1. Computer and Video Games BY: MIKE TERPSTRA

2. Computer Games are nothing new…  Games have always been part of computing. Some were created for tests or demonstrations. Others merely reflect that computer pioneers were human—and humans play.  Their increasingly sophisticated hardware and software mirrors the evolution and transformations in the complexity, power, and size of computers.  Gaming grew in the 1960s as computers became more interactive and widely available. By the 1980s, increasingly powerful personal computers and dedicated game consoles had established a lucrative new entertainment medium. Today, computer games out- sell films.

3. From Play to Profit…  Microprocessors and personal computers became powerful enough to host the increasingly complex and graphical games. Companies such as Magnavox and Atari, seeing their profit potential, transformed games into commercial products.

4. SPACEWAR!  In 1961, computers were seriously big, seriously expensive, and seriously serious. Then came SpaceWar! But this early computer game was not just addictive play. It ignited interest in programming on college campuses, pushed the limits of technology, and was a step toward interactive personal computing.

5. Computer games on TV  Ralph Baer, an engineer and division manager at Sanders Associates, came up with an alternative to computer games to improve the graphics.  Tinkering in his spare time, Baer developed a home gaming system in 1966 built in a brown box. He called it “Brown Box.” The device, more innovative than its name, used a standard TV as its display.

6. Atari on the Rise  Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney founded Atari in June 1972  Pong, designed by Atari in 1972, launched the video game craze that transformed and reinvigorated the old arcades and made Atari the first successful video game company.  Warner Communications bought Atari in 1976 for around $30 Million.

7. Different Types of Atari This is the Atari 2600. Although the 2600 was not the first home game console to use a microprocessor and removable game cartridges, it helped establish that as the standard. By 1982, the Atari 2600 game console was losing out to newer competitors such as Intellivision and ColecoVision. The 5200, based on the Atari 400 home computer, was an attempt to regain market share.

8. Pac-Man Takes Off  Pac-Man was among the first games to break into popular culture.  The game wasn’t a hit in its native Japan. But in 1981, Bally bought the U.S. rights, changed “Puck” to “Pac,” and released it in America.  Pac-Man fever reached a peak in 1982 when the single “Pac-Man Fever” went gold, reaching number nine on the Billboard Hot 100.  Pac-Man has been one of the most popular arcade games since its introduction in 1980

9. Video Game industry Crashes  The Video Game Crash of 1983 was triggered by a combination of poor game quality and oversupply. The video game industry did not recover until after the introduction of the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985.  Flooded with too many products—many of poor quality—game sales collapsed in, toppling many producers.

10. Nintendo Takes Advantage  Nintendo saw this market crash as an opportunity to expand market share and introduced the Famicom (Family Computer).  Famicom’s “picture processing unit,” developed by Ricoh, enabled unprecedented graphics. Nintendo simultaneously released three popular arcade games: Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., and Popeye.  In 1985, Nintendo introduced Famicom to America as Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), offering 18 game titles. That number swiftly swelled past 100, helping revive the American market. Among them was Super Mario Brothers, which became a Nintendo mainstay.

11. Nintendo Explodes The US release in 1985 is often cited as heralding the end of the Video Game Crash of 1983 and the start of a new generation of games based on 8-bit microprocessors.

12. The Incredible Shrinking Console As computers grew steadily smaller and more powerful, so too did video games, shrinking from arcade consoles to home systems to sophisticated handhelds. Game Boy, introduced by Nintendo in 1989 with the best-selling game Tetris, blazed the trail. More than 100 million Game Boys were sold in 20 years. This type of gaming has developed into things we now see such as Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable.

13. Relationships across all entertainment  The lucrative game market caught the attention of established companies such as Sony and Microsoft in the 1990s. Sniffing an opportunity, they began producing computer game programs, home consoles, and handhelds.  The Internet—linking networked players—further expanded video games’ audience and reach.  With video games established as mainstream entertainment, they increasingly cross-pollinated other popular media. Games spawned books and films, while TV shows, films, and comics in turn inspired games.

14. The PlayStation  Electronics giant Sony entered the video game market by partnering with Nintendo to create the Play Station (also called Super Nintendo CD). Their marriage quickly soured, however, sparking a custody battle over the system. Sony won. In 1994 it released the re-named PlayStation, which used disc technology that later became standard for home consoles.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-sorAXlmvc ----> --->

15. The Sims  The Sims, released in 2001, focused on relationships, pushing beyond the traditional young male demographic—and pushing series sales past 90 million copies.

16. Link Between Game and Real Life Violence  Doom is credited with starting a craze for First-Person Shooter video games. Its graphic violence was controversial, but controversy did not prevent the success of Doom and its many sequels.  Powerful graphics, engrossing fantasy worlds, and impact— particularly in first-person shooter games—ignited heated, emotional debates. In 1994, Senate hearings led to the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, which rates software by age appropriateness.  Instances such as the Columbine High School Shootings have led to the belief that video games influence human decisions in the real world.

17. The More the Merrier  Ultima On-Line was one of the earliest Massively Multiplayer On-Line Role Playing Games. Over the years we have seen the development of Online gameplay. It has opened up an unbelievable amount of opportunities for the gaming community. Because of this we have the likes of Call of Duty, Halo, World of Warcraft, League of Legends, and hundreds of other games that continue to build into the future.