Some of the first recognisably popular video game systems were the Commodore 64, the Apple 2 and the ZX Spectrum and it was on the back of these consoles and arcade games that the video games industry really began. I remember I had a Spectrum when I was young and although I played it quite a bit I didn't really think of games as serious entertainment.
With more power to display visuals, lots of independent developers started to make games. It was here during the 80's that EA has it's origins. Around this time, genres also started defining themselves. One of the old genres not so apparent these days were the text adventures. A lot of games at the time were text adventures which many people still agree were some of the best games out there.
On the arcade front there were games such as street fighter and Pac-man. It was also during this period that the Nintentdo's flagship character Mario was created. Mario lead Nintendo into the hearts of many gamers. This comes from the time when on the back of personal computers coming into the home, games were mainly a single player affair.
With the boom in the sheer amount of video game consoles and titles being produced there were bound to be some drawbacks. Far too many consoles/computers were now out there and many low quality games were being produced which ultimately lead to the bankruptcy of several companies at that point in time. There was an overly dense market with a lack of interest on the consumers part. This lasted around 2 years and it was with the Nintendo NES that things started to pick up again. In fact in 1989 the Nintendo Gameboy was released which was the start of handheld gaming as we know it today.
It was at the end of the 80's that the controller stated to change as well from a joystick to more of a game pad form. Hot on the heels of the 80's the 90's really marked the transformation of games into the recognisable format that we currently know. Game visuals got a massive overhaul by leaving pixel graphics behind and adopting full 3D. Arcade machines gradually began to lessen in popularity due to home consoles becoming more common and for the first time games begun to be taken seriously as a form of entertainment in terms of sales and popularity. Although unfortunately even to this day there are those that question it as a form of entertainment (and art for that matter).
The 90's were home to one of the most influential games ever made - Doom. This game single handedly created an entire genre of games and inspired many more. It was so innovative and exciting at the time. It's sequel even more so as it was able
to polish an already legendary game. By the end of this decade most current genres of game had been defined. In 1997 final fantasy 7 was released and to this day remains one of the benchmarks by which all RPG's are measured against. Other notable games during this period are; Goldeneye, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Mario 64 which anyone who considers themselves gamers should have played.
Early on in the decade systems such as the Sega Megadrive enjoyed large popularity with games such as Sonic the Hedgehog. Mid-way through the decade Playstation was released which I consider to be the start of modern games, due to controller layout, CD's and 3D graphics. By the time all these changes had taken place games now had clearly grown up from their early origins. They went from being simple pixel based games to fully 3D games with many new game play elements and techniques designed to immerse the player in the game. They were simply becoming a more articulate means of entertainment.
As games became more complex my interest in them grew. For me, this point in gaming was more exciting than the current. Currently new games are coming out, but are relying on solid game play, graphics and story to get people to buy them instead of pure innovation or pushing the boundaries. Of course games are still trying new things, but the contrast is no where near what it once was. I think when i grew
up what really excited me was the increasing freedom in games. The decreasing linearity was immensely exciting as games continued to increase in scope. I think this period contained a lot of 'firsts' for games. Such as Doom's first person view, GTA switching to third person, Half-life's long intro and games like Tony Hawks' combo system successfully creating new game play mechanics. If you ask me there aren't a lot of new 'firsts' in games at the moment. In terms of the way we play games there are loads but that's a topic for a different time. Content in games however seems to be treading worn ground and we seem to be trying to better the past instead of creating new concepts to redefine the future.
Monday 19 October 2009
Sunday 11 October 2009
In the beginning...
Arguably most people consider 'Pong' to be the first videogame. Of course, they mean the incarnation of the game that appeared on the 'Atari' in 1973 (created by Nolan Bushnell). I guess this is because it was the first time a game had been commercially available. This version of, 'Pong' was actually based on a version of the game called, 'Tennis for two' which ran on an oscilloscope. This came from William Higinbotham who wanted visitors to his lab to have a more hands on approach with the hardware to become a little more involved. Needless to say it worked and proved a very effective method of showing off the latest advancements in technology at the time.
Most modern advancements in computing have come from the seemingly endless desire to improve military technology. It's so strange that something as innocent as games should have their roots in such an area which is poles apart. I doubt scientists were developing the technology for recreation and fun! I think it is hard to allocate an exact date to the creation of the first videogame because there are many contributing factors. I mean what should we even class as a video game? In terms of a game created for commercial entertainment then I guess we are looking at 'Pong' on the 'Atari'. However, if we are looking at the technology then we can look even earlier than 'Tennis for two' at the early CRT displays which although they wern't interative, had the beginnings of graphical displays. Also we shouldn't forget, 'Spacewar' which was developed in 1961 by a group of MIT students. This is credited as the first widely available computer game and whilst it was very influential I would personally consider 'Pong' and the early arcade games as the start of the gaming phenomenon as we know it today.
Thinking back, the first game I ever played must have been 'Space Invaders'. However my gaming journey really began with 'Sonic the Hedgehog' on the 'Sega Megadrive'. I guess it's appeal at that age lay in the visual pay off of bright colours flying around the screen. That, and it was fun. Part of the addictiveness came from not being able to save your progress. Everytime you sat down to play, you had to start the game over. Infact this was true for many games at the time if I remember correctly. One shining example being 'Kid Chameleon'. This game had nigh on a hundred levels, of which only half cropped up in the main story; the others making up additional game routes. I think I got to about level 38 once before dying and having to start again. Unfortunately, it was also a difficult game.
These games were clever, and I think by lacking raw graphical power they focused on a simple principle to keep people playing: challenge. I started playing games because it was damn hard to complete most of them. I rarely completed one, but when I did I actually felt like I'd accomplished something. I remember later in life I settled on 'Timesplitters 2' for quite sometime purely because the amount of additional challege modes that game provided (all of which were pretty hard). The last game I really played was 'Resident Evil 5'. In terms of asthetics it looked amazing, the gameplay was fun, but most of all it was challenging.
Today games are more about rewarding the player, the knock on effect meaning alot of them are easier. For instance a lot of games include difficulty options. I hate difficulty settings. Any game that is fun, will only be fun on a normal setting. No one ever has fun on INSANE. By making the game less forgiving it removes the players' ability to creatively enjoy the game. However that is what games are about these days. Supposedly a more immersive experience, you save your progress meaning that most people can now complete games. Asthetics and storytelling have taken over, not that this is a bad thing. Personally I just feel that I could get the same type of entertainment from a film or book. The best games undeniably are beautiful and as an artist I love games. 'Shadow of the Colossus' for example, was simply breathtaking. As a player though I feel like I don't really play games anymore, instead I just go through the motions.
What keeps me actively playing games to date, are the social implications. Connecting with your friends and the competition gaming provides is brilliant. Anyone can bond over games and it's a challange to play against other people. Real people. Not just artificial intelligence. Although the challenge inherent in gameplay alone may be lacking, other people will always provide the real challenge when sitting down to enjoy a game.
Most modern advancements in computing have come from the seemingly endless desire to improve military technology. It's so strange that something as innocent as games should have their roots in such an area which is poles apart. I doubt scientists were developing the technology for recreation and fun! I think it is hard to allocate an exact date to the creation of the first videogame because there are many contributing factors. I mean what should we even class as a video game? In terms of a game created for commercial entertainment then I guess we are looking at 'Pong' on the 'Atari'. However, if we are looking at the technology then we can look even earlier than 'Tennis for two' at the early CRT displays which although they wern't interative, had the beginnings of graphical displays. Also we shouldn't forget, 'Spacewar' which was developed in 1961 by a group of MIT students. This is credited as the first widely available computer game and whilst it was very influential I would personally consider 'Pong' and the early arcade games as the start of the gaming phenomenon as we know it today.
Thinking back, the first game I ever played must have been 'Space Invaders'. However my gaming journey really began with 'Sonic the Hedgehog' on the 'Sega Megadrive'. I guess it's appeal at that age lay in the visual pay off of bright colours flying around the screen. That, and it was fun. Part of the addictiveness came from not being able to save your progress. Everytime you sat down to play, you had to start the game over. Infact this was true for many games at the time if I remember correctly. One shining example being 'Kid Chameleon'. This game had nigh on a hundred levels, of which only half cropped up in the main story; the others making up additional game routes. I think I got to about level 38 once before dying and having to start again. Unfortunately, it was also a difficult game.
These games were clever, and I think by lacking raw graphical power they focused on a simple principle to keep people playing: challenge. I started playing games because it was damn hard to complete most of them. I rarely completed one, but when I did I actually felt like I'd accomplished something. I remember later in life I settled on 'Timesplitters 2' for quite sometime purely because the amount of additional challege modes that game provided (all of which were pretty hard). The last game I really played was 'Resident Evil 5'. In terms of asthetics it looked amazing, the gameplay was fun, but most of all it was challenging.
Today games are more about rewarding the player, the knock on effect meaning alot of them are easier. For instance a lot of games include difficulty options. I hate difficulty settings. Any game that is fun, will only be fun on a normal setting. No one ever has fun on INSANE. By making the game less forgiving it removes the players' ability to creatively enjoy the game. However that is what games are about these days. Supposedly a more immersive experience, you save your progress meaning that most people can now complete games. Asthetics and storytelling have taken over, not that this is a bad thing. Personally I just feel that I could get the same type of entertainment from a film or book. The best games undeniably are beautiful and as an artist I love games. 'Shadow of the Colossus' for example, was simply breathtaking. As a player though I feel like I don't really play games anymore, instead I just go through the motions.
What keeps me actively playing games to date, are the social implications. Connecting with your friends and the competition gaming provides is brilliant. Anyone can bond over games and it's a challange to play against other people. Real people. Not just artificial intelligence. Although the challenge inherent in gameplay alone may be lacking, other people will always provide the real challenge when sitting down to enjoy a game.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)