2. Game Systems, Personal Computers, and Hardware
Chapter 6
Game Systems, Personal Computers, and Hardware

3. Objectives Explain features of various game systems.
Define terms related to gaming systems.
Contract major gaming systems.
Explain successful business models for gaming systems.
Describe how video games drive and complement new technologies.
Identify examples of technology transfer from video games to other industries.

4. Objectives (Continued)
Compare video game systems to personal computers.
Identify elements of personal computers that limit video game playing.

5. Dedicated Game System Consoles
The greatest limiting factor for game design is the hardware systems needed to run a game
Changing the way games are played will mean game systems need more computing power
A dedicated video game console, such as the Xbox 360, PS3, or Wii, can cost more than $500 million in research and development to bring to reality

6. Dedicated Game System Consoles (Continued)
Generation 7 has been dominated by three big manufacturers in the video game console market: Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo
Games designed for a particular system may be able to offer different gameplay
Each company is currently working on the next version of their system
These systems will likely be considered generation 8

7. Dedicated Game System Consoles (Continued)
PlayStation 3 (PS3) is Sony’s generation 7 video game console
The advanced computer processor used in the PS3 has a unique design called the CELL processor architecture
In addition to the main CPU, there are eight synergistic processing elements (SPE)
System operations controls the traffic of information

8. Dedicated Game System Consoles (Continued)
To go with this awesome graphics power, PlayStation 3 installed a Blu-Ray DVD reader
Xbox 360 is Microsoft’s generation 7 video game console
It was the first generation 7 system released
Inside the Xbox 360 is a very good computer
Early on, the largest drawback to the Xbox was the amount of heat it generated

9. Dedicated Game System Consoles (Continued)
Laser burn occurs when the disc gets too close to the laser or the disc stops spinning and the laser burns the same place for too long
Microsoft spent company profits to cover the losses on the Xbox 360
Microsoft makes up some of the financial losses from the sales of the game system by selling a large number of Halo games

10. Dedicated Game System Consoles (Continued)
Wii is Nintendo’s generation 7 video game console
It had the most advanced user interface of any generation 7 system at the time of its release
The Wii used little experimental technology and was inexpensive to build
The Wii rates poor for processing power and graphics in comparison to the Xbox and PS3

11. Dedicated Game System Consoles (Continued)
The USP created by Nintendo is greater player immersion through the use of a superior user interface
The first drawback for Wii is that the player needs a cabinet full of accessories to experience the full level of immersion
The other drawback to the Wii controller is the amount of power needed to read player movement and send it to the system

12. Dedicated Game System Consoles (Continued)
PC gaming is simply playing games on a personal computer instead of a dedicated game console
Many third-party game designers also release their game titles formatted to play on a PC
The PC of today has most of the same characteristics of a game console
However, a PC is not advanced enough to play many games designed to take advantage of the power offered by an Xbox or PS3

13. Dedicated Game System Consoles (Continued)
The generation 7 game consoles are specialists designed primarily for playing games
Many of the generation 5 and 6 games can run in an emulation mode on a PC
The experimental technology that was a USP for a video game system eventually becomes mainstream
This is one of the greatest benefits to consumers from the game industry

14. Game System Consoles: Data
Goodheart-Willcox Publisher

15. Technology Transfer
Technology transfer has occurred between game technology and other devices
One of the ways manufacturers separate their game consoles from the competition is by creating more advanced displays
The GPU found in high-definition televisions was inspired by GPU designs developed for video game consoles

16. Technology Transfer (Continued)
Cell phones, smartphones, and music players all benefited from game technology
All these handheld devices use flash memory
Nintendo created the first random-access memory flash
The user interface of handheld devices has also benefited from game technology

17. Technology Transfer (Continued)
The education field has greatly benefited from technology developed for video games
Students are invited, because of the entertainment value, to play video games
Playing these games builds skills for navigating the user interface
These skills are then put to use in computer applications

18. Technology Transfer (Continued)
Besides the indirect benefits, students are actually learning directly through educational games
The medical community has also greatly benefited from applying game technology
For example, surgical procedures can be practiced through gameplay
Corporations rely on game technology to provide their employees new or enriched skills

19. Technology Transfer (Continued)
One of the products with the heaviest demand in corporate training is foreign-language instruction
The military makes extensive use of video game technology
The military has flight simulators, which are ultra-realistic virtual reality games
Also, 3D graphics are commonplace on weapons systems and satellite imaging

20. Example of Gaming Technology Used in Medical Industry

21. Consider an educational video game that you have played
Consider an educational video game that you have played. Do you think the game was more or less effective for learning the skills or concepts than other methods of learning?
What is one product you use that has benefited from technology developed for video games?