Over half a billion players play computer or video games for at least an hour every week. The first computer games were played in the 1970s, when technology was at its peak. Nolan Bushnell, Al Alcorn and others bought a $75 television at Walgreens to integrate into the Pong game. In the 1970s, advances in computing technology made it possible to develop video games. Atari wasn’t prepared for the game which would make the company famous. The game’s immediate popularity in a Sunnyvale drinking hole led these brave entrepreneurs to the path of a prosperous and successful future. It was almost instantaneously a worldwide hit.
Nintendo, the Japanese gaming company, had a 90 percent market share by 1989. Game Boy sales exploded. Alexy Pajitnov is a Russian who invented Tetris. Nintendo acquired the hello88.charity rights to Tetris after the Communist restrictions ended and marketed the product as a Game Boy. The game was a huge success. It sold 32 million units within its first three years. Play Station was introduced to the market in the mid-1990s, followed by PlayStation II.
Microsoft may have finally become interested in gaming because of the huge potential profits. Microsoft Game Studios were established in 2002. It created XBOX Live Productions in 2008. Microsoft Studios merged gaming and entertainment in 2010 to create a mobile gaming studio. MSN offers a wide range of online games for free.
Video and computer gaming is a multi-billion-dollar international industry. It would be possible to write an extremely heavy book covering just a small fraction of gaming’s history. Video and computer games are played anywhere, with any number of players. Virtual reality can bring you right into the action.
Initially, companies that produce games were founded by people who did the artwork, programming, and design. Programming was the hardest part of the game, so the programmer was essential. Those budgets for game development were small, and the visuals were primitive.
The business today is highly risky and teams are made up of hundreds of people. Visual effects can be expensive and are designed to stand out from the competition. Publishers are a major source of funding for game production.
Gaming is largely a reflection of the television industry. Massive multiplayer online games (MMOPs) can accommodate up to 6,000 users on a single computer. Hughes Net gen4 is a service that can connect you to these MMOP websites. Reality TV may be the inspiration for new MMOPs. Online events that are well advertised can be launched by gaming companies to draw thousands of players. Interactive experiences based on cable television and online gaming are possible. Thousands of players can compete in a virtual world. The only limitations are creativity and technology.