Research Project
“Evolution of Video Games”
Video Games have been a big contributor to society since their existence. They have been a great pass-time for people who love challenges and having fun on days where they cannot go outside. They have shaped the way we think and act. This research paper is going to go over the origin of video games up until now and the future.
The term “video game” can be defined in different ways. It traditionally is meant to be on a raster display device, the way the television’s display images. The more recent definition includes all display types. Types such as digital, analog etc.
The way we play video games has changed a lot over the 67 years since their existence. Some of the first video games used only joy sticks and buttons, but with today’s technology we have been able to use touchscreens, head gear such as the Oculus Rift, where where-ever you look the camera looks, and much more. Video games have become very engrossing due to advancements in technology.
The first video games were created in the early 1940’s. They did not reach mainstream popularity until the 70’s, when consoles and home systems were released to the public. Ever since there existence, companies that produce video game consoles want theirs to be on top. Two of the most famous rivalries were between Sega and Nintendo and the modern day companies, Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s X-Box.
Today there are a total of 7 generations of video consoles. The first console ever produced and released to the public was the Magnavox Odyssey in 1972. Most of the first generation consoles were based off of arcade games and early computers. First generation consoles were analogue controlled and are “primitive” compared to digital circuits that are used today.
The first console to be classified under the category of second generation was the Fairchild Channel F. It was the first console ever to have programmable ROM (Read only memory) cartridges. Rom cartridges’ programming was able to be accessed, but you were unable to change or alter any information. The most popular console of the second generation was the Atari 2600. It was so popular that rival companies had adapters that could play Atari games. The first handheld gaming system was released in 1979, The Milton Bradley Microvision. It was not very durable, but it helped in the development of later handhelds.
The crash of video games period was confusing to distributors. There were too many consoles and games made. Some were made in such rapid succession that they didn’t play the games right. American shop owners eventually gave up on video games and perceived them then as just a fad. The shop owners stopped selling video games and many companies were left bankrupt because of it. This rejection of video games was not worldwide. Arcade games prospered greatly during the 80’s and often times that time period is considered to be the golden age of arcade games.
The third generation or sometimes called the eight-bit era began with the release of Nintendo’s first console, the Nintendo Famicom. It is mostly known as the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System). The third generation is the first “modern” video game generation. This was the generation in which the rivalry
between Nintendo and Sega began. Nintendo started this generation very cautiously and made sure games and consoles were of quality and performance, to prevent another video game crash. Also, Nintendo made a set of rules to follow if developers wanted to create a game for their systems. The new games were to be appropriate for minors and to have censorship over religious references. Blood was removed or recolored from most games and box covers were close to graphics that were in the games so that customers would see what they would get. The third generation is a time when video games started looking real, instead of having blocky low quality graphics.
The sixteen-bit era or fourth generation started off with the release of Nippon Electric Company’s TurboGrafx-16. This computer game was swiftly covered over by the SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) and the Sega Genesis. This generation was Atari’s last with the release of it’s not so successful Atari Jaguar. During this generation also was the decline of arcades. In the past generations, consoles could not produce the same quality graphics as arcade games, but now the sixteen-bit consoles over-took the competition. The new games had almost the same or better graphics than arcade games and you didn’t have to leave the house to have the same experience. Sonic and FPS (First Person Shooter) games were also created in the generation. Developers started working on different forms of storage on CD’s instead of cartridges. Cartridges were expensive to make and couldn’t store as much data as a CD. Nintendo’s censorship laws were being threatened with the release of the game Mortal Kombat. Before this generation, games did not have age restrictions on them, now the ESRB are forming. With this, Nintendo drops its censorship laws. After that though, it still took them a long time to accept violent games. Nintendo also missed the chance to have Grand Theft Auto games on their upcoming sixth-generation GameCube.
Finishing the 19th century and starting off the new millennium is the fifth generation, or thirty two-bit era (later called the sixty four-bit era). The first consoles released in this generation were the Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64, and Sony’s first gaming system, the PlayStation. During this generation was a boost in 3D games and the use of CDs to play games. The last console to use cartridges (despite the fact that CDs were the new media to be used for video games) was the Nintendo 64. The fifth generation also was the last generation with competition between consoles (until the X-Box One and the PS4). The last console war in the 19th century was between the Sega Saturn and the Sony PlayStation. The Saturn was beaten by the PlayStation for the Saturn was difficult to program. Nintendo’s market share dropped as well and they placed in 3rd place until the release of the Wii.
Ending the fifth generation is the 128-bit era, or the sixth generation of gaming. This generation includes new consoles such as Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo GameCube, Sony’s sequel to its first console, the PlayStation 2, and Microsoft’s first console, the X-Box. Nintendo had little success with the GameCube for it didn’t have the power of the X-Box or the storage of the PS2. Also, the sixth generation is the first to have online multiplayer. Starting with the Sega Dreamcast, online play wasn’t too great for the PlayStation 2 and GameCube, but X-Box had great success with its creation of X-Box Live.
And finally, the last and current generation, the seventh generation. This generation has three main contributors left. These three are Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft. All of these companies are taking different routes on their approach towards success. Nintendo now focuses on innovation, showing with their Wii. Sony is focused on power and speed, showing in the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. Microsoft has taken the middle route focusing on both directions, they show this with their X-Box 360 and the X-Box One. The X-Box One is also the first console to have full in-game voice command.
The future is bright for video games and the next new thing may be right beyond the corner. New prototypes are being announced such as the Oculus Rift, Omni’s treadmill controller, Razer’s Project Christine, and Sony’s Project Morpheus. Whether these prototypes succeed or fail to launch video games will continue to evolve and form new great pass-times.
