It took less than half of a century for video games to become an important part of our modern popular culture. Many would say we live in the golden age of video games, where graphics have been advanced to the point of full immersion of the gamer in an entirely different world. Getting to this point wasn’t a simple process, but it can be tracked across the forty-some years that video games have been around.
The earliest video games were likely only played by a select few computer scientists. Created in the 1950’s, these games were purely considered “research,” and constituted an exploration of the capabilities of the newly founded computer.
It wouldn’t be until the 1970’s that the first mainstream arcade games were released to the public. These first few games were simple, but nonetheless effective. Games like Pong and Pac-Man captivated people because of their endless play and clear objectives.
The popularity of arcade games led to a desire to supply a similar experience at home. Game production companies like Atari created the first video game consoles, which allowed people to enjoy video games in the comfort of their own home.
While arcade games hold a special place in video game history, they were left behind in the pursuit of a more convenient style of video gaming.
Video game developers of the 1980’s and 1990’s were keen on creating video games that were based on gameplay and stories. While all the levels of the Mario games were similar, it was the progress in an overarching narrative that kept gamers interested.
As well, the consoles of these decades were getting progressively faster and better looking. By the early 2000’s, games were becoming three-dimensional and very realistic.
The late 1990’s and early 2000’s also spelled the beginning of online gaming, which allowed people from all over to be connected by the same experience. The internet would be a blessing and a curse for video games, as it introduced a whole new level of competitiveness. Popular video games would even host tournaments, leading to the rise of eSports.
As we get closer to the present, video games reach an entirely new level of realism. Many games suffer from choosing to focus on immersiveness over gameplay and lack the simplistic fun of the previous generation of video games. Video game developers of modern-day insist on adding lottery-like additions to their games.
These additions created anger in the video game communities, as winning games became solely about how much money one was able to invest. Unfortunately, additional money making efforts are becoming more necessary for video games companies to make a profit without having to raise game prices.
Realism has become the next big step for video games. Their future is invested in an even more immersive experience, which allows players to feel as though they really are in an entirely new world. This can be seen by how virtual reality is becoming more mainstream for video games.
Hopefully video game companies won’t forget their roots, and will focus just as much on fun and well-rounded gameplay as they do on immersive visuals.
