The video game industry has become a bastion, not even a crippling economy can bring it down. With $ 64 billion in sales a year, you have to go elsewhere to find an effect from the current economy. Video games have evolved from a fad to a beast that has made war with other hobbies and entertainment to become a necessity in everyday life. Politics and other technologies have waged war, but none have killed this dragon. From the shaky and unpredictable beginning of the first commercial home system to this gigantic transformative technology; many products have come and gone over 40 years. But what is the fascination?
Starting with the missile defense systems of the 1940s, the first interactive video game was produced in 1952 called OXO. Using a lightweight pen was similar to Tic-Tac-Toe. University mainframes were used in the beginning and most games were invented by individuals as a hobby, which meant that production was minimal and games were forgotten. Around the same time, the arcade system and home console were launched and the use of joysticks was introduced. In 1971, the Galaxy Game was installed in a student union at Stanford University and expanded to eight arcade games in 1972. Then, finally, color arcade systems were introduced in 1979 and these games were commercialized. 1972 The Magnavox Odyssey home system was released in the US, which used cartridges (which later became programmable) that used jumpers that enabled / disabled various switches within the unit, altering the logic of the circuit so that multiple could be played. games on the same system. The 1976 games were programmed on chips and inserted into plastic cartridges. Now instead of having games programmed into systems, there could be a library of games.
Thriving with the latest technology and having the most popular games while still making a profit was an act that would be difficult to handle. In 1977 Atari 2600 (which started what are known as the second generation consoles) was released by Atari and during the Christmas season the company released nine games that helped drive the popularity of the systems. In 1980, Mattel launched Intellivision with its superior graphics, starting the ruthless video game business. 1982 ColecoVision joined this seething pot of competition from this new trend. While store shelves were full of these options, the industry had its second collapse in 1983 due to a lack of consumer awareness and too many options. Many consoles came and went.
In Japan, the return of video game companies was on the rise. 1985 Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was released along with Super Mario Brothers. With a redesigned controller that used a D-Pad and a couple of buttons, the NES was the foundation for future consoles. NES had a ten-year reign, but for games that demanded more processing power for graphics, gaming, and space saving, the fight for supremacy continued. During the reign of the NES, many factors and inventions gave gamers and developers hope and nervousness. While the Internet gave way to online multiplayer games, home console companies were researching the latest components for their systems. In the early 1990s, the Sega Genesis was released and slowly took over the markets, but it finally made an impact. The increased categorization of games as genres, due to larger libraries of games and 3D graphics, caused the courts to step in and defend the content distributed by these companies. His complaint “the games were too violent and seemed too real.” The courts were unaware that his latest comment was what made players the most hungry for each pitch. New laws putting an age limit on who could buy violent games defused that fight, but that wasn’t the last war the video game industry would face. 1991 Nintendo released the Super NES and Sega’s argument against it, despite the fact that they were both 16-bit systems, was that the Super NES was too slow. So the formula for consoles became great graphics, processing, and gameplay.
Being portable was another issue raised by the industry that gave rise to portable systems. Portable LCD screens appeared in 1980, but not until 1989, when Nintendo released the Game Boy, did portable handhelds take hold. While Sega and Nintendo were in a battle for power, PlayStation made its debut in the console market in 1995. PlayStation launched with the use of CDs instead of cartridges, which became another milestone and staple for the industry. But PlayStation was still not supported in some markets and game companies until they realized that CDs contained more data and were cheaper to make. This would lead to fighting back with their own CD consoles. Nintendo 64 was a success, but even using cartridges, the cost drove game companies away, and Nintendo began to lose game titles. Nintendo came up with the GameCube, a CD-based system, but the lack of adult games and a small library was not as popular as PlayStation. Sega released the Dreamcast in 1998 with a built-in online gaming modem that pioneered online gaming with consoles, but failed.
PlayStation launched PS2 in 1998, although with the feeling of not having a major competitor a comment was made that would change and drive the evolution of video game technology. “Video game systems are the next computers” helped merge the computer and video game consoles, but kept them separate. Feeling threatened, Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, who is one of the richest men in the world, expanded from his Windows software to produce Xbox in late 2001. His goal was to be the best gaming system and he would not stop in any medium. He had the finances to research and develop. Bill used the technology from his PC, like Intel processors and hard drives, and put it to use on the Xbox even though it was a loss to Microsoft, but that would secure his Windows brand. With Xbox graphics, hit game titles, and online games through the console with so much money invested in them, the other companies no longer had the funds that threatened computers. Feeling dominated on Nintendo and PlayStation home systems focused on their portable devices. Each had their own unique technology to keep them floating and evenly matched. Nintendo DS prospered with its touch screen, while the PSP sold in multiple uses. PSP had such high graphics that you could watch movies and play games. Even though handhelds didn’t rise above consoles, there are still markets where they thrive due to their portability. Microsoft released Xbox 360 in November 2005, while PS3 appeared shortly after. Both set the technology standard for the systems, both featured high definition graphics, large secondary hard drive storage, integrated networking, and a complementary online gaming and sales platform. PS3 debuted with a higher cost due to Blu-ray and Wi-Fi technology.
Nintendo made a strong comeback by introducing the Wii in late 2006 due to the motion controller, though critics thought it would fail. It also had lower specs, but another groundbreaking invention kept Nintendo in the game. The automobile and cell phone industry was invaded by the expansion of video games. Cars went from having custom built systems to standard out of the factory. The cell phone went from having games preloaded to being able to download them online, which required a great deal of support from the handheld business. Even with these new toys, the public was in shock due to the interaction of the Nintendo Wii player, but the online multiplayer action of Xbox and PS 3 still had great dominance. While PlayStation tried to reinvent the wheel with its own PlayStation Move motion controller in 2010. Microsoft delivered a knockout blow by releasing the Kinect for the Xbox 360. Kinect is a motion sensor technology that does not use controllers. These movement systems have extended the interest of adolescents and young adults to the elderly who cannot physically participate in sports. Genres now include sports fitness for those who can’t afford gym membership, senior centers, and community centers. It seems too early to say how effective Microsoft and PlayStation can be against Nintendo, as we are only in the third round in a 12-round, 3-way fight. January 2011 will show who reigns supreme when holiday sales are calculated.
It seems that as this industry evolves, the science fiction novels our grandparents read come to life. Like the way human cloning and space travel was envisioned but not realized until decades later, I wonder if warp zones or molecular separation are introduced and when, who will find out. Will a wormhole transport players in the future when they are challenged to a virtual reality fight? One thing is for sure and that is that people understand the products that exist and the games that they support. It won’t be a consumer issue that causes the next scare in the video game industry. Continuously changing technology has piqued the interest of millions.
