Short presentation of everything to know about video games. History, Development, Games and their Players, Scope and Nature as well the Trends and Convergence in Video-gaming Industry Prepared by Chrysa Sabuelo Reference: Introduction to Mass Communication Author: Stanley J. Baran Picture reference: Google

1. Videogames
Report by Chrysa Hazelene J. Sabuelo
Reference: Introduction to Mass communication
Author: Stanley J. Baran

2. Learning Objectives
 Be familiar with the history and development of
games and the gaming industry
 Understand how the organizational and economic
nature of the contemporary gaming industry shapes
the content of games
 Understand the relationship between games and
their players
 Be familiar with the changes in the game industry
brought about by new and converging technologies

4. 1931 –Baffle Ball (first mass-produced arcade
game)
by David Gottlieb
1933 –Contact, first electric pinball game
by Harry Williams, an engineer.
1947 –Flippers come to pinball
by David Gottlieb

5. “You can’t say that video games grew
out of pinball, but you can assume that
video games wouldn’t have happened
without it.
It’s like bicycle and automobile. One
industry leads to the other and then they
exist side-by-side”
-wrote Steven Baxter of CNN Computer Connection

6. Today’s Games Emerged

7.  1951 –Japanese playing-card company Marufuko
changes its name to Nintendo
 1961 –Russell creates Spacewar
 took him 200hours in 6months to complete
the FIRST interactive computer game.
 The game features toggle switches
 the next year that features an accurate map
of the stars in the background and a sun
 He and his club mates built remote control
units with switches for every game function,
the very first game pad.

8.  1964 –Sega formed
 1966 –Sega exports Periscope to United States
and Europe; first amusement game export; 25
cents per play established as arcade game
standard
 1968 –Baer patents interactive television game
 1971 –Computer Space was released by Nolan
Bushnell but was a complete failure.
 1972 –Odyssey released; Atari formed,
develops Pong

10.  1975 –Home Pong debuts, Gunfight first
game to use microprocessor
 1976 –Channel F, first programmable
cartridge-based home game

11.  1980 –Home Space Invaders; first arcade
game for home systems Pac-Man
 1981 –Donkey Kong
 1985 – Nintendo’s NES introduced
 Legend of Zelda

12.  1987 –PC games introduced
 1989 –Game Boy
 1990 –Super Mario Bros. 3
 1993 –Doom Released
 1994 –Myst released
 1995 –PlayStation in United States

13. 2000 –Xbox
2001 –Game Cube
2003 –Second Life
launched
2004 –Halo 2 released;
PlayStation Portable
introduced

15. Games and their Players

16. What is a Video Game?
 A games is considered a video game when the action of the
game takes place interactively on-screen.
 A video game is considered a game when a player has direct
involvement in the on-screen action to produce some desired
outcome.

17. Who is Playing?
Game Players’ Demographics, 2009
25%
49%
26%
Age
Under 18 years old
18-49 years old
50 yrs and older
40%
60%
Gender
Female
Male

19. Scope and Nature of the
Video-Game Industry

20. Concentration and globalization are the rule of gaming.
Big Players in the gaming industries: Xbox, Nintendo and
Playstaion.
Nintendo’s Gameboy Advance dominates the handheld
gaming device business.
Sony’s PSP Go is aimed at younger users.
Third-party publishers are companies that create games
for existing systems.

21. Trends and Convergence in
the Video-Game Industry

22. Convergence Everywhere
 to tend to a common result, conclusion, etc.
Technology
As smaller, faster, more powerful microprocessors were developed and found
their way into game consoles, the distinction between games and computers
began to disappear.
Comfort with Technology
As distinction between the technologies on which games are played has
diminished, players’ willingness to plays games on different platforms has
grown.
Evidence of people’s comfort with playing games across a variety of
technologies resides in the cell phone we already use.

23. Hypercommercialism
 Advertisers’ desire to find
new outlet for their
messages and avoid the
advertising clutter in
traditional media has
combined with gamer’s
attention.
 Segmented demographics
to make video games
particularly appealing.
Fighthing
5%
Role-playing
6%Racing
9%
Strategy
6%
Children and Family
entertainment
20%Shooters
11%
action
20%
Sports
15%
Adventures
5%
All others
3%
MOST PURCHASED CONSOLE GAMES

24. Four Ways Sponsors use games to reach
their targets
1. Product placement
A product used in a game is
there forever-every time the
game is played, the
advertiser’s brand not only
appears but is also used.
The placement is not only
permanent but it’s Tivo-
proof or not skipped.
Brand names are used
because they add a bit of
realism in the game.

25. 2. Freemium Games
-Advertisers serves as in-game virtual currency.
-Example, in exchange for watching a commercial, gamers can
obtain virtual goods.

26. 3. Advergaming
-Brands have become the
game themselves.
-Appear in two ways; CD-
ROM and online.
Online advergaming typically
takes the form of a brand-
specific sites and offers brand-
based games

27. 4. Advocacy gaming
-used when companies or organizations
want to get their non-commercial
messages out.

28. Videogames
Report by Chrysa Hazelene J. Sabuelo
Reference: Introduction to Mass communication
Author: Stanley J. Baran