Computer engineers and computer programmers of the latter 1970s unknowingly faced one of the most relevant questions concerning consumerism in the modern digital age: how to market technology as a commodity to the general public. More specifically, they were the first and only wave of engineers and innovators to introduce the concept of a personal computer to a generation previously unacquainted with them.
The new market thus relied on a great deal of creativity and flexibility. This is why video games had such a tremendous and profound impact on the public perception of computers; particularly when compared to the gargantuan machines of the 1960s and 1970s, personal computers offered an entirely new realm of functionality and entertainment. As John Romero, the designer of several hugely popular games such as Wolfenstein, Doom and Quake, puts it, "the fact that computers were primarily used to play games really helped to get people to accept that computers were good and helpful devices."
Personal computers thus paved the way for the production and consumption of modern-day video game consoles. By refining the controllers used to play video games, these consoles experimented with the potential ways that people could interact with technology. From the keyboard evolved the joystick, from the joystick evolved the handheld controllers, and from these evolved wireless movement sensors; we can see a clear progression in terms of how these technological advancements shaped player engagement, and from it we may derive that there has been a continued attempt to enhance the user experience.
Regardless of these improvements, many gamers have nevertheless been hesitant or skeptical to embrace the launch and widespread usage of these new consoles. This, I think, is attributable to the "nostalgia culture" that the Internet since its beginning harbors; that is, it sometimes seems as though the Internet is just a hub of embedded nostalgia. Adrienne LaFrance, a writer for The Atlantic, captures this sentiment wholesomely: "You are, at any given moment, just a few clicks and keystrokes away from local television that aired 40 years ago, from discontinued toys, and from sounds you haven't heard in forever." I think this is the primary reason for why many prefer to game on their personal computers as opposed to systems optimized and developed to deliver the most organic gaming experiences.
While I have never been an avid PC gamer (not because of lack of exposure, but rather because of a lack of continued interest), I continue to be fascinated by the gaming experiences that modern consoles can deliver. Namely, I am convinced that handheld controllers offer a higher level of immersion than a keyboard with letters. This poses, in my eyes, an inextricable advantage over personal computers that PCs will never overcome.
That is not to say that there is no game which may offer better playability on the PC: text based games, as well as point and click games, can definitely be facilitated by a keyboard and a mouse. However, I don't believe that these games have the potential to be as immersive; that is why it is important to not allow nostalgia to dictate all facets of innovation, particularly within the field of gaming.
Saturday 10 February 2018
Sunday 4 February 2018
The Golden Age of Video Games
What makes the prototype so valuable in comparison to its successors? That is, what gives an invention "vintage" status?; and moreover, what causes such an invention to generate interest in the continued development of its type?
Inventions become memorable in the eyes of history when they promote continued growth, promise change, and lead to innovation. Even something like war, the most destructive invention of mankind, leads to a change in the course of history; leads to innovation in the current condition of mankind (e.g. World War II saw some of the biggest advancements in medicine, technology and communication; as a matter of fact, the Internet was a direct consequence of this worldwide conflict).
In my opinion, a society deeply devoted to the creation and development of video games is one that demonstrates a relative amount of stability; in other words, one that has transcended the general need for things such as food and security, and can focus on the interaction between man and machine. When modern industry shifts its focus away from the means of production for subsistence, and instead concentrates on the development of interactive forms of entertainment, we may conjecture that focus has shifted away from fulfilling basic needs and moved towards the increased value in things that keep us occupied and engaged with one another. Perhaps, the most valuable thing about the video games of the golden age is that they introduced a new way for people to engage with technology and one another.
Now, because many of these games are remembered very fondly, we must understand the underlying reasons why. Is it simply a matter of nostalgia? Or is there something fundamental about the nature of these prototypical video games which evokes us to think deeply about their function in the history of computing?
I would certainly argue that they modified the definition of "User Experience" forever. At the start, engineers were simply problem solvers; they would design and develop new technology with the aim of simplifying a particular task, thereby making life easier and more accessible to others. However, the rise of video games introduced the idea that engineers could do much more than solve problems for others; namely, that they could creative interactive visuals which could engage others and motivate them to solve problems themselves.
The motivation of gamers to continue solving problems was directly an impact of the rise of these golden classics, and this drive to solve problems definitely generated an interest in the fundamentals of computing and programming. Given the wide demographic of video game players, the conception of these golden age games led to an induced cross-disciplinary burst of video game ideas: shooting games, adventure games, sports games, etc. Thus, it was proven that video games did not appeal to a particular group of people or strata of the general populace, but to each and all.
However, this led to more variation in video games, which has led it to become a worldwide phenomenon for all groups and ages. My dad, for instance, was not hugely interested in video games when they first started coming out; however, given his interest in sports, as the quality of sports video games progressed, he became a more frequent player of video games. Perhaps this goes to show that although the creation of video games in the golden age did not immediately captivate the entire world, they were the primordial stepping stone in understanding the way that users liked to be engaged, which aided the development of subsequent titles and consoles.
Inventions become memorable in the eyes of history when they promote continued growth, promise change, and lead to innovation. Even something like war, the most destructive invention of mankind, leads to a change in the course of history; leads to innovation in the current condition of mankind (e.g. World War II saw some of the biggest advancements in medicine, technology and communication; as a matter of fact, the Internet was a direct consequence of this worldwide conflict).
In my opinion, a society deeply devoted to the creation and development of video games is one that demonstrates a relative amount of stability; in other words, one that has transcended the general need for things such as food and security, and can focus on the interaction between man and machine. When modern industry shifts its focus away from the means of production for subsistence, and instead concentrates on the development of interactive forms of entertainment, we may conjecture that focus has shifted away from fulfilling basic needs and moved towards the increased value in things that keep us occupied and engaged with one another. Perhaps, the most valuable thing about the video games of the golden age is that they introduced a new way for people to engage with technology and one another.
Now, because many of these games are remembered very fondly, we must understand the underlying reasons why. Is it simply a matter of nostalgia? Or is there something fundamental about the nature of these prototypical video games which evokes us to think deeply about their function in the history of computing?
I would certainly argue that they modified the definition of "User Experience" forever. At the start, engineers were simply problem solvers; they would design and develop new technology with the aim of simplifying a particular task, thereby making life easier and more accessible to others. However, the rise of video games introduced the idea that engineers could do much more than solve problems for others; namely, that they could creative interactive visuals which could engage others and motivate them to solve problems themselves.
The motivation of gamers to continue solving problems was directly an impact of the rise of these golden classics, and this drive to solve problems definitely generated an interest in the fundamentals of computing and programming. Given the wide demographic of video game players, the conception of these golden age games led to an induced cross-disciplinary burst of video game ideas: shooting games, adventure games, sports games, etc. Thus, it was proven that video games did not appeal to a particular group of people or strata of the general populace, but to each and all.
However, this led to more variation in video games, which has led it to become a worldwide phenomenon for all groups and ages. My dad, for instance, was not hugely interested in video games when they first started coming out; however, given his interest in sports, as the quality of sports video games progressed, he became a more frequent player of video games. Perhaps this goes to show that although the creation of video games in the golden age did not immediately captivate the entire world, they were the primordial stepping stone in understanding the way that users liked to be engaged, which aided the development of subsequent titles and consoles.
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