Applications of form outside light entertainment
As computers began to evolve into more complex systems for
entertainment, software engineers and developers began to see the applications
of computers and consoles beyond mere entertainment applications. Graphically
these tools seem well suited for simulation and training.
Perhaps the most well known is Microsoft Flight Simulator which depicted a realistic approximation
of the plane flying experience right down to the detail of instrumentation and
weather conditions. This program represented a shift in the more conventional
thinking of computer gaming as escapism and entertainment and introduced the
notion that complex simulations of real world situations could be replicated on
the computer (and by association console play as well). Flight simulator was
created by former Hughes aircraft designer and software designer Bruce Artwick. While working for Digital Computer Labs
he honed his skills as a talented software programmer. Ultimately, he formed
the computer software development company SubLOGIC after discovering that
several user were interested in his ideas of computerized simulations that he
had published in several technical magazines(6). In January 1979 the first
iteration of Flight Simulator was released on the Apple II. It was an instant
success and was one of entertainment programs for the IBM PC. In 1982 it was
the top software seller for apple.(6)
Real –life
simulations became the next logical step of digital enetrtainment evolution.
The earliest and to this day most popular off shoot of the real world
simulation is the Sim series. These unusual computer games which included
SimCity and the Sims allowed the player to build cities and characters in
controller environments where random variables would be introduced. Peter
Molenuex’s Populus was another game that offer user the chance to interactive
control their environment by acting “as God” overseeing a planet and alerting
conditions so its digital charges can survive and thrive. These early games set
up the memes that would become mainstay in the simulation software market on
both consoles and personal computers.
Second Life (PC)
Another
interesting on line real life simulator is the game Second Life In the
simulation players adopt/ create an Avatar and walk through a simulated
computer world interacting with other users from around the world. The game allowed players to “purchase” items
within the virtual world. It became an incredibly popular because of its
virtual open world, ease of use and it’s avatar creation system. Second Life
also developed such social components as job interviews, dates, real estate purchases
and other simulated interactions. It’s approx $72 dollars a year so a
subscription fee. As of January 2010, Second life had about 18 million
subscribers.(13)
Emergence of video games as social interactive media
on a global scale.
The personal computer became the first tool that in which
users began to interface directly with other players through servers. This
connectivity began to open up creative outlets for software designers to
develop games specifically for players who wanted to engage other players from
anywhere in the world.
But in the early 80’s computers were very cost prohibitive
making the application for mass usage as a recreational tool limited. After
the success and emergence of Atari and the many early generation consoles
systems such as Colecovision and Mattel’s Intellivision, the video game
industry began to become oversaturated with product and inferior third party
software. These cartridge based game
system were extremely popular until the sudden video game industry crash in
1982.
Colecovision video game system
As the
consoles began to evolve and as the technology became more advanced, hardware
designers began experimenting with on-line play mechanics, which was working
so successfully with PC gamers. The first hardware developer to introduce an
internal modem into their system was SEGA Corporation with their Dreamcast
system. Introduced in 1999, the Dreamcast came on the heels of the failure of
the company’s Sega Saturn system, a game console that competed directly with
the sales juggernaut of Sony’s Playstation 1 console. Dreamcast came out of
the gate very strong with very good overall sales, powerful graphics and
strong third party software support with such award winning games as Soul
Calibur and NFL 2k. Early experimentations in creating an on line virtual world
were mixed. As is often the case with new technology, the public is often
reluctant to deviate from their choices in standard forms of traditional
console play. That coupled with the fact that the Dreamcast did not include a hard
drive rendering saving large files or storing games impossible except to
smaller memory cards contributed to its failure. Still the Dreamcast had a
graphic superiority to the other current systems the Nintendo 64 and the
Playstation 1.(8)
Sega's Dreamcast system and controller
However,
Sega continued to experiment with the on line functionality of it’s system.
Sega introduced Phantasy Star On-line in 2000 (it would eventually be ported
to Microsoft windows) an attempt to compete with PC’s on line interactive game
success with various role –playing and fantasy games.
Sega’s
sonic team worked on an on-line interactive game based on their Sega Genesis
system’s proprietary on-line system game Phantasy Star. An early type of role-playing
game in which characters explore different planets and interact with other
gamers on the server.
Phantasy
Star On-line co-opted much of what players would later see in the virtual
worlds of World of Warcraft and Everquest, fusing it with Squaresoft's anime
like characters of Final Fantasy VII .
Character system systems such as turn based combat was integrated. It spawned
two more sequels but it was eventually discontinued with the death of the
Dreamcast system.
Final Fantasy on The Playstation 1
Dreamcast eventually failed and Sega ceased all production on the console in North America in 2001. However because of the versatile nature of the system’s window’s based architecture support of the system continued in Europe and Japan well into 2004. (9)It was the last console SEGA would produce. They would ultimately concentrate on software development. But the advancement in console on line play was significant and ultimately the two “last men standing” would be the Playstation 2 and Microsoft’s new entry into the console wars, the X-Box. Microsoft had a very different approach to the console wars. Its general disposition in the market would be to push this new unit not as a standard video game console. In spite of it’s sudden demise, the Dreamcast was considered a revolutionary system because of it experimentation with on line gaming. Because of these early experimentations in on line connectivity other companies could examine the technology and make advancements in the science to make it more accessible and affordable. Because of Dreamcast's window based operating system it was easy to program for and fans of the unit began to develop software independently as well as creating what is known as “Homebrew” software, games created by fans and distributed independently through mail order or the internet. This offshoot of the general consumer market has become extremely popular with classic game players and vintage video game collectors.
Sony followed
up their most successful system the Playstation, with the Playstation 2 in
October 2000. This would kick off the sixth generation of home video consoles
and would mark the first time that a major entertainment company would be integrating
modern DVD playback technology in a system. This was a revolutionary move as
it was the first system ever to have video playback capabilities. User could
use it as a functioning DVD player (the highest digital resolution playback
system at the time) as well as a high-end video playback machine. The
Playstation 2 also offered another innovation to the game players used to
having to mothball their previous systems cache of cartridges and discs:
backwards compatibility. The PS2 has a chip base installed in it’s internal
motherboard that allowed the system to play the previous playstations game .
This increased the popularity of the unit. To this day it is still Sony’s
largest selling unit. Sony also solidified the systems popularity by securing
exclusivity rights to certain franchises poplar amount gamers such as the
Metal Gear series, a popular hold over from the Playstation 1 that has become
one of the most popular video game franchises in history. One of the secrets’s
to the Playstation success was its versatility and to its commitment to third
party software companies which drove sales.
Video
game structures were shifting away from the simple platforming and arcade
reflex shoot em ups to serious movie –like narrative forms. Characters would
be created that would have back-stories, personalities. In camera angles would have cinematic
qualities. Take for example Playstation’s first Resident Evil game. This
series was developed by Capcom video game corp. (known in Japan as Biohazard).
Several cut scenes in the video game narrative show close ups, camera pans, tracking
shots and other techniques that are typically associated with feature films.
Eventually Microsoft would enter the console market. In 2000 they introduced
the Microsoft Xbox to much fan fare and industry scrutiny. The Xbox introduced
several innovative components to its console, which would become industry
mainstays. The first being it included an internal hard drive. This add on
would be crucial to the industry’s evolution into the on-line generation. It
also allowed gamers to download games purchased from the companies on line
stores. Ultimately Microsoft’s Xbox system would introduce on line gaming into
their system. But Microsoft improved upon the ideas set up by Sega in
introducing XBOX live, an integrated on-line system that functioned as social
integration point from their user base as well as an on line market place. The
improvements that Microsoft made where based primarily on the notion that in
order for an integrated on line system to work, it had to be working in
conjunction with a proprietary on board interface which allowed the user easy
access to the system’s functionality. (12)
Xbox Live
dashboard interface became the most popular networking application for the
modern console generation. As of Feb 2012, Xbox live had approximately 25 million
subscribers.(17)
The dashboard interface has been described by many of the on line gamers as
extremely easy to use and organize data which does account for much of its
popularity. Most technology seems to be driven out of necessity and convieince
and this does reflect on Microsoft’s consistently updating the dashboard
interface to address the needs of the subscribers.
XBLA (as
Live is more commonly referred to) is especially popular with teenage and pre
teen game players. What made this particular console stand out with many
gamers was the XBLA interface’s ability to perform a function called “Cross
chatting”
This
enables on line players to talk to each other through their headsets while
playing different games.
After a
year of Microsoft’s best selling console having the lion share of the console
sales, Sony released the playstation 3. A slightly higher priced console
coming in at around 499 dollars, The PS3 had several technical specifics that
made it a more powerful system than it’s competitor. For one the PS3 came with
built in Wi-Fi, a feature not included in the Xbox 360. Microsoft owners had
to purchase a separate LAN-line adapter if the wanted to play without an
Ethernet cable attached to their router. Also the operating system on the PS3
included a web browser, effectively making it console PC and giving users
access to the internet directly on their TV, third and most important it came
equipped with a blu-ray player and HDI out put making it the only true 1080i
high resolution system on the market at the time of it’s launch.
The Wifi
and the free On line service certainly made the Playstation competitive in a
environment that was mostly dominated by Nintendo’s very trendy wireless
system which was much weaker in terms of it’s technical specifications but was
very affordable and Microsoft’s machine which had a year head start at
building a user base. (10)
Nintendo Wii System
Playstation
3 upon its release immediately began to market itself as an “all-in one” media
system. High definition was just beginning to enter the home consumer market
with high definition plasma screens becoming more affordable . Sony began
pushing it’s high definition Blu-Ray disc system, which came, built into every
PS3 system. This would account (at least initially) for the high cost of the
system itself. It was at a hundred dollars more than it’s closet competitor,
The Xbox system countered with a separate add on HD player. Ultimately a high
definition format war would break out between the two mediums (Similar to the
VHS/ Beta brawl that happened in the early 80’s at the height of those formats
popularity). Eventually blu-ray would win out and HD format through in the
towel. Since Sony owns the rights to the Blu-Ray format, Microsoft would be
forced to pay a royalty to Sony for its use of its proprietary disc drive.
Instead Microsoft continued to nurture its relationship with third party software
and game developers such as Epic studios (with their popular on line shooter
Gears of war) and Bungie (Up until recently the developer of the Halo
series). It was Microsoft’s exclusivity with Bungie,
the developer of Halo that helped the Xbox leap to prominence. (11)
Halo 4 (Xbox 360)
Due to
it’s commitment to third party game developers, the ease of the system’s architecture
and the affordable price, the Microsoft Xbox 360 seems to be to system of
choice for hard core gamers and hobbyist as well as Indie game developers. Conversely,
the most successful console in terms of sales in the current generation’s line
up is the Nintendo Wii. A system that has bypass the now standard on line
interface that is common place with it’s higher priced brethren. Nintendo’s
follow up to it’s moderately successful Gamecube console, the Wii’s marketing
push focused on its unique control system and family oriented game play. The
idea here was to push for and draw in family audience or players who might
normally not be attracted or interested in video games as a pastime or
recreation. Nintendo’s marketing strategy
paid of in big dividends.(10)
As of early 2012, the Nintendo Wii still outsells both the Ps3 and the
Microsoft Xbox but it’s overall sales are sliding due to the obsolescence of
the hardware. Serious gamers are
gravitating more towards the interactive components of the Microsoft and Sony
systems interface. Most of The High selling software console and PC games have
a function of on line social interaction
Nintendo’s
Wii system would eventually see a sales drop with gamers turning to much more
mature fare. That coupled with the system’s lack of hi-definition capabilities
and a lack-luster on line interface made it difficult to the system to compete
with the heavy duty under the hood firepower of Xbox and Ps3. Nintendo
continued to push it’s wireless motion control system as the selling point and
when it announced the follow up to the Wii, titled the Wii-U they made it
clear that the system would still be a family oriented machine (17). According to 5th Cel CEO
Jeremiah Slaczka, the Wii U would be a competitive powerhouse. “It’s definitely more powerful than Xbox 360
and Playstation 3. It’s kind of frustrating to see rumors and speculation of
people going back and forth saying it’s weaker or more powerful. It’s
definitely more powerful”. Despite
Slaczka’s enthusiasm for the system, Nintendo is still behind the times in
terms of hardware as it’s new unit still uses an internal flash drive memory
as opposed to the more popular standard onboard hard drive.
Console
sales today are completely driven by the social interactive component that
each system offers. In North American the Xbox 360 system leads in sales and
many believe this is primarily due to the XBLA system’s easy to navigate user
system and it’s preinstalled base. Most players I asked said they liked the
easy to navigate menus on Xbox’s operating system. They can locate friends
that are on line with more ease than on the Ps3 and the Live on line store has
more of a variety of games. These consiles have
set up an enviroment where communities can be formed within small or large
social groups. The XBLA dashboard allows user to locate friends and informs
them each time they log into the system. This represents a major shift in the
gaming experience. It’s not simply about just playing the game but also
interacting directly with friends and rivals on the system. Bragging rights on
these consoles comes in the form of a “rewards” sytem. On the XBLA it is
called “Achievements” for which you are
awarded points for accomplishing difficult goals
Call Of Duty: Black Ops (xbox360)
Another
aspect of console’s strong sales is dependant on the versatility of the
systems themselves. The current generation of systems has set a standard for
the future of overall sales by adding hard drives to the console’s interior.
This enables the user to download large amounts of data such as graphically
heavy high definition games in full resolution. Through the systems operating
systems, users can access both XBLA (Xbox Live) and PSN (Playstation network)
and their respective on-line stores on what is known as Dashboard interfaces.
A point system was established with Microsoft users who can acquire points by
purchasing them on cards that could be purchased in stores or on-line through
the dashboard.
The immersive entertainment applications on these newer systems do not end there. Many media distribution companies have become actively involved in the console industry. Both Netflix and Hulu have deals with Sony and Xbox to include their movie streaming applications embedded into the operating systems on the unit (However in the case of Xbox, you are required to purchase the gold system for 60 dollars a year) According to tech journalist Daniel Terdiman, the Xbox Live interface is based on what are called “blades”, which are pages of information stacked on top of each which maximize the number of choices Xbox Live players have and the directions in which they can go.(12) Players can access lists of games to play or choose to watch a movie through Netflix or Hulu or they can go into a section to buy add-ons for games. Microsoft has recently updated their dashboard and eliminated the blades era and created a more advanced interface with windows that spread out on the screen and stretch off into the distance, allowing users to shuttle through them, left to right or right to left.(12)
The immersive entertainment applications on these newer systems do not end there. Many media distribution companies have become actively involved in the console industry. Both Netflix and Hulu have deals with Sony and Xbox to include their movie streaming applications embedded into the operating systems on the unit (However in the case of Xbox, you are required to purchase the gold system for 60 dollars a year) According to tech journalist Daniel Terdiman, the Xbox Live interface is based on what are called “blades”, which are pages of information stacked on top of each which maximize the number of choices Xbox Live players have and the directions in which they can go.(12) Players can access lists of games to play or choose to watch a movie through Netflix or Hulu or they can go into a section to buy add-ons for games. Microsoft has recently updated their dashboard and eliminated the blades era and created a more advanced interface with windows that spread out on the screen and stretch off into the distance, allowing users to shuttle through them, left to right or right to left.(12)
Console gaming as realistic narrative or combat
simulation
The
earliest models for the realistic first person shooting emerged when ID
software created DOOM in 1992.
Developed by John Carmack and his team at ID, Mike Abrash, john Romero and
Dave Taylor, Doom was an offshoot development project of the Castle
wolfenstein prequel, Spear of Destiny and heavily influenced by the visual
style of the James Cameron film Aliens.
Doom became one of the most popular and most played videogames of all
time and was the visual template for hundreds of games that would follow, from
Halo to Call of Duty.
It was revolutionary
for several reasons. First, it was one of the earliest games that allowed
network multi-player activity. This innovation alone makes this game
significant, as this would ultimately become the model for all competitive
games (3) Doom also set up a visual precedence in terms
of it’s visual game engine using what was later known as “the first person”
perspective shooter. (14)
As the
gaming industry was emerging from the industry crash of 1983 and the
revitalization of it after the release of the NES/ Superfamicom system we
began to see major developments and advances in the hardware gamers were
playing on. Major advancements in the development of software was also driving
the industry in new directions. Gone were the days of flat 2D sprites and
pixels. Video game developers were using high-end software packages such as Softimage
and Maya to create realistic three-dimensional NURBs model characters. (14)
Ultimately
the first person shooter would become the staple of interactive entertainment
structure in terms of software output. Other games came quickly on the heels
of Doom’s POV graphics engine such as Quake, Crysis and Golden eye on the N64,
which introduced an interesting solution to a non internet multi-player
experience by having the screen split in 4 different camera angles
representing the point of view of four separate players.
Doom (PC)
The most popular
of the team based shooter of the current generation is Halo. Created
exclusively by Bungie corp. for the Microsoft system, Halo puts the user in
the role of Master Chief, a kind of outer space super marine who leads a group
of fellow soldiers against the dreaded covenant army. Recently Bungie has
turned over the reigns of development to 343 industries for Halo 4 (11), which has created even more on-line
content and interactive multi-player games to the property.
More
recently console gamers have shifted their allegiance from Halo’s science
fiction environment to the more realistic combat simulation of the Call of
Duty series. The “Black ops” off shoot is now the new gold standard for all on
line console shooters. The latest iteration of the series “Call of Duty: Black
ops II” was a big first day seller. As of November 11, 2011 it is estimated
that the Call of Duty series has sold over 100 million copies. (16)
The Call of
Duty series is a first person shooter that involves several player modes
including single player mission modes and multiplayer on line survival
scenarios. The creator, Activision games, has been in the video game
development industry for years, best known for producing many successful games
for the Atari 2600 unit such as Pitfall, Kaboom and River Raid. The main focus
of the game is the player moving through several different combat scenarios.
The game uses several different graphic engines including idTech3, The
Treyarch NGL and IW 5.0. The game has incredibly realistic graphics and
physics as well as an extremely robust and popular on-line multi-player user interface,
which became very popular with young gamers.
According
to one unnamed clerk at a GameStop software store, Call of Duty Black ops
outsells Halo approx 4 to 1 by his estimates. He describes the differential in
sales numbers simply because Call of Duty is a more socially engaging game,
more people play it therefore there are more people that the user can engage.
Most on
line gaming in the current system iterations involves a player using a headset
that is hooked up directly into the controller and wirelessly transmitted into
the system itself, essentially linking the audio directly to anyone who is
playing
The game in
any given “room”. Players on both the XBLA system and PS3 have the ability to
switch off this function. Although Microsoft and Sony police their own on line
communities for abuses, one of the main complaints of these on-line gaming
experiences seems to be abusive and aggressive behavior
The Future of Interactive active
and social entertainment: Following the Trends
Consoles and personal computers continue to be the main
distribution for interactive digital gaming. However, new technology motivated
by revanue potential and the need to innovate and capture interesting changes
in game play have motivated engineers and designers to experiment in new
delivery systems for the medium.
An interesting new example of this experimentation is the
Ouya, a new digital gaming system developed by industry veteran producer Julie
Urham and designer Yves Behar. The Ouya is interesting for several reasons.
First it is extremely compact, smaller than even the Gamecube (It’s roughly
the size of a Rubik’s cube). Secondly, it has no internal hard drive but
carries an on board 8 GB of Flash RAM. But most importantly it’s one of the
first mass produced console that is created with open architecture, which
enables hobbyists and programmers to modify the system and software without
voiding their warranties. This opens up the system to “Homebrew” fans who can
make their own independent games and share them with fellow gamers. (18)
Ultimately this will drive the future of gaming. In this journalist’s
opinion, all technology is driven by necessity and convenience and the gaming
industry is strongly driven by both. But one thing is certain; the future of
gaming will have a strong social interactive component to not only the games but
also the hardware it’s played on.
Ouya system
References/ Footnotes
1) Blake Snow, “Why console
gaming is dying” CNN.com/2012 Nov 9th
2) Jermemy Hsu, “For The US
Military, Gaming gets serious” Livescience.com August 2010
3) Doom,
http//en.wikipedia.com/wiki/doom
4) Macedonia, Michael “Games,
Simulation and military Dilemma 2010 essay
5) Matt Miller, “Mists of Pandoria, no Longer Undisputed
Champion” Game Informer Dec 2012
6) Bruce Artwick is still
flying, Flight simulator history Feb 2001,http://fshistory.simflight.com
7) Interview, Jeremiah
Slackka,”Checking the Industry’s Pulse” Game Informer August 2012
8) Marty Goldberg “Before videogames-what
happened before the Big Bang?” Retrogamer #108, sept 2012
9) The Lemelson center, Ralph
Baer: recovering the history of the video games
10) Consolidated financial highlights, Nintendo
2007 p8 retrieved 2012
11) Halo4 Master chief’s new
foe Game Informer Magazine August 2012 p49
12) Daniel Terdiman “Microsoft unveils new Xbox
experience” CNET.com, October 8th 2008
13) Cracked.com”second life: just the facts.
Cracked.com
14) Journey to the Heart of
Doom, Retro Gamer issue 108
15) Retrogaming, “Coregaming””
Issue 108 August 2012 p40
18) Kotaku.com “The Mastermind
behind the Ouya console is answering your best questions, 7.19.2012
Additional reference
material
Kent, Steven L.
(2000). The First Quarter: A 25-year history of video games. BWD Press. ISBN 0-9704755-0-0.
Consolidated financial highlights Nintendo 2007 p8
Retro Gamer Magazine August- September 2012
www.cracked.com
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