Review: Rise of the video games

In rise of the video game series, the first two chapters are talking about the developing history of video games.

Video game industry is a branch that come from computer and programming science at the beginning. However, some people find they can use those hard and ugly computers to make some entertainment. So they did try to do that, and those precursors lay a foundation of this creative industry.

I think these two chapters show us the processing of video game developing in about three different but connected accepts, technical, performance and target marketing.

As we read before, one of the standard to differ video games with other graphic media like movie and books is interactivity. The technical accept is one of the most important element about game developing. From huge box machine to small famicom, from a handle with one runner that use to play tennis to modern game controller or keyboard, even those professional simulation equipments like steering wheel or control stick of plane. The technical improvement can really change the way people playing game. Furthermore, this also changes players' experience and the maximum potential of these game industry.

Following the hardware and software improvement, the performance of video games become more and more delicacy and realistic. 8bit console famicom allowed Shigeru Miyamoto to make Mario with simple large nose, 16bit console MD let SEGA created cool speedy Sonic, and then 32bit console Playstation with CD-ROM lead the whole game industry from 2d to 3D. Now, PS3 and XBOX360 show player a great picture of HD. The virtual world is becoming truly and its influence are growing up in creditable speed.

The video game marketing are growing as well. Before it become something can make money, video game was just a little toy for a small group of scientists enjoy themselves. Then, PONG make the first found of game industry. The world had a tiny change since that, but this change would caused a blizzard of human live. Many shooting games were released, more boys' attention were attracted by games. Later on, packman open the gate of female customers and make video games become more common. On the other hand, computer game like Mystery House start from another point, were welcome by people who have more patient and eduction. Designers and businessman can always find something new and haven't been discovery, just like now Nitendo use touch screen to DS and use new controller to attract more "casual players".
In the third chapter of these videos, it have a serious discuss about the effect of video games, especially first person shooting games might affect young and children in violent and blood accept.

How the game visual and performance development makes people worry about humanity and social problem. I really like the conclusion of this chapter, Ken Perlin, a computer science professor describe computer games as a pen. People can use the pen to write something, that might save many people's live, but might send many people to death as well. They did use the pen's power, but there is nothing to do with the pen. Games are just like any tools else, people just can use it to communicate with others and what information they want to show is not matter with the game technology at all.