Over the past decade, the games industry has grown and still is at a fast rate. Even some games have become more popular than films such as the Halo series, which has sold millions of copies. Advances in technology have seen the release of consoles such as the Playstation 3 and xbox 360, which have allowed for more advanced graphics, gameplay and increased content. If you compare a game on one of these consoles to a game on lets say, the Nintendo 64, you will be amazed at the different in overall quality.
I still remember when i got my hands the first Playstaion, and i thought that the games were brilliant. Looking back at some of the games I owned, i can't help but laugh at the graphics and gameplay, since owning a PS3 and high spec computer. Still, even though the graphics may not be great, there still are some great classics, such as the Crash Bandicoot collection (mainly CB3: warped) and micro machines.
Many new techniques are being used now for producing games. Theses include HDR lighting, motion capture and High Definition graphics, all making the gaming experience more pleasant to look at. These techniques can be seen in games such as Gran Turismo Prologue, Call of Duty 4 and Team Fortress 2.
I have found myself to be addicted to Team Fortress 2. I've been playing it since it's release and i still havent got bored of it, which makes a change. I'm currently working on my own map aswell using the Source Development Kit. I may post some screenshots on here someday.
History Of Computer Games 1980-90
So, we know that the first computer games had to be played on large, industrial computers, only available for the people who created them. By the 80's technology had advanced and now people had the option to play arcade games at home. This console was known as the Odyssey, released by Magnavox. The Odyssey came with 12 pre-programmed games ready for use, unlike today where we rely on discs.
During this time, game publishers appeared, including Electronic Arts, who have managed to survive to this day, even after the Video Games Crash in 1983, where many companies became bankrupt.
In 1982, the main consoles appeared, such as the Commodore 64, Apple II and the Atari 800. These consoles allowed the use of vector graphics, producing 3D games, the first being Battlezone. Dungeons of Daggorath saw the first uses of health monitors, sophisticated sound effects and various weapons and monsters. In 1984, the 16 colour EGA display allowed the graphics to be of the same level of quality on home computers as the consoles such as the Commodore 64. Just a year later, was the arrival of 16 bit machines. VGA displays allowed the use of 256 bit colours for higher quality, but all of this was too expensive at the time.
Another jump fowrard in technology saw the appearance of Dial up, which enabled online gaming for the first time. This allowed different users to interact with each other, fantasy role playing games were known as 'MUD's, multi-user-dungeons. Nowadays these are know as MMORPG's.
As for myself, the first online game i played was Diablo II back in the mid 90's, which is still play today, for some reason. I guess it's because it's free unlike some games and doesn't control your life *coughworldofwarcraftcough*. Just kiddin' :P
During this time, game publishers appeared, including Electronic Arts, who have managed to survive to this day, even after the Video Games Crash in 1983, where many companies became bankrupt.
In 1982, the main consoles appeared, such as the Commodore 64, Apple II and the Atari 800. These consoles allowed the use of vector graphics, producing 3D games, the first being Battlezone. Dungeons of Daggorath saw the first uses of health monitors, sophisticated sound effects and various weapons and monsters. In 1984, the 16 colour EGA display allowed the graphics to be of the same level of quality on home computers as the consoles such as the Commodore 64. Just a year later, was the arrival of 16 bit machines. VGA displays allowed the use of 256 bit colours for higher quality, but all of this was too expensive at the time.
Another jump fowrard in technology saw the appearance of Dial up, which enabled online gaming for the first time. This allowed different users to interact with each other, fantasy role playing games were known as 'MUD's, multi-user-dungeons. Nowadays these are know as MMORPG's.
As for myself, the first online game i played was Diablo II back in the mid 90's, which is still play today, for some reason. I guess it's because it's free unlike some games and doesn't control your life *coughworldofwarcraftcough*. Just kiddin' :P
History of Computer Games 1950-70
So, Computer games, wonderful creations. I've always been interested since the age of 8. I have always thought that the first computer games were created during the gameboy era, oh how wrong I was. In fact, the very first computer game was created in 1952, by A.S. Douglas, who created the first digital version of tic-tac-toe.
Tennis for Two was created for entertainment purposes by William Higinbotham. The game was displayed on an oscilloscope, featuring a basic, 2D tennis court. At the time it was fun to play and became rather addictive.
Although this was the first of its kind, it is rarely credited as the first computer game. Spacewar! was made in 1961 by Steve Russel, which became the first influencial and widely available game of its time. Even now, we still play arcade games based on the design of Spacewar!, they're just nicer to look at.
Although Spacewar is comonly known as the first widely available game, it wasn't displayed on a TV screen. In fact, it was shown on the DEC PDP-1, a new computer at the time. Ralph Baer was the first person to produce a game that was displayed on a TV screen, called Chase.
Tennis for Two was created for entertainment purposes by William Higinbotham. The game was displayed on an oscilloscope, featuring a basic, 2D tennis court. At the time it was fun to play and became rather addictive.
Although this was the first of its kind, it is rarely credited as the first computer game. Spacewar! was made in 1961 by Steve Russel, which became the first influencial and widely available game of its time. Even now, we still play arcade games based on the design of Spacewar!, they're just nicer to look at.
Although Spacewar is comonly known as the first widely available game, it wasn't displayed on a TV screen. In fact, it was shown on the DEC PDP-1, a new computer at the time. Ralph Baer was the first person to produce a game that was displayed on a TV screen, called Chase.
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