Video Games: Past, Present and Future

By: Brandon Bailey, Dillon Campbell, Patrick Eck and Nick Rodriguez

Mass Media Industries Blog Staff Writers
 
BLUE BELL, PA--It is tricky to know when the “first” video game actually appeared on the marketplace. Some think gaming started in the eighties, others say the sixties. However, the earliest form of electronic gaming was in 1947.  Called the Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device, it was made by Thomas T. Goldsmith, Jr. and Estle Ray Mann.

     The invention of the “Brown Box” by Ralph Baer is considered the first home console ever made.  When it was manufactured and distributed in 1968, it could play a number of sports games, maze games and quiz games. Over the years, Baer was sued a number of times by opposing companies who made similar systems ranging from Nintendo to Sega to Activision and Mattel.

     The video game industry was doing well until 1983 when the video game market crashed. Among factors contributing to the crash, included two failed video games, Pac-man and E.T. and developers releasing unlicensed games and consoles. Nintendo wanted to do business in the United States but video games were considered a dirty word.  So the Famicom was released as an “Entertainment System” rather than “console.”  Nintendo’s branding of the Famicom as the Nintendo Entertainment System, better known as NES, saved the video game market in America and arguably around the world.

CONTROVERSIES

     Video games have been in the spotlight of many scandals, controversies and ethical issues over the years. Many of these relate predominantly to the violent and sexual content as well as the psychological influences they can pose to children of a young age.

     One of the most well-known scandals in video game history involved Jack Thompson. Thompson was opposed to the game Grand Theft Auto, a game that promoted the crime it’s named for as well as murder, sexual assaults against women and other crimes. He stated that, “We were all becoming serial killers because we are all playing murder simulators.” There is a lot of speculation regarding Grand Theft Auto and what it does to young people.

     Rockstar Games, the publishers of the game series Grand Theft Auto, originally made the game from a police officer’s perspective, however they switched into the perspective of the criminal because they thought it would make the game more enjoyable.
 
MEDIA INSIDER PERSPECTIVE

     Paul Crockett of Rockstar Games says the trend of playing games in a digital domain is increasing because it offers more ways to enjoy, stay connected to and play them. 

     The concept of paying real-world money for something that the consumer cannot physically touch is being embraced by mainstream society.  A lot of the acceptance can be correlated to iTunes where consumers purchase movies, music and other content that they cannot touch.  

     While it will not fully replace the current brick and mortar outlets to purchase physical games, it will continue to impact the overall market. 

FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY: Virtual Reality and Mobile Gaming

     Virtual Reality is not a new thing. However, the company Oculus has produced a virtual reality headset known as the Oculus Rift. The Oculus Rift provides gamers the experience of being inside their games by using a headset which has a 360-degree view of the digital environment.  A pair of headphones allow users to also hear high quality sound from tuned for the environment the gamer sees.

     Games purchased or downloaded on mobile devices allow avid gamers and average persons alike to play video games on-the-go. From handheld game systems like the Nintendo 3DS to games like Angry Birds for a smartphone or tablet.