Video games evolve over time in various ways. One cool evolution is that they become more immersive.
The early arcade and console era had a number of popular games like Pong and Space Invaders. These games were simple and appealed to a younger demographic.
Computer game programming began in the 1940s, when Edward U. Condon wrote a program to play Nim against humans. This simple combinational challenge was the first game.
The Early Years
Long before online games and dedicated gaming PCs existed, arcades offered a place for people to gather and compete against one another in electronic video game competitions. These early tournaments, known as eSports, were sometimes held in sold-out arenas and streamed to millions of worldwide viewers. While eSports have evolved over time, the basic appeal has remained the same. Both traditional competitive sports and eSports are exhibitions of skill that draw on a captive audience for spectators, sponsors and investors.
In the beginning, gaming was more of a simple form of reflexive entertainment than a social or cultural experience. Advancements in paper and print making, especially chromolithography, allowed for the production of colorful card and board games. The earliest games like Monopoly1 and draughts2 had roots in agrarian society, but these games grew as technology progressed and societies began to settle down.
With the introduction of the PLATO computer system in 1978, it became possible to connect computers together using an advanced networking protocol and play games with players on other systems. Although the network was largely closed off to large organizations and Atari, which could afford to invest in the expensive PLATO terminals, this was the first step towards online multiplayer gaming.
The late 1970s saw the rise of arcade gaming as a global phenomenon. Space Invaders, a simple but addictive shooter that allowed players to battle aliens and other enemies in a space ship, took the world by storm, launching several different sequels and sparking a cult following. The popularity of Space Invaders illustrated the impact that a single game can have on a culture, and it also showcased the power that video games had to connect people from across the globe.
Companies such as Nintendo, Atari and Sega made a variety of attempts to create the online gaming industry in the early 1990s, but it wasn’t until the release of the Sega Dreamcast with an embedded Internet connection that these efforts became successful. The internet was now fast enough to support online gaming, and the Dreamcast allowed gamers to connect directly over a local area network (LAN) for head-to-head competition.
The Mid-1980s
Video games have been around for a long time, but as eGaming gained popularity in the 2000s, organized tournaments began to pop up. These events drew large audiences and brought media attention to the industry. However, a fascination with electronic gaming as a spectator experience dates back to late 1972, when the first organized eGaming tournament was held at Stanford University for the game Spacewar.
By the mid-1980s, technology advances allowed for more complex games to be developed. The IBM personal computer, Commodore 64 and Apple II home computers could handle the processing needed to develop games with extended plots and story lines. Game designers could also use these systems to create multiplayer games, which became increasingly popular.
In addition to the multiuser dungeons (MUDs), games designed to run on business computers also grew in popularity during this period. These games, usually involving role-playing characters and a virtual world, required users to complete specific tasks that would earn them rewards, including new skills. These games had a more serious tone and often addressed issues of social inequality.
The 1980s also saw the rise of early hip hop culture, with artists like Michael Jackson releasing his chart-topping album Thriller in 1979 and the film adaptation a few years later. The decade also saw the development of MTV, which influenced music videos and helped to launch the careers of many popular rock stars.
Clothing styles of the era included the teased hair, mullet and Jheri curl, along with brightly colored pants and jackets. The era also marked the return of animation, with successful movies such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Oliver & Company regaining popularity.
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) launched in 1985, and Super Mario Brothers was the first video game to feature a narrative that rivaled more complex computer games. Super Mario featured a simple storyline and accessible controls that appealed to a much broader audience, including girls, than the more male-oriented Atari games. The NES had a number of competitors, but Nintendo managed to dominate the home console market for most of its lifespan due to the availability of a wide variety of NES-compatible games.
The 1990s
From a time when we all dressed in denim and sang along to the Macarena to when pagers were the newest trend, the 1990s was a decade of cultural shifts and innovation. Whether you are an adult who grew up with the sitcom Friends, or a child who learned to count with Sesame Street, the ’90s left an impression on the world of pop culture that is still evident today. Having a coach can make you more adept at CS:GO.
The 1990s also saw a number of advances in video game technology, including the introduction of 4th generation 16-bit systems. These systems, with their greater processing power, enabled more complex games and introduced a new level of interactivity. One of the most significant advances in the 1990s, however, was the development of Internet-enabled consoles, which allowed gamers to play with each other over the Internet.
This development paved the way for eGaming, which allows viewers to watch their favourite gamers in action, much as people would watch a football game. While eGaming has surged in popularity in recent years, the concept actually dates back to the early 1980s when tournaments were first held for arcade games such as Space Invaders and Pac-Man.
Other software companies tried to compete with Nintendo in the home console market in the 1990s, with Atari releasing the 2600jr and 7800 systems. However, these systems failed to make an impact on the gaming industry due to poor marketing strategies and insufficient technical capabilities (Kline, 2007).
The ’90s also saw a major shift in television programming with shows such as The Simpsons, Seinfeld, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and The OC becoming cultural touchstones with their witty writing and relatable storylines. The ’90s was also a time of political change, with the collapse of the Soviet Union marking an end to decades of Cold War tension and the tragic Columbine High School shooting shedding light on gun violence and mass killings. Despite these darker aspects of the decade, the ’90s is considered by many to be a time of relative peace and prosperity.
The 2000s
Each decade has a distinct identity that is shaped by the events and culture of the time. The 1960s are famously associated with flower power and leather jackets, while the 1970s spawned disco and glam rock. The 2000s are no different, with the era being defined by flip phone technology and Windows software. However, this was also a time of great innovation in video games.
Online capabilities became much more advanced, allowing gamers to play against and interact with millions of people around the world. This allowed for a greater sense of competition and teamwork that had never been possible before. It also encouraged a larger audience to become involved in gaming, including people who had not previously played video games.
Another major development in the 2000s was the creation of eSports, or electronic sports. While competitive gaming has existed in some form for decades, eSports brought the idea into the mainstream and allowed professional gamers to turn their hobby into a full-time career.
The emergence of the Internet also gave rise to a new type of video game called a multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). These games allow for a large number of players to play and interact with each other over the Internet, using characters that they create themselves. These games can be incredibly addictive and provide a unique social experience for those who enjoy them.
During the 2000s, the gaming industry saw an increase in family-oriented games that encouraged families to play together. This was an attempt to attract a new generation of gamers and make the genre more accessible to people of all ages. In addition, mobile gaming technologies developed, enabling users to play games on their smartphones. This boosted the popularity of mobile games and helped the industry grow even further.
In 2001, two major consoles were released to compete with the PlayStation 2. The Microsoft Xbox offered more functionality than other consoles at the time, including DVD playback capabilities, while Nintendo’s GameCube focused solely on gaming functions. Both of these systems sold well, but did not achieve the sales success of the PS2.