The Causes of the Popularity of Video Games Essay Example for Free

The Causes of the Popularity of Video Games Essay Since the introduction of videogames to the public in the 1970s (Herman, et al 2002), it has become a popular form of entertainment, both outside and at home, for children and adults alike. The first successful video game, Pong, was so popular that game machines reportedly broke down due to excessive numbers of quarters inserted into the coin slots (Herman, et al 2002). Through the decades, its appeal never seemed to wane, as more gaming systems are developed and marketed and even more games created and published. The popularity of videogames never ceases to expand, and in the recent years, it has seemed to grow to new heights, attracting even adults who once considered videogames as mere children’s playthings, and females who did not play videogames because they are â€Å"for boys†. Advancements in technology, developments in gameplay and content, and the experience are the factors that the popularity of videogames mostly owes itself to. Technological advancements are on the move, faster than they have been in the past decades. Computers are gaining wider acceptance in the home and in the workplace, aiding in tasks such as writing and research, database management, and even education. Almost every home today has at least one computer under its roof. This increase in usage of computers provided game developers a window to a larger market. This was impossible back then, as computers were generally thought of as belonging to the workplace, and videogames are not meant to be played in offices. As computer technology improves, game developers can create better, more realistic graphics, longer games, and expansive gameplay, which attract even the most casual of computer users. However, PC games generally have a more limited scope in terms of genre and gameplay—most games for PCs are either First-Person Shooters (FPS) or strategy games (examples are Counter-Strike and Warcraft, respectively) Thankfully, due to these same advances in computer technology, electronics firms like Sony and Microsoft are able to develop standalone videogame consoles like the PlayStation and the Xbox, which become faster, better, and more powerful with each incarnation. These consoles compensate for where the PC lacks—it provides an even wider range of games available, and generally perform better as game systems than the PC, and this does much to attract an even larger audience of gamers. Portable game systems like the Nintendo DS and Sony PlayStation Portable introduced the idea of games on-the-go, which enables players to take the games out of their homes and bring them practically everywhere—useful in passing the time during road travel or waiting in line, or even during school breaks. These consoles, naturally, are crafted for people always on the move. Technology created an opportunity for videogames to become easily available and more popular. Another factor that helped videogames become a favorite hobby of many people is developments in gameplay, genre, and content. In its early forms, videogames are so simple that they become old in only a matter of days or even hours. The introduction of the high score system alleviated this somewhat, making even games like Pong playable over and over, with the goal of beating the other person’s score. However, even this will prove to be insufficient later on. Developers explored other types of games, and soon a multitude of different games with different play styles were born. Today, there are many games a player can choose from—including from platformers (like the Super Mario games), role-playing games (Diablo, Ultima), strategy games (Warcraft), fighting games (Street Fighter), and even educational games (Brain Age), among many others. These new genres made videogames attractive to different markets of different ages and interests. Even girls, who previously did not play videogames, have become attached to games like Dance Dance Revolution, because of their new, unisex appeal, and its health benefits, due to the game requiring actual physical endurance.. Adults, who used to shun videogames because they were associated with children, now have no excuse to not play videogames because there are games so challenging that only adults can fully appreciate them. There are also games catering specifically to adults nowadays, with additional violence and risquà © themes (Grand Theft Auto). This expansion of gameplay types, genres, and content enabled game companies to pierce through almost every market segment, and each person will most likely find a game suited to his or her own personal skills and interests. The experience of playing videogames is something that cannot be found in many pastimes, and videogames have become popular because of this characteristic. In story-driven games, for instance, gamers are not only treated to a fun, challenging game, they are also presented an engrossing story which rivals even those of best-selling novels. Multiplayer games pit players against each other in matches of skill or reflexes, depending on the game, and there is much enjoyment to be found competing against another player in one’s favorite game. Teamwork, leadership, and situational social interaction, previously found only in team-based sports games, can now be experienced in computer games in the form of multiplayer online role-playing games, where gamers from around the globe form parties striving together to complete an in-game quest or to find a rare item. Videogames provide an enriching, and sometimes even educational, and extremely unique experience, which they will keep coming back to time and again. The popularity of videogames and computer games will never decline, and will perhaps even increase in the future years, because of increasing technological developments, their wide-range appeal, and the sheer experience of playing them. They have made available mind-bending challenges, a great pastime for one or for many, and countless hours of fun and excitement. Works Cited Herman, Leonard, et al. â€Å"The History of Video Games.† Gamespot.5 February 2002. 6 June 2007 http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/hov/.