Video and Computer Games

History

The first interactive computer game, Spacewar, was created in 1961 by Steve Russell, a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But what began as a student exercise quickly became an industry, and by the 1970s, coin-operated arcades could be found in bars, malls, and transportation centers worldwide. Soon thereafter, electronic games became available as handheld, battery-operated devices and as home console games played on a separate television screen. In the 1990s, the change in distribution mechanisms for electronic games—from cartridges, floppy disks, and CD- ROMs to cable television lines and the Internet—blurred the distinction between a PC and console. The most popular console, PlayStation 2, for example, is now marketed as a “computer entertainment system” because of a number of its features: a DVD and hard drive, a modem for Internet access, and a digital camera. Currently, the industry is looking into developing gaming and entertainment applications for thirdgeneration mobile networks, which means that people will be able to use their cellular phones to play both single and multiplayer games.

The video and computer game industry is incredibly profitable. Forecasters predict that interactive game sales will reach $13.8 billion in 2004, with an annual growth rate of 21.7 percent. In 1999, Americans bought 109.9 million copies of console videogame software, 15.5 million consoles, and 61.3 million copies of computer game software. Sony, Nintendo, and Sega are the leading electronic game makers.

Game Genres

Like movies, video and computer games are often classified by genre. Although game genres are flexible and new kinds of games evolve rapidly, the Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA), the leading trade association for the interactive entertainment software industry, distinguishes between the following genres of video and computer games: puzzle/board/card and learning games; action games; strategy, driving/racing, and adventure/role-play games; sports; simulation and children's story games; and creativity games.

Who Plays the Games?

Despite the popular belief that video and computer games attract mostly boys in their teen years, statistics show that the average age of an electronic game player is 28 years old, and 34 percent are women. According to some reports, many senior citizens (52 percent) have overcome their technophobia by learning to play computer games. Studies show that men and women [Page 1683]play games for different reasons, and in different ways: Men like competitive and action games, while women prefer puzzles or scavenger hunts; men respond better to visual stimuli, while women want a satisfying emotional resolution.

...