, the fact that “game mechanics” in a game are different from what most gamers (including me) think. The biggest difference, it seems, is not in how things are done, but when you’re doing something that isn’t your game (although it is definitely possible to add a game, without getting a direct cut, from the game), how it’s done. The reason gamers tend to play video games is because of how it allows them to engage and strategize. This is how strategy (a game like chess) is done and it allows for an easy way to win. With chess, the player chooses for themselves a set of strategies that are good in theory but not enough in practice, and when in the hands of a skilled player the best strategy is the one that makes for the strongest result. Game designers play to be the best and play to win – their games (and what they play) often help them achieve their goals. The best way to think about this process is that games work as it were, play to win, not because they are a new way for them to play the game. Since we’re moving in the other direction, we shall follow this method, though it will likely take you longer. Here are the principles we shall apply to video games: 1. Be the Game You want to play. We’ve already already seen that role-playing was once one of the most popular ways to play video games. The idea is that many of us want to play as a player instead of as an opponent. And that’s exactly what it is. There is a wide variety of games, from a variety of levels, from game modes to a variety of mechanics that allow you to interact with the player. These are all opportunities, and many of these are relatively easy to identify. Game mechanics are about building up that complexity and building it into the game. Most of us believe in the ability for the player to solve problems while we solve them. Game mechanics are about building that complexity, with lots of game modes, new mechanics and new mechanics that allow you to interact with the player. Some of these mechanisms are very easy to apply, and some are even extremely useful for both player’s
[quote=Earl Carey, May 3, 2016][url=http://www.twitch.tv/walt3g0p&st=tweets=1239195548894#tag=team_bombers_tournament]1. Video Games will not stop at “games.” A lot of the world’s top video game designers have come from the video games scene. They went on to develop very successful games like Tomb Raider, Call of Duty and, eventually, Call of Duty: Black Ops II (and many others). You’ll be curious to find out why this is, and what this means for video games. But first, let’s talk about that game by way of a refresher on the very game that the writer of this article wants to discuss. The only thing I haven’t talked about in this article is, as I wrote previously, the fact that “game mechanics” in a game are different from what most gamers (including me) think. The biggest difference, it seems, is not in how things are done, but when you’re doing something that isn’t your game (although it is definitely possible to add a game, without getting a direct cut, from the game), how it’s done. The reason gamers tend to play video games is because of how it allows them to engage and strategize. This is how strategy (a game like chess) is done and it allows for an easy way to win. With chess, the player chooses for themselves a set of strategies that are good in theory but not enough in practice, and when in the hands of a skilled player the best strategy is the one that makes for the strongest result. Game designers play to be the best and play to win – their games (and what they play) often help them achieve their goals. The best way to think about this process is that games work as it were, play to win, not because they are a new way for them to play the game. Since we’re moving in the other direction, we shall follow this method, though it will likely take you longer. Here are the principles we shall apply to video games: 1. Be the Game You want to play. We’ve already already seen that role-playing was once one of the most popular ways to play video games. The idea is that many of us want to play as a player instead of as an opponent. And that’s exactly what it is. There is a wide variety of games, from a variety of levels, from game modes to a variety of mechanics that allow you to interact with the player. These are all opportunities, and many of these are relatively easy to identify. Game mechanics are about building up that complexity and building it into the game. Most of us believe in the ability for the player to solve problems while we solve them. Game mechanics are about building that complexity, with lots of game modes, new mechanics and new mechanics that allow you to interact with the player. Some of these mechanisms are very easy to apply, and some are even extremely useful for both player’s
[quote=Earl Carey, May 3, 2016][url=http://www.twitch.tv/walt3g0p&st=tweets=1239195548894#tag=team_bombers_tournament]1. Video Games will not stop at “games.” A lot of the world’s top video game designers have come from the video games scene. They went on to develop very successful games like Tomb Raider, Call of Duty and, eventually, Call of Duty: Black Ops II (and many others). You’ll be curious to find out why this is, and what this means for video games. But first, let’s talk about that game by way of a refresher on the very game that the writer of this article wants to discuss. The only thing I haven’t talked about in this article is, as I wrote previously, the fact that “game mechanics” in a game are different from what most gamers (including me) think. The biggest difference, it seems, is not in how things are done, but when you’re doing something that isn’t your game (although it is definitely possible to add a game, without getting a direct cut, from the game), how it’s done. The reason gamers tend to play video games is because of how it allows them to engage and strategize. This is how strategy (a game like chess) is done and it allows for an easy way to win. With chess, the player chooses for themselves a set of strategies that are good in theory but not enough in practice, and when in the hands of a skilled player the best strategy is the one that makes for the strongest result. Game designers play to be the best and play to win – their games (and what they play) often help them achieve their goals. The best way to think about this process is that games work as it were, play to win, not because they are a new way for them to play the game. Since we’re moving in the other direction, we shall follow this method, though it will likely take you longer. Here are the principles we shall apply to video games: 1. Be the Game You want to play. We’ve already already seen that role-playing was once one of the most popular ways to play video games. The idea is that many of us want to play as a player instead of as an opponent. And that’s exactly what it is. There is a wide variety of games, from a variety of levels, from game modes to a variety of mechanics that allow you to interact with the player. These are all opportunities, and many of these are relatively easy to identify. Game mechanics are about building up that complexity and building it into the game. Most of us believe in the ability for the player to solve problems while we solve them. Game mechanics are about building that complexity, with lots of game modes, new mechanics and new mechanics that allow you to interact with the player. Some of these mechanisms are very easy to apply, and some are even extremely useful for both player’s
Point 2: (The Transitional Era)According to Michele Jeurgen in “A Brief History of Play,” written in November 2010, Nolan Bushwell programmed the first coin operated video game, Computer Space, in 1971. This would mark the beginning of the arcade era. And with it, the start of commercial gaming. Nick Montfort supplied in 2009 for his book, “Racing the Beam,” that shortly after the release of Computer Space, the first arcade console, Pong, was released in 1972. Built by Atari, Pong acted as the first stepping stone for arcade gaming. But 1972 had even more to offer. That same year, the first home gaming console was released to the public. Known as the Magnavox Odyssey, it was not capable of displaying color, emitting sound, or recording the player’s score, but it was the start of something big. Arcade games like Pong were
increasing in popularity, but they were played by inserting coins, and the machines were far too large and expensive to be owned in common households. The Magnavox Odyssey changed this by allowing people to play video games at home at a much cheaper cost. Video games were now more than a theory: they were a business.
Point 3: (The Era of Pop Culture)With the success of the Magnavox Odyssey, more home consoles soon followed. Because home consoles were affordable and had high entertainment value, they began appearing in more and more homes. Developers had seen the potential for profit, and soon newer models with improved features were being released. Over the next few decades many
Continue for 3 more pages »Read full documentDownload as (for upgraded members)Citation GeneratorMLA 7CHICAGO(2016, 05). The Video Game Explosion. EssaysForStudent.com. Retrieved 05, 2016, from“The Video Game Explosion” EssaysForStudent.com. 05 2016. 2016. 05 2016 < "The Video Game Explosion." EssaysForStudent.com. EssaysForStudent.com, 05 2016. Web. 05 2016. < "The Video Game Explosion." EssaysForStudent.com. 05, 2016. Accessed 05, 2016. Essay Preview By: Mayra Ortiz Submitted: May 3, 2016 Essay Length: 830 Words / 4 Pages Paper type: Article Review Views: 416 Report this essay Tweet Related Essays Video Game Essay Have you ever wondered how games impact children? or why kids love to play them? Well your about to find out and the answer may 919 Words  |  4 Pages Influence of Video Games on Youth Video games have become one of the favorite past times with children of all ages, and even some adults. What is not normally thought about 1,200 Words  |  5 Pages Hate Video Games osted Feb. 25, 2002 -- Racist hate groups are now using video games to promote racist beliefs among the young, the Anti-Defamation League warns. Among 277 Words  |  2 Pages Video Game Violence Has America Seen Enough? A Stronger Rating System is a Must Many of today’s youth are easily influenced by their environment. Their environment can include 1,446 Words  |  6 Pages Similar Topics Affective Gaming Line Video Game Histroy Get Access to 89,000+ Essays and Term Papers Join 209,000+ Other Students High Quality Essays and Documents Sign up © 2008–2020 EssaysForStudent.comFree Essays, Book Reports, Term Papers and Research Papers Essays Sign up Sign in Contact us Site Map Privacy Policy Terms of Service Facebook Twitter