Computer And Video Games – Who Remembers Space-Invaders

The future of video games is bright, with billions of gamers worldwide and revenues in the hundreds of billions of dollars.

Tennis Ping-Pong, what was entertainment before then?

Space-Invaders, Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, those were innocent days.

Dungeons and dragons, Froggit, Sonic and Mario!

Grand Theft Auto, various Racing Games and FIFA Football (still on the go).

Nowadays we have Multi Player Online Platform (MPOP)

Computer or video games have now been with us for more than 40 years, starting with basic functions to control the screen to sophisticated multi-function controllers

Nintendo versus Sega console wars

Hardware and software leaps and bounds. more memory faster processing more elaborate backdrops

Games now online rather than cartridge

CHOICE

Video games, virtual toys, action experiences, simulators all included under the broad term computer games

Appear real life or abstract

MECHANICS

Different games, different viewpoints – first person, voyeur, total controller

Create your own characters

What is the end goal, what do you need to achieve, what do you need to defeat

Explore relationships between characters

STIMULUS

Depending on whether you’re shooting weapons, building structures or relationships, manipulating characters, solving puzzles, playing on a platform and collecting tokens

Playing sports, solving crimes,

What is enjoyable and satisfying about the game – what keeps you interacting – other media does have the same effect – TV, movies are simply passive

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DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

In the Dungeons & Dragons game, magic is a force of nature, and a part of the world. There are two main types of magic: arcane, which comes from the world and universe around the caster, and divine, which is inspired from above (or below): the realms of gods and demons.

Wizards, sorcerers and bards learn to cast arcane spells, which are typically flashy and powerful, but, prior to 4th edition, often require complex movements and gestures known as somatic components, which are impeded by wearing bulky armor.

SIMULATION VIDEO GAME

Simulation video game describes a diverse super-category of video games, generally designed to closely simulate aspects of a real or fictional reality.

A simulation game attempts to copy various activities from real life in the form of a game for various purposes such as training, analysis, or prediction. Usually there are no strictly defined goals in the game, with players instead allowed to freely control a character.
Well-known examples are war games, business games, and role play simulation.

From three basic types of strategic, planning, and learning exercises: games, simulations, and case studies, a number of hybrids may be considered, including simulation games that are used as case studies.

Certain games such as SimLife and SimEarth were subsequently created and are capable of teaching players the basics of genetics and global ecosystems.

In a study where adolescents played SimCity 2000, the study found that those participants who played the game had a greater appreciation and expectation of their government officials after playing.

Construction and management simulation (CMS) is a type of simulation game in which players build, expand or manage fictional communities or projects with limited resources. Strategy games sometimes incorporate CMS aspects into their game economy, as players must manage resources while expanding their project.

Life simulation games (or artificial life games) is a subgenre of simulation video games in which the player lives or controls one or more artificial lifeforms. A life simulation game can revolve around “individuals and relationships, or it could be a simulation of an ecosystem”.

SPORTS GAMES

A sports game is a video game that simulates the playing of sports. Most sports have been recreated with a game, including team sports, athletics and extreme sports. Some games emphasize actually playing the sport, whilst others emphasize strategy and organization. Some, such as Arch Rivals, satirize the sport for comic effect. This genre has been popular throughout the history

Other types

Dating sims focuses on dating as the principal theme.

Certain wargames with higher degrees of realism than other wargames set in a fantasy or science fiction environment. These attempt to simulate real warfare at either a tactical or strategic level.

Certain tactical shooters with higher degrees of realism than other shooters. Sometimes called “soldier sims”, these games try to simulate the feeling of actually being in combat.
Some simulators are designed for the US Military to help new officers learn how to handle situations in a game setting before actually having to take command in the field.

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GRAND THEFT AUTO

Grand Theft Auto is an open world action-adventure video game developed by DMA Design and published by BMG Interactive. It was first released in Europe and North America in October 1997. It was later re-released on 14 December 1997 in Europe and 30 June 1998 in North America for the PlayStation. The story follows a group of criminals in three fictionalised versions.

Grand Theft Auto is made up of six levels split between the three main cities. In each level, the player’s ultimate objective is to reach a target number of points, which is typically achieved by performing tasks for the city’s local crime syndicate. Successful completion of a mission rewards the player with points and opens the opportunity to attempt harder missions for higher rewards, while failure awards fewer points and may permanently seal off opportunities

The player is free to do whatever they want, but have limited lives upon doing so. The player can gain points by causing death and destruction amid the traffic in the city, or steal and sell cars for profit. To get to the large target money required to complete a level, players will usually opt to complete at least some missions to build up their multiplier.

Grand Theft Auto takes place in 1997 in three primary settings, all of which are modelled on real locales. All three suffer from rampant crime and corruption, with constant feuding between the local crime syndicates, random acts of

The development of Grand Theft Auto began on 4 April 1995 at DMA Design in Edinburgh. It originally had a protracted four-year development, which included a title change and
The game was originally titled Race’n’Chase until Dan and Sam Houser renamed it.

GAMING INDUSTRY TRENDS

From triple-A big budget titles to crowdfunded indie games, successful developers follow trends to learn what audiences are looking for and anticipate future video game development trends.

Increased smartphone use, faster Wi-Fi and internet service, more reliable mobile networks, and larger hardware storage capacities in mobile devices have been primary drivers of people’s consumption of more digital content. Typically, users download games to their devices.

With an internet connection, gamers can then interact with others anywhere in the world as they play, but the games are still running locally from their devices. Over time, this can impact the performance of a player’s device. With cloud gaming and streaming, users play games from their devices, but the games actually live somewhere else, such as in a data center.

Companies such as Netflix and Amazon have upended the home video market, and the video game industry is headed in the same direction. While game revenues are up, brick-and-mortar video game stores are in decline, thanks to lower sales of physical games.

Digital distribution of games via services such as Steam complements the marketing strategies of publishers, allowing companies to deliver continuous messages to users, consistently introducing new features, updates, and games.

NEW BUSINESS MODELS

Business models making their mark on the industry include free to play and gaming as a service (GaaS). The free-to-play model allows players to play games for no initial charge.
The games, typically available on mobile devices and gaming PCs, then introduce opportunities for monetization. For example, players can purchase credits to remove ads, interact with other gamers, or get unobstructed play.

GaaS is primarily a subscription-based, on-demand streaming service that enables users to play games on the hosting servers of a video game publisher. GaaS, combined with additional monetization opportunities, helps expand a game’s lifespan over the long term.

The idea that gamers are strictly young males is a myth. According to Gamify, 17% of men and 10% of women ages 18-35 in the U.S. play video games. Among those 50 and older, 13% of both men and women play.

Additionally, with the rise of cloud gaming and similar trends, the video game market continues to become more diverse. For example, users with lower income can participate without buying high-end gaming PCs or consoles.

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WHERE’S GAMING GOING?

Mobile is becoming the go-to platform for consumers looking for new ways to stay entertained. With more than 2 billion people worldwide playing mobile games, according to Deloitte, mobile is the largest driver of growth in the video game industry.

Amid COVID-19 lockdowns, mobile gaming surged because it offered users increased accessibility to video games. The mobile game user population in the U.S. and Canada has increased by 12% since 2019.

Gaming has reached a lot of new audiences, thanks to trends such as mobile game users, distribution digital models, and cloud gaming. In response, the primary game console manufacturers have embraced that change by introducing next-generation consoles that enable players to use physical and digital games.

For example, Xbox Series X provides subscribers with access to a constantly updated library of hundreds of games. With state-of-the-art graphics, lightning-fast load times, and easy access to new games, next-generation consoles will continue to push the envelope in the video game industry.

AI IN VIDEO GAMES

Artificial intelligence (AI) describes computer algorithms that allow machines to think and learn like humans. In video games, AI can teach itself to be unpredictable in the way that a human player would, finding ways to outsmart human users.

AI may also deliver benefits in the game development process. Game developers are experimenting with using AI to create games that evolve automatically based on player feedback. For example, an AI algorithm can respond to a player’s choices to quickly and automatically develop new challenges, characters, worlds, and elements in a game, creating levels and challenges for players to explore.

The gaming industry has progressed rapidly in the past few decades. Thanks to technological advancements such as 3D graphics, VR, and AI, video games are continuously evolving. As developers introduce new innovations, players will discover more realistic, fully immersive simulations on screens and lenses and will be able to connect further with others.

The future of video games will be shaped by our desire to create awe-inspiring experiences and increase our opportunities for social interaction and engagement.