2. Pong: Released in
1972, it was the first
true video game.
Primitive by today’s
standards, it was the
first to truly have
interaction between
players and virtual
icons.
3. Arcade Games such as Pac-Man and Donkey Kong
introduced concepts such as: protagonists and
antagonists, motivation, and goals.
4. Text-based
adventures
Allowed players to
use their imaginations
to create
visualizations in their
minds.
5. From these three games: Super Mario Bros., Metroid , and The Legend of Zelda; came innovations from
which nearly everything that followed has taken from.
Super Mario Bros.- Introduced the concepts of multiple worlds, enemies, and gameplay functions (such as:
different powers, the ability to both run and jump).
Metroid- Dropped the player into a large open world and gave them the freedom to run in any direction to
progress through the game. Also introduced features such as; progression/restriction, lasting upgrades, and
exploration.
The Legend of Zelda- Considered by many to be the most influential game of all-time, it redefined what
games could be by implementing both pre-existing concepts and new ones such as puzzle gameplay,
collecting, and storytelling and blending them all together to create the first true adventure game. It also
created what is arguably the greatest gameplay formula in gaming, as it has not really strayed from this
template in over 25 years.
6. The late 80’s and early 90’s gave way
to the genre of games known as
RPG’s, or Role Playing Games where,
as you would expect, a player could
not only control a specific character,
they could shape it, mold it, and form it
how they chose. Earlier RPG’s
introduced the concept by allowing
players to “level up their characters,
giving them a sense of ownership over
them. It was not until later that players
gained full control over their
characters. Later games like The Elder
Scrolls series allowed players further
freedom by giving them plenty of
things to do lending to the overall
sense of not just control of their
characters, but also the flow of the
narrative and game.
7. After Nintendo milked the second dimension dry with all three of their flagship franchises (Mario,
Zelda, and Metroid) there was no where left to go but the Z axis. Along with the obvious changes
to the worlds created (2-D vs. 3-D) the move into 3-D gave gamers a better sense of immersion
in the magical lands in which the traveled and allowed developers much more freedom in terms
of creating complex and engaging locations in which to set their stories. One game in particular,
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (bottom left) defined the term “epic adventure” as well as
set the new standard for all adventure games following its release.
8. Fast forward to this
The Zelda franchise is famous generation and many
for its inspired arrangements.
games now have
complex orchestral
Halo was one of the first
games to use orchestral arrangements that
music to swell up the accompany the action.
emotion. Game soundtracks are
a common sight and
some are even given
very high allocates. For
Even the earliest of instance, the music
arcade games had music from the game Journey
in them. Mario, Metroid, was recently nominated
and Zelda all had specific for a Grammy Award.
rhythms that went with
their respective games, The music of Journey was
but they were mostly a nominated for a Grammy Award.
collection of sounds that
went together to form a
9. Cut scenes have come along way since
Ninja Gaiden (top left), but each step has
been one step closer to creating more
immersive and engaging stories in video
games. In fact, cut scenes have become so
prevalent in games that some developers
such as Irrational Games and Infinity Ward
have shied away from using them as they
take control away from players.
10. Before Grand Theft No longer were open
Auto III released for worlds merely a tool to
the Playstation 2 in further a story or
2001 most games concept; now they
were fairly limited in were vast and versatile
terms of freedom. playgrounds where the
Franchises like The only real boundary is
Legend of Zelda one’s imagination.
and Metroid What Grand Theft Auto
allowed gamers to III introduced was
traverse and inspired countless
explore large homages. For
environments while example: Both Spider-
still keeping them in Man 2 and The
check as to what Incredible Hulk:
they could do. GTA Ultimate Destruction
3 broke down this are two of the most
barrier by successful comic book
unshackling the games ever. Why?
many restrictions Because they allow the
that gamers had player to not only
had for so long. control the hero, but
become them by letting
them run free in an
11. The year 2007 is arguably the most important year in gaming in terms of furthering the medium and pushing
the boundaries of what games can be.
BioShock- This game single-handedly changed both critics and developer’s view of what can be presented
in a video game. It challenged gamers to think critically by implementing themes such as political ideologies,
and stem cell research and placing them in one of the greatest fictional cities ever created known as
Rapture.
Mass Effect- The first game in arguably the greatest trilogy in the medium. By taking cues from Star Wars
TKotOR, Bioware perfected their craft by weaving a tight, and intelligent sci-fi narrative that allowed players
to shape it and it’s protagonist Commander Shepard to their liking. Aiding in this immersion is one the most
fully developed cast of characters in gaming. From Garrus, the guy anyone would want to walk into hell with,
to Miranda, the stunning, yet insecure female, each one exudes his or her own personalities to create an
amazing cast.
12. Assassin’s Creed- Up until the implementation of the Assassin’s Creed
franchise, most, if not all, action/adventure games were based solely on
fiction. From now on however, games could be more than that. Each
installment in the franchise worked more like a virtual history lesson,
transporting players back to times they could only read about. From
Renaissance Italy to the American Revolution to the upcoming age of
pirates, each location is pulled directly from research and history books to
accurately recreate life in each of the eras. I personally was able to answer
a question about the Medici’s on Jeopardy thanks to Assassin’s Creed II.
13. With the advancements in
technology and animation, the
level of depth within video
games characters has grown
exponentially. Characters are
no longer just a collection of
pixels; they are individuals
with feelings, emotions,
desires, personalities, and
ideals that players can become
invested in and relate to.
Also aiding to the depth in
characters are the increasing
Clementine Ezio Auditore Niko Belic skills in storytelling and
growing maturity in video
games. Realistic stories
require realistic characters in
order to gain the level of
depth needed to support the
narrative.
John Marston Andrew Ryan
14. Quantic Dream’s head man David
Cage has been quoted to say that
games need to grow up. While I
believe he is correct, I also believe
that games are slowly but surely
moving out of Never Never Land and
into more mature space. Call of Duty
4: Modern Warfare (left) showed us
one of the most technically
impressive and haunting piece of
gameplay sections ever and at the
same time reminded us how
devastating war can be.
CONTINUED ON NEXT SLIDE-
15. The year 2008 gave us two different but
equally as realistic visualizations of
America. Fallout 3 (top right) developed
by Bethesda gave players the opportunity
to wander around a DC ravaged by
nuclear war. Seeing landmarks like the
Capitol and the Washington Memorial
torn apart is as terrifying as it is stunning.
On the other side of the coin, Grand Theft
Auto IV (bottom right) showed players the
seedy underside of the American Dream
by illustrating through Niko Belic just how
easy it is to get sucked into the criminal
world, and how difficult it is to escape.
16. As video games got better and better at
immersing their players in engaging narratives,
the gap between them and the different
mediums began to bridge. Gears of War 2 plays
a high-octane summer blockbuster (think the
game equivalent of The Expendables),
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is reminiscent of a
fun adventure film, and Alan Wake plays like a
great thriller novel; it wraps you up and keeps
you going like a good book makes you keep
turning the pages.
17. The expansion of video games is continuing
and finding new frontiers all the time. Games
like The Walking Dead and Heavy Rain have
ventured into what I predict will become a totally
separate entity known as interactive media. By
functioning almost as a movie, they allow
players to tailor the experience and story by
letting them make choices that effect the flow or
outcome of the narrative.
18. The fast approaching Next Generation of consoles is set to allow even more freedom
for both gamers and developers. Though most information about the machines and
forthcoming games are a mystery, what has been seen has indicated that players are
in for more freedom than they’ve ever had before. Ubisoft’s upcoming open world
action title Watch Dogs (bottom left) allows players to use the infrastructure of the city
as well as citizens’ personal accounts to their advantage.
Based upon the increase in player options and innovations in the way storytelling is
being implemented, it is safe to say that, in terms of video games, the future looks
bright ahead.
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o http://bavatuesdays.com/files/2012/02/1pong.gif o http://images.vg247.com/current//2013/03/Assassins-creed-4-black-flag-131.jpg
Keep the Coins Coming Hello, My Name is…
o http://www.arcade-museum.com/images/118/1181242103213.png o http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100711132236/gtawiki/images/f/fb/NikoB
o http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/118/287623-arc_pac_man_1.jpg ellic-GTAIV.jpg
o http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/328/6/5/ezio_auditore_by_yankeestyle94-
It’s Called an Imagination d33ijv3.png
o http://levgrossman.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/zork.jpg o http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/3/39162/1692653-
The Three Seeds red_dead_redemption_john_marston.jpg
o http://assets3.isatv.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Super-Mario-Brothers.gif o http://www.snakpakk.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/cast-feature-clementine.png
o http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/07/NES_Metroid.png o http://www.pcgamesn.com/sites/default/files/bioshock-free.jpg
o http://www.freewebs.com/thegoron/NES_Legend_of_Zelda_1.png Games Growing Up
o http://images.wikia.com/logopedia/images/b/be/Super_Mario_Bros_logo.jpg o http://portforward.com/games/walkthroughs/Call-of-Duty-4-Modern-Warfare/Call-of-
o http://lh4.ggpht.com/- Duty-4-Modern-Warfare-small-386.jpg
fPSspyFPG6g/UQXgVzRfe2I/AAAAAAAAACA/dMIFjwwKo2Y/s1600/Metroid_Logo o http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-
_2.png BDqgp5kmfYA/T3N71zwKk6I/AAAAAAAAAmc/iJHEN0L4EgQ/s1600/nuke2.png
o http://meangentlemen.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/the_legend_of_zelda_logo.png Games Growing Up cont.
I am what I want to be o http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs43/f/2009/130/b/4/Fallout_3___Liberty_Memorial_by_Ha
o http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d8/FF1_USA_boxart.jpg/250px- lf_dude.jpg
FF1_USA_boxart.jpg o http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-
o http://static.tumblr.com/nhi78hb/oL7ly878m/oopopo.jpg qUV2yhTlqn8/UH1H0rkJshI/AAAAAAAAAB0/6XD7Vyf5E88/s1600/gta-4-pc-
Welcome to the Third Dimension game.jpg
o http://www.thesixthaxis.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/mario1.jpg Blending the Mediums
o http://purenintendo.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ocarina1.jpg o http://mycheats.1up.com/view/imageraw/61058/official_wallpaper.jpg
o http://www.uncharted.ch/wp-content/gallery/wallpaper-02/uncharted2-wp-
And the Band Begins to Play 04_by_VAMP-16.jpg
o http://www.fastcocreate.com/multisite_files/cocreate/imagecache/slideshow- o http://thegamefanatics.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/alan-wake-rumor-
large/slideshow/2012/10/1681797-slide-slide-3-halo-4-behind-the-live-action.jpg logo1.jpg
o http://www.rarewarecentral.com/sites/default/files/Ocarina%20of%20Time%20%23
%201_2.png On the Horizon
o http://images.eurogamer.net/2013/articles/1/5/5/6/6/9/5/136087394378.jpg o http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/520/711/166.jpg
o http://static.tumblr.com/73xd9qg/xX3lpulq3/heavyrain.png
Hello Hollywood
o http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yOput4lAToY/UNBv9rhpF- On the Horizon cont.
I/AAAAAAAAAHQ/TBdOXS1vGu8/s1600/MGS+Snake+behind+tank+in+Armory.jp o http://i2.cdnds.net/13/08/618x347/gaming-watch-dogs-4_1.jpg
eg o http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-
o http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yOput4lAToY/UNBv9rhpF- blJA3soONFs/Tuyk0NGS8fI/AAAAAAAAtaU/gybIvQhfO2g/s1600/Xbox_360_Logo.j
I/AAAAAAAAAHQ/TBdOXS1vGu8/s1600/MGS+Snake+behind+tank+in+Armory.jp pg
eg o http://www.redbarrels.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/PS4-logo-1024x576.jpg
Go Anywhere, Do Anything… Almost
o http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/GTA3boxcover.jpg/250px-
GTA3boxcover.jpg
o http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ilDs_hTNXug/UWA-
a9uiLMI/AAAAAAAAVHc/BXZxuTq7dHQ/s1600/Grand+Theft+Auto+III.jpg
2007- Redefining the Medium
o http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/bioshock.jpg
o http://www.justpushstart.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/mass-effect.jpg
o http://blogs-images.forbes.com/carolpinchefsky/files/2012/10/AssassinsCreed.jpg
2007 cont.
