Introduction

A video game is a game that involves interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device , most commonly a television.

The "video" in "video game" traditionally refers to a raster display device. However, with the popular use of the term "video game", it now implies any type of display device. The electronic systems used to play video games are known as platforms; examples of these are personal computers and video game consoles. These platforms are broad in range, from large computers such as mainframes, to handheld devices such as cell phones and PDAs. Specialized video games such as arcade games, while previously common, have gradually declined in use.

The user interface to manipulate video games is generally called a game controller, which varies across platforms. For instance, a dedicated console controller might consist of only a button and a joystick, or feature a dozen buttons and one or more joysticks. Early personal computer based games historically relied on the availability of a keyboard for game play, or more commonly, required the user to purchase a separate joystick with at least one button to play. Many modern computer games allow the player to use a keyboard and mouse simultaneously.

Beyond the common element of visual feedback, video games have utilized other systems to provide interaction and information to the player. Chief examples of these are sound reproduction devices (speakers) and an array of haptic peripherals (i.e., vibration or force feedback).

In scientific studies by the International Institute of Entertainment [citation needed], video games have been proven to improve hand-eye coordination, vision, logic skills, SAT scores, reading speed, memory, hearing, reflexes, social skills, and communication. This makes them, by comparison, the most educational and informative form of entertainment commonly available to the middle class.

Origin

The history of video games traces back to 1948, where the idea of a video game was conceived and patented by Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle Ray Mann. In 1958, William Higinbotham's Tennis for Two was developed. Then in 1962, "spacewar!", was developed and it is hailed as the very first computer video game. Later in 1972, the Magnavox Odyssey was released, the first video game console. Ralph Baer is credited as creating the first home video game console, the "brown box," the prototype of the Magnavox Odyssey.

Platforms

In common usage a "PC game" refers to a game that is played on a personal computer connected to a high-resolution video monitor. A "console game" historically has referred to a specialized single purpose electronic device that connects to a standard television set or composite video monitor. A "hand-held" game is a self contained electronic device or miniature computer and monitor combination that is portable and can be held in a user's hands. "Arcade game" generally refers to an even more specialized type of electronic device that is typically designed to play only one game and is encased in a special cabinet. These distinctions are not always clear and there may be games that bridge one or more platform. There are also platforms that have non video game variations such as in the case of electro-mechanically based arcade games.

There are also devices with screens which have the ability to play games but are not dedicated video game machines. Examples are mobile phones, PDAs, graphing calculators, GPS receivers, MP3 players, digital cameras and watches. Increasing convergence of such devices is blurring the lines of distinction between these devices.

In general, a platform is a preferred distinct class of hardware, interfaces and user expectations are combined to provide a consistent experience to the user/player.

Genres

A video game, like most other forms of media, may be categorized into genres based on many factors such as method of game play, types of goals, and more.

Games have often been easier to classify by genre due to the technical constraints of various platforms, and commercial pressures like one would experience in any hit driven, entertainment market. As the production values of video games have increased over the years both in visual appearance and depth of story telling, the demand for more creative talent has driven game companies to bring in artists from outside of what one would traditionally call the video game industry.

The reuse of genres is most clearly seen in the trend by publishers to establish "franchises", which often recycle the characters, situations, conflicts, gameplay mechanics, and/or themes over the course of any number of sequels.

Although many games may combine genres, very few exist outside the paradigms of previously established genres (with notable exceptions, which when successful generally define a new genre through subsequent imitation by competition). Some genres represent combinations of other genres such as with Massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). It is also common to see higher level genre terms that are collective in nature across all other genres such as with war or horror-themed video games.

Development

Video games are made by game developers, who used to do this as individuals or small teams in the 80's. Now, development commonly requires a large team consisting of designers, graphic designers and other artists, programmers, sound designers, musicians, and other technicians; all of which are managed by producers. The visionary for any game may come from any of the roles outlined. Development by committee rarely works.

Video games are developing fast in all areas, but the problem is of cost, and how developers intend to keep the costs low enough to attract publisher investment. Most video game console development teams number anywhere from 20 to 50 people, with some teams exceeding 100. The average team size as well as the average development time of a game have grown along with the size of the industry and the technology involved in creating games. This has led to regular occurrences of missed deadlines and unfinished products; Duke Nukem Forever is the quintessential example of these problems.

Modifications

Games running on a PC are often designed with end-user modifications in mind, and this consequently allows modern computer games to be modified by gamers without much difficulty. These mods can add an extra dimension of replayability and interest. The Internet provides an inexpensive medium to promote and distribute mods, and they have become an increasingly important factor in the commercial success of some games. Developers such as id, Valve, Crytek, Epic and Blizzard Entertainment ship their games with the very development tools used to make the game in the first place, along with documentation to assist mod developers, which allows for the kind of success seen by popular mods such as Counter-Strike.

Cheats

Cheating in computer games may involve cheat codes implemented by the game developers for playtesting, modification of game code by third parties (by either cheat cartridge hardware or a software trainer), or players exploiting a software glitch.

Cheats usually make the game easier by providing an unlimited amount of some resource (lives, health or ammunition for example) but might provide an unusual or amusing feature, like reversed colors in a game.

Cheat codes usually are found on websites all over the internet. Cheats can be found for almost any game on almost any platform.

Glitches

Software errors not detected by software testers during development can find their way into released versions of computer and video games. This may happen because the glitch only occurs under unusual circumstances in the game, was deemed too minor to correct, or because the game development was hurried to meet a publication deadline.

Glitches can range from minor graphical errors to serious bugs that can delete saved data or cause the game to malfunction.

Glitches in games for home computers, and now in consoles like the Xbox 360, PS3, and the Wii, may be later corrected if the developers release a patch.