The Rise and History of Videogames

My english teacher made all the boys write an essay on videogames since we aways play them in class

 A videogame is simply an electronic device that when you interact with a type of controller it displays visual feedback of what is happening on a screen to provide entertainment. The first videogame was patented in 1947 by Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. It was created to stimulate missiles being fired at targets. Later videogames were classified into genres. Such as action, adventure, racing, role play, fighting, and sports. The age at which new advancements for videogames and when major systems were released are classified into generations.

            In the first generation of videogames the first console was created by Magnavox in 1972. It was named the “Odyssey”.

             Every game before 2nd generation videogames had to be stored onto a microchip located in the console to be played. This way no future games could be created for the console. In this generation the new console “Fairchild Video Entertainment System” or (VES) allowed consumers to buy cartridges and insert them into the system. This way new games could be made and played on the “VES”. Another popular system of the time was Nintendo’s “Game and Watch”. Classic games we know now such as Donkey Kong, Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda and many more were played on this handheld system.

            The 3rd and 4th  generation consisted of another Nintendo console “Nintendo Entertainment System” or (NES). It dominated the American and Japanese market. In the 1990’s games came out for many different genres. Such as the debut of Resident Evil and Silent hill for Horror and the start of 3rd person perspective such as Grand Theft Auto, Enter the Matrix, and Hitman. It was the debut of Sega’s 2nd system Sega Genesis. And also the Super Nintendo Entertainment System or (SNES) came out later. Video game consoles at this point began to advance in terms of sound, graphics and quality. Video game produces were in sort of a competition to see who could have the better console.

           5th generation was the one of the most productive eras. The Sony Playstation had been released. However, despite its sales “snes” still took the lead. The Nintendo 64 was released not in 1964 but in 1996, with its first game Super Mario 64. Its music, 3D graphics, and adventure made it a well known title for Nintendo gamers. Other games include Metal Gear Solid, GoldenEye 007, and Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time. 

            The new decade (2001-2005) opened up with Playstation2, Gamecube, and Microsoft Xbox. The later game for Xbox “Halo” would be one of the most selling shooters of all time. The Game boy color and Game boy Advance made Nintendo the leading mobile gaming company. Online video games began to rise such as World of Warcraft and Ultima Online. This happened in 6th generation.

           By 7th generation video games have reached their pinnacle of achievement. In this generation top selling video game producers have made systems with 3D games, real life sounds/actions and online multiplayer. Leading systems include Nintendo Wii, Playstation3 and Xbox 360. Handheld games are the Psp series and Ds series. Motion Controls help players experience gaming that relates to the real world like the Wii. Some games using this system are Metroid Prime 3, Wii Fit, and Wii Sports. The Playstation3 has a “Sixaxis Dualshock” controller which allows players to tilt the controller to turn the camera, steer in a racing game, or shake the controller for verified actions.

Videogames continue to lead in the most profitable entertainment industry in the world. Total sums for all videogame sales add to 22 billion dollars. There is more to the history of videogames then you may realize. Think about the electronics you use daily and the history behind it

Author's Note

any corrections/suggestions

Reviews

[Crimson_Woad]

should note the nintendo 64 system was named so because the console used a 64bit cartridge - didn't have to do with the year it was manufactured.