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Computer games intro
Computer gaming has evolved significantly since the 1960s. Early games included Spacewar from MIT and text-based interactive fiction games in the late 1970s. The arcade boom of the 1980s saw the rise of elaborate hardware in commercial spaces. PC gaming took off in the 1990s as capacities grew and the internet expanded. The 21st century has seen the rise of consoles, mobile gaming, and over 2 billion gamers worldwide, with the market exceeding $43 billion in 2018. Key aspects of modern gaming include diverse genres, themes of narrative vs mechanics and competition vs cooperation, and the role of hardware, software, and community in the gaming experience.
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Computer games intro
- 1. Computer gaming An introductionfor 2020
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- 5. Interactive fiction boomand bust • Late 1970s-into 1983 • Parsers • Props • User-generated content
- 6. •First person perspective •Mix ofnarrative and exploration
- 7. Interactive fiction boomand bust • Faded, then became art form • http://inform7.com/
- 8. Arcade gaming boom • Elaboratehardware • Social, commercial spaces
- 9. Rebound in 1990s •Growth of PC capacities • “ “ internet • Graphics improved • Myst, 1993 • International growth
- 10. 21st century takeoff •Growth of PC capacities • “ “ internet • LAN parties
- 11. 21st century takeoff •Consoles take off
- 12. Mobile revolution • Mostpopular hardware • Separate platforms • Social affordances
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- 14. From you all •Pop culture (Ashly) • Twitch (Andi, by accident) • Violence; social interaction (Andi) • Edu game (Amelia) • bias a la textbook (Andrea) • Worldness (Ryan) • Violence; militarization (Andrea) • Representaiton (Udit)
- 15. Diversity of genres • Oiligarchy,Molle Industries • Jetset, Persuasive Games • The Great Shakeout, California • DimensionM, Tabula Digita
- 16. How big isthe market? • There are approximately 2.2 billion gamers in the world. Out of the estimated 7.6 billion people living on earth, as of July 2018, that means almost a third of people on this planet are gamers. Out of those 2.2 billion gamers, 1.2 billion of those who play games are playing games on a PC. • About 67% of Americans, or roughly 211 million people, play video games on at least one type of device, with more than half of those who game, playing on multiple platforms https://gaimin.io/how-many-gamers-are-there/ https://variety.com/2018/gaming/news/how-many-people- play-games-in-the-u-s-1202936332/
- 17. How big isthe market? • 2018 was a record-breaking year for our industry, with total video game sales exceeding $43.4 billion. Over 164 million adults in the United States play video games and three-quarters of all Americans have at least one gamer in their household. https://www.theesa.com/esa-research/2019-essential-facts-about-the-computer-and-video-game-industry/
- 19. What’s involved: hardware •Phones • PC/Mac • Consoles • Tablets • VR/XR headsets • Other equipment: toys, mats
- 20. What’s involved: software •Individual programs • Platforms
- 21. Genres • Real-time strategygame (RTS) • Open-world or sandbox • Variant: crafting (Minecraft) • First/third-person shooter • Role-playing game (RPG) • Massively multiplayer online game (MMORPG/MMO) • Interactive fiction (IF) • Sports games • Puzzles
- 24. Computer game dynamicsand themes Which ones from non-digital games can we apply?
- 25. Themes • Community, socialsense • Playing games in physical third places: • LAN parties; cybercafes • Less now • Games AS third places • Narrative vs mechanics balance • Player desire • Design • “discover as you play” • Intertwining histories of games
- 26. Themes • Competition <->cooperation • Difficulty level • Rules (and cheating) • Immersion and empathy
- 27. Some dynamics toconsider •Linear vs open-ended play •Simulation accuracy-playability •Play for game – drama - simulation (Mary Kuhner) •One-shot - campaign
- 28. Big themes •Storytelling vsmechanics •Theme “ ” •Cybertext •Bad vs good behavior •How a game teaches itself •Industry
- 29. Chance? •Role of randomness •Generated:dice, cards •Balance with skill
- 30. Udit vs Andrew •Competitionor cooperation? •Collabatition? •Symmetry or asymmetry?
- 31. Information? •Perfect information •Players hidefrom others •Fog of war