Game Gov

Video Game Platforms

Arcade Games – These were the first types of games that were developed for the general public. They are normally operated by inserting coins into the machine for a chance to play. There are many different styles of arcade games ranging from twitch style games such as Asteroids to shooters like T2: Judgement Day. These are featured out side department stores, in restaurants and in arcades – which are disappearing rapidly these days. This platform is expensive so it is normally a type of game that is owned by a business rather than featured in the home, although certain gamers will buy these machines for home use.

Console Games – These types of games are played on a machine that is connected to a television set and featured in homes. They began with early units such as the Atari 2600 and have progressed to today’s XBox 360, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii. These games have various types of media format that they accept ranging from old school cartridge based systems to the modern DVD and downloadable content games. They are usually longer in terms of play and are operated by a controller that mimics the controller set up on an arcade game machine, with the exception of the Wii which uses a remote style controller. There are literally hundreds of games across all genres for console systems and they are the preferred choice of the majority of the world’s gamers today.

Handheld Games – These are similar to console gaming systems, but they are substantially smaller to make them easily held with two hands and completely portable. Many of the titles available on a console system are ported to portable systems, but there are also games made just for these systems. Since they cost less than a console, many gamers prefer to have a handheld unit they can take with them. The disadvantages are the smaller screen size and also the fact that the require charging or replacing the batteries on a regular basis.

Massively Multiplayer Online Games – These are games which have been designed to be played with either a computer or a console video game wherein players will be working cooperatively or challenging one another in the same vast game world. These games are usually subscription based and usually allow players to create just one profile with many characters. The rise of the internet made these popular for PC gamers, but broadband cable internet has made them popular for consoles now, as well.

Mobile Games – With the arrival of today’s smart phones, consumers can now download and play games on their mobile phones with or without a constant internet connection. These games, called apps on the iPhone, are generally very simple to play, but they are now growing in complexity as the technology improves. Most of these games are not yet multi player.

Online Games – These games played over the web as their name implies, but they are not always about interacting with other players in a shared world. Sometimes they are slots or bingo style games that are more traditional in nature or even card games such as Magic: The Gathering Online. There are as many types of online games as there are genres and styles of games themselves.

Personal Computer Games – These games are played on home computers such as a PC or a Mac and they are generally far more complex than those offered on consoles. The games are generally able to feature high powered graphics, sound and other capabilities that exceed the ability of console games. Since PCs can hook up easily to the net, many of these games feature online capacity. Special gaming computers are also developed these days just for gamers.

Glossary

AI – This stands for Artificial Intelligence and indicates the programming of ‘intelligence’ into a machine rather than human or animal intelligence.

Arcade – This is a venue where games are played that usually are paid for with coins. These are the first video game machines and were later shrunk down to a size for home use as consoles.

Boss – Level based arcade style games usually have a bigger, stronger character that is harder to defeat at the end of each stage or level. These are called Bosses.

Bug – This is an error in the code of a video or computer game that can wreck the gaming experience for the players and must be caught by the development team.

Bundling – When a console video game system or a PC is sold with software games, this is called bundling and is intended to entice consumers to purchase the hardware.

Cheats – These are codes that can be used in video and computer games to get extra features or give players characters that are stronger, faster, etc.

Combo – In a fighting game, when a player executes several moves in a row successfully this is called a combo.

Cut Scenes – These are scenes in a game where the game play is suspended as animation or filmed sequences play out to show more of the story line.

First Person – This is a gaming perspective where the player will be experiencing the visuals of the game through the eyes of their characters.

Genre – These are categories that are designed to help explain what a character can expect from a given game. They are normally  descriptive of the game play style, art style or sometimes specific aspects of the game such as the type of story it contains.

Isometric View – This is a gaming perspective where the camera is far above the character and angled so that the character can see a wide portion of the play area.

MMORPG – Stands for Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game, a style of game that is recent and involves many players connecting over the internet to play in the same game world. Players will create their own unique characters before adventuring.

NPC – This means Non Player Character and describes characters which are not necessarily hostile, but which are controlled by the computer.

Recoil – This is the effect that a weapon has where it is forced back from shooting. This can change the way the aim operates and must be taken into account in shooter games.

Stealth – This is both a trait of characters in RPGs and also a type of game that has come about recently where characters will need to be silent and try to remain invisible to their opponents in order to complete the game. Metal Gear Solid is one example of this genre.

Suppression Fire – This is a type of strategy that is used in both shooter and strategy games to hold an enemy at bay with firepower until reinforcements arrive.

Video Game Chairs – This is a special type of chair which often has speakers built into it which allow players to experience more of the motions happening in the game world such as explosions.

Video Game Classification

As with every form of creative arts or entertainment in the world today, there is usually a related field of criticism that seeks to deepen the audience understanding of and appreciation for the form itself. We see this is the field of film and also, music. When it comes to video and computer games, which are inherently part of a mixed media tradition, things get complex because they are not a passive experience for the audience they are aimed at, but rather an interactive experience. This means that there are new theoretical concepts which have had to be developed that borrow from traditional game theory and seek to create a language that reviewers and gamers alike can use to discuss games. This gives developers the advantage of being able to understand how their creations are being viewed by reviewers and fans, as well. The terms and concepts used in video game classification at the moment are still in development and likely will be for some time, but here is where things stand now.

Cooperative vs Non-Cooperative – This is the easiest classification to understand because it is at the root of game play. Games where players are in competition with one another are non-cooperative while games where players work together as a team or unit, even if they compete against other teams, are considered inherently cooperative. There are titles that incorporate both forms of play such as many MMORPGS that have groups or parties of players who will compete with one another and these are considered hybrids of this basic classification.

Simulation – This classification of games is simply a description of how close the game comes to imitating reality. The game that is able to re-create the laws of physics accurately, for example, would be considered part of the simulation class of games. These titles are not as focused on the gaming aspect of competition to win as they are about the environment shaping the way the player handles the gaming experience. They are generally less driven by stories and more by the possibilities of the virtual reality they offer.

Zero Sum vs Non Zero Sum – This is a division in games that is quite simple to understand. Zero sum is Latin meaning ‘no gain’. If players are each given the same amount of resources at the beginning of a game, such as with chess, and gain nothing over the course of play except a victory or defeat, then the game is a zero sum game. Games that involve the accumulation of resources, as is the case with most competitive strategy games games, then they are considered to be non zero sum in nature. An example of a non zero sum game would be Sid Meier’s Civilization where players seek to control not just the game board but to have the majority of resources in the game world by the end of the game.

Drama – This is a simple classification in that the games within this category are all about the tale unfolding during the game itself. Dramatic themes unfold and players generally control either a custom created avatar which they manipulate through the game world, or a pre-created character that is part of a larger story arc. These games are more closely related to film than any other classification.

History of Computer and Video Games

Video games have a much longer history than most people today realize because they were actually begun not in the 1970’s, when they rose to prominence, but a full two decades earlier at the very beginning of the 1950’s. In these first two decades of video game development, the computers were enormous and really not much more than converted military hardware. In fact the first games were based on the idea of missile defense and were themselves little more than a novelty rather than a product for consumer households. As development became more sophisticated with computer systems, companies began to see that their might be a future for entertaining people with computer games. This brought about the development of the console systems that would arrive in the very early 1970’s. This is the era when the arcade game industry began to form, but it is also the time when hand held and console gaming began to become an option for businesses to make.

Building upon the early success of seminal games like Space Wars, the very first coin operated game, Computer Space, was built and released to the public. Over one thousand of these machines were built, but they were not very easy for the player to learn and did not succeed. Even so, this is considered to be a huge landmark for arcade gaming. The creators of Computer Space went on to found Atari, a well known company today, that released the world famous game of Pong. This simple game drew players in and attracted a huge fan base before being followed by such classics as Space Invaders, Asteroids and Pac Man that would put arcade gaming on the map. Also at this time the Magnavox Odyssey came out and thanks to an ad featuring Frank Sinatra, it managed to make some success as the world’s first console gaming system. Computer games, too, began to emerge in the 1970’s as it became financially feasible for families to be able to own their own computer at home. These first machines were referred to as mini computers due to their huge size difference with main frame computers. Machines such as the Commodore, Apple and Tandy all began to emerge as legitimate gaming platforms.

Then would come the 1980’s and with it an explosion of different choices for those who loved video games. Stand up coin operated games would become big business and arcades sprang up across Japan, Europe and the United States. Home computer prices sank dramatically and more people were able to afford computers, even machines that would offer color screens to enhance the gaming experience. Console systems such as the original 8 bit Nintendo Entertainment System and the Sega Master System stormed the world, proving themselves to be wildly popular. Early online games were made possible through computer bulletin boards and a whole host of LCD screen hand held games hit the market, too. In the 80’s, game genres began to emerge ranging from fighting games to sports games to adventure games. Gamers began to get real choices.

In the 1990’s and early 2000’s, games would become a business bigger than Hollywood and the music industry combined. Today there are a huge range of systems and games, along with a host of computer games, games for mobile phones and choices that could have never been imagined when the first computer game was created. With this much growth in only half a century, who knows where gaming will go next.