Gregory Eldred
Video Game Design
5/12/2015
Abstract:
Video games are a huge thing right now, what with the Xbox and the Playstation
and the Wii and the PCs. The arcade era, the composite era, and the set piece era
which is going currently, are the three eras of video games. This helped me
understand the process that video games have gone through.
History (literature, media studies, and design)
The first video games were arcade. The main control was a single joystick. Then
there was the composite era, which began with Super Mario Brothers in 1985. By
shifting between skillsets just before players get bored, composite games are able
to more easily induce a flow state in their players. Then came the Set Piece
Period, which started in 1998 and included the original Halo game. This era is still
going.
History of computers, electronic games and toys.
Video games have been around since the early 1970s. The first commercial
arcade video game was Computer Space by Nutting Associates, introduced in
1971. In 1972 came Pong from Atari, the first truly successful video game. The
basic pieces haven’t changed that much since the birth of the Atari 2600. All
video game systems have a User Control Interface, CPU, RAM, Software kernel,
Storage medium for games, Video output, Audio output, and Power supply.
Before the 20th century children had few toys and those they did have were precious. Furthermore children did not have much time to play. Only a minority went to school but most children were expected to help their parents doing simple jobs around the house or in the fields. Egyptian children played similar games to the ones children play today. They also played with toys like dolls, toy soldiers, wooden animals, ball, marbles, spinning tops and knuckle bones (which were thrown like dice).
In Ancient Greece when boys were not at school and girls were not working they played ball games with inflated pig's bladders. They also played with knuckle bones. Children also played with toys like spinning tops, dolls, model horses with wheels, hoops and rocking horses.
Roman children played with wooden or clay dolls and hoops. They also played ball games and board games. They also played with animal knuckle bones.
Toys changed little through the centuries. In the 16th century children still played with wooden dolls. (They were called Bartholomew babies because they were sold at St Bartholomew's fair in London). They also played cup and ball (a wooden ball with a wooden cup on the end of handle. You had to swing the handle and try and catch the ball in the cup). The first dolls house was made in Germany in 1558. Then in 1693 the English philosopher John Locke said that 'dice and playthings' with letters on them would help children to learn the alphabet
The industrial revolution allowed toys to be mass produced and the gradually became cheaper.
John Spilsbury made the first jigsaw puzzle in 1767. He intended to teach geography by cutting maps into pieces but soon people began making jigsaws for entertainment. The Kaleidoscope was invented in 1817.
In the 19th century middle class girls played with wood or porcelain dolls. They also had dolls houses, model shops and skipping ropes. Boys played with toys like marbles and toy soldiers as well as toy trains. (Some toy trains had working engines fueled by methylated spirits). They also played with toy boats. However poor children had few toys and often had to make their own.
In a well off 19th century family children played with rocking horses and clockwork toys like moving animals. Clockwork trains were also popular. So was the jack-in-the-box.
Simple toys like spinning tops were also popular. So were hoops and games like knuckle bones and pick up sticks in which you had to pick up colored sticks from a pile without disturbing the others.
On Sundays children often played with toys with a religious themes like Noah's arks with wooden animals. Children also loved magic lantern (slide) shows and puppet shows.
Many new toys were invented in the 20th century. Plasticine was invented in 1897 by William Harbutt. It was first made commercially in 1900. Also in 1900 Frank Hornby invented a toy called meccano. Other popular toys in the early 20th century were tin cars. In the 1920s train sets became very popular. Soft toys also became common in the early 20th century including teddy bears.
During World War II most toy factories were turned over to war production. However in the late 20th century with the arrival of an affluent society plastic and metal toys became much cheaper and much more common. In the 1950s Lego became a popular toy. Mr Potato Head was invented in 1952. The skateboard was invented in 1958. Barbie dolls were invented in 1959 and Action Man went on sale in Britain in 1966. In the early 1970s space hoppers and clackers were popular toys. At the end of the 20th century computer games became very popular. Among modern toys the tamagotchi was invented in 1996 and the furby went on sale in 1998.
The Video Game market (market size and trends)
Over 59% of Americans play games
That means that in America alone, over 150 million people play games. 150 million people spread over a vast variety of backgrounds, ages, genders, socioeconomic statuses. All of us are jumping into stories, swapping gummies, fighting foes, traveling through time, and finding hidden objects.
Average age of the gamer is 31
This is up from 30 years old last year. Is it safe to assume that as video gaming aged another year, so did all of its gamers? Or is a safer theory that, even as the younger generation grows into gaming, more of the older generation begins embracing it as well?
29% of gamers are under 18
Video games are no longer seen as strictly toys for kids. In fact, it seems as though that image has changed almost entirely. Don’t get me wrong, obviously there are still games intended as entertainment for kids. However, more gamers are over the age of 50 than under 18. We’re also seeing video games as educational tools to help improve focus and concentration in children.
The instructors report that video games increase motivation and engagement in their students. 4 out of 5 of video game-implementing teachers use games created exclusively for educational purposes.
It’s not just teachers who are using games to assist in educating the youth of today. 56% of parents say video games positively affect their children.
48% of gamers are female
Up another percentage point from last year (47%), women are a massive force in the video gaming audience. I predict that this time next year, we’ll see a shift in who makes up the majority. Also, video game purchasers are split right down the middle. 50% are men. 50% are women.
52% of gamers in the UK are women
Across the ocean, a study conducted in September 2014 found that 52% of gamers are women. Of those surveyed, 33% listed their favorite game genre to be Trivia/Word/Puzzle. It goes without saying that mobile and casual gaming has contributed to the steady rise in female gaming. However, in that same study it was discovered that 56% of female gamers have played on a console and 68% have played online.
22% of the video game workforce is made up of females and 76% of game developers are men
While this number is a bit disheartening, and we’d love to see more diversity in the business of video game creation, it is double what we saw in 2009. As awareness grows, I have no doubt we’ll see more smart, creative, and innovative women rising in the industry.
One final note about gender and video game culture: with 2014 came the debacle that was #gamergate. It was big, it was loud, it was confusing and angering. Don’t know what I’m talking about? For a comprehensive review of the events, check out the article by Mirror.
An amazing bi-product of the rise in mobile gaming popularity is the emergence of independently released games. The technology of smart phones and tablets has allowed for the widening reach of indie titles. These games are
often beautifully illustrated, clever, innovative, and fun. The dream of starting a tiny game studio with two or three founders seems more feasible than ever to ambitious dreamers.
Of Metacritic’s top 25 iPhone/iPad games of 2014 list, half (13) were independent releases. Top 10 games of 2014
In a surprising turn of events (to some) it was announced a few days ago that Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare brought in more sales than Bungie’s massive $500 Million Destiny. Below you’ll find the list of top 10 best-selling games of 2014. Please note: this list does not take into account digital sales:
1. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare 2. Madden NFL 15
3. Destiny
4. Grand Theft Auto V 5. Minecraft
6. Super Smash Bros 7. NBA 2K15 8. Watch Dogs 9. FIFA 15
10. Call Of Duty: Ghosts
Minecraft (released in 2009) is one of the top three best-selling video games of all time. As of this writing, 18,207,546 units have been sold.
After selling Minecraft to Microsoft in 2014, founder Markus Persson decided it was time to take a break. In December he purchased a $70 million house (23,000 square feet); the most expensive house in Beverly Hills. The house boasts 15 toilets and a $200,000 candy room.
Mobile revenue is expected to overtake console gaming in 2015
It’s estimated that the mobile gaming industry reached $25 billion in sales in 2014. That’s almost double (42%) over 2013.
Ages 35-44 were the biggest spenders. They averaged $6 per person, per month.
It’s expected that revenue from smartphone and tablet titles will continue to grow, reaching $30.3 billion in 2015. Look at that number one more time and then consider that a mobile game or in-app purchase is often below $5 (or even $1).
Major League Gaming has 9 million registered users
It’s the largest active video game channel and hosts live events and streaming action. In August 2014 the MLG Championship brought in 18,000 attendants. 2,000,000 were watching online. The top prize ($25,000) was awarded to the Evil Geniuses for Call of Duty: Ghosts.
YouTube gaming channels bring in more than 3.5 billion views each month
People are tuning in on their computers in droves to watch others play video games accompanied by commentary. Why is this medium so attractive and entertaining? Some of the gamers are talented, some are funny, some are sarcastic and some are all of the above.
Competitive Video Game events are now known as eSports 71 million people watch competitive gaming worldwide
That means that more people are watching others play video games than are tuning in for US sporting events. That number has increased 8 fold in the past four years.
Typical business models (Major Industry players)
The changes coming out of Microsoft Corp.MSFT +2.21% in the last few weeks under new CEO Satya Nadella are among the biggest in its history. The company, which spent decades fighting rivals and regulators for the ability to bundle its applications to its proprietary platform, is now moving to a cross-platform approach, for example offering versions of Office applications like Word, which run on rival Apple Inc.AAPL +2.26%’s iPad.
The scope of the changes shouldn’t get lost amid a flurry of product details. The changes under way at Microsoft are among the biggest in its long and influential history. ”Our view is that we are witnessing the biggest shift in attitude by Microsoft since the pivot around the Internet in the late 90’s,” IDC analyst Al Hilwa says.
Robert Galbraith/Reuters Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella speaks at the company’s “build” conference in San Francisco, April 2, 2014.
In the last few days, at the company’s Build conference for developers, it announced even more steps in this direction. It is making the Windows operating system free for smaller mobile devices. It has open-sourced more of its .NET software framework, which as TechCrunch notes, “forms the core of Microsoft’s developer ecosystem,” Earlier, the company renamed its Windows Azure cloud computing platform as Microsoft Azure, highlighting its compatibility with other platforms.
Taken together, such moves represent a completely new way of approaching the market. Before, Microsoft used applications to strengthen its platforms, which were at the core of its strategy. Now, the company is putting its applications at the fore, and distributing them as widely as possible through multiple platforms, even at the potential expense of Windows. Rivals such as Google Inc.GOOGL +1.52% and Apple already function that way, to varying degrees. Google apps run on Apple devices. Apple is all about the platform, except when it’s not. Apple devices such as the iPhone and the iPad are compatible with Windows-based computers.
Under Mr. Nadella, the company is adjusting to the realities of the market. Business customers are adopting multiplatform IT strategies, which are much easier to execute in the era of the cloud. In the consumer market, Microsoft has had limited success establishing its mobile platforms as strong alternatives to Apple and Google. It
has decided to follow its customers on the range, rather than extend a largely future effort to keep them in its corral.
Sony revealed a new business strategy that is ambitiously targeting an operating profit of at least $4.3 billion in the company's 2017 fiscal year (ending March 31st 2018). This is a huge leap from the ¥20bn operating profit
predicted for the current year, ending March 31st. Indeed, the company still expects to register its sixth net loss in seven years during the present period, albeit by a smaller amount than it previously anticipated. Sony said it will use a goal of 10% return on equity (ROE) as the main indicator by which it will measure its profit target.
Jan. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Nintendo Co. President Satoru Iwata said the maker of video-game machines is considering a new business model after forecasting a surprise 25 billion-yen ($240 million) annual loss because of tepid demand for the Wii U.
Nintendo fell the most in more than 12 years in the U.S. yesterday. The company had previously projected profit of 55 billion yen for the year ending March as it counted on Christmas shoppers to revive sales of the Wii U console featuring games with iconic characters Mario and Zelda. Nintendo cut its forecasts for Wii U console sales to 2.8 million units from 9 million and for Wii U game sales to 19 million units from 38 million.
Game Genres (single and multiplayer genres)
Shooter (horizontal, vertical), First-Person-Shooter (FPS), adventure, platform,
Role-Playing Games (RPGs), Puzzle, Simulations, Strategy/Tactics, Sports, Fighting,
Dance/Rhythm, Survival Horror, Hybrids (combinations).
Tetris (1981), Super Mario Bros (1985), Doom (1993), Final Fantasy 7 (1997),
Metal Gear Solid (1998), Deux Ex (2000), Grand Theft Auto 3 (2001), Shadow of
Colossus (2005), Mass Effect Trilogy (2007 – 2012), and Bioshock (2007) are the
most influential games ever. Tetris is a platformer, Super Mario Bros is a
platformer, Doom is an FPS, Final Fantasy is a RPG, Metal Gear Solid is a shooter,
Deux Ex is an RPG, GTA is adventure, Mass Effect is FPS, Bioshock is FPS.
References
Everything you use needs a reference.
http://citationmachine.net/index2.php
http://thegamedesignforum.com/features/GDH_4.html
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/video-game3.htm
http://www.localhistories.org/toys.html
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/greatest-video-games/
http://www.bigfishgames.com/blog/2015-global-video-game-stats-whos-playing-what-and-why/
http://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2014/04/04/microsoft-business-model-shifts-from-os-to-application/
http://www.thocp.net/software/games/reference/genres.htm
http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-sonys-new-business-strategy-2015-2 \
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-01-17/nintendo-forecasts-net-loss-on-stagnating-sales-of-wii-u-games
