We have come a long way from 8-bit graphics and simple sound effects here in the land of gaming. Once a niche hobby, gaming has undergone a remarkable metamorphosis, evolving into a multi-billion dollar industry that both influences and is influenced by popular culture. Today, video games can transport players to expansive virtual worlds, provide realistic simulations, and tell narratives as rich, if not richer, than those found in novels or films. But how did we get here? Looking Back and into the Future Of Game Development
1. The Early Days: Pixels and Joysticks
Video games were still an infant curiosity in the 70s and briefly into the early 80s. Games such as Pong and Space Invaders will have introduced you to the world of multiplayer video entertainment. Their early games, of course, were simple — beam-rider with rudimentary graphics and basic mechanics. At the time hardware specs were quite limited and games had to be extremely creative and inventive in order to capture our attention. The joystick was the driver, and gaming as a theme for all intents and purposes an arcade sub-culture.
2. The Rise of Home Consoles
In the late 80s and early 90s, home consoles were a total game-changer for the industry. From the Ataris of the 70’s and early 80’s, to systems like Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in homes through out most of anywhere with electricity. This era is when most of the iconic franchises we know today came to be, such as Super Mario Bros. such as Sonic the Hedgehog, were cultural phenonemons. This change from arcade to home console brought with it longer, more elaborate games and turned gaming into a key feature of family entertainment.
3. The 3D Revolution
3D gaming was first seen in the mid-90s and turned into a big deal by 2000. Games like Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time showcased the possibilities for 3D worlds, offering open-environments to explore. In what many would consider a golden era for video game design, this time was marked by the transition from 2D side-scrolling to visceral 3D worlds. This was due to the hardware of that era, powerful enough only for allowed us a basic form of storytelling and gameplay.
4. Online Play And The Death Of Couch Multiplayer
Online multiplayer gaming began in the early 2000s. Earlier games like World of Warcraft and Halo 2 featured internet-connected play, but Fortnite takes that to a new level. Broadband internet and digital distribution platforms (most notably Steam, Xbox Live) changed the way games were distributed. No longer could gamers have games shipped to them in a physical media format instead of downloading directly for their consoles or PCs, basically bringing gaming into the mainstream.
5. Immersive (VR and AR)
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) have taken over the gaming industry for quite some time now. Offer an experience for rich VR headsets like the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive that puts them into new, (literally) immersive worlds. AR games, like Pokémon GO have the unique dynamic of mixing digital with physical — providing consumers ways to interact through gaming elements in their real-world landscape. These technologies are areas that have never really been accessible to gaming before, and they represent a new level of immersion as well.
6. The Future of Gaming
Now moving forward the future of gaming sounds even more intriguing. And with the ever-expanding capabilities of AI, cloud gaming and 5G technology on the horizon further dynamic interconnected experiences are within reach. AI may enable but more pragmatic/reactive worlds, while cloud gaming means games of a much higher quality and lower cost could be played by many. The evolving landscape of gaming will always mould itself to the integration on new technologies, presenting fascinating ways to play and explore together.
Conclusion
Gaming has come a long way from that little LCD wonder to the amazing technological marvels we have today. Now it has grown into a robust, complex format for the telling of stories and sharing creative ideas from one person to another. Conclusion The improvement in technology does not stop improving and with each new technological frontier the scope of potential gaming experiences is expanded. If you are an old gamer or just becoming part of the gaming community, this is probably one of the best times for any individual who play games.
