Filling in video game history from the Dreamcast on...
Created by ampace on Sep 20, 2010
Last updated: 09/22/10 at 08:52 PM
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Question 1: What were the details of the event?
The first half of 2010 proved to be the first time in history that the digital purchases and downloads of PC games outnumbered the purchases of physical copies of video games. In fact, digital purchase and download accounted for 3 million more sales than physical sales.
Question 2: Why was the event important to the industry?
As the entertainment industry, and the video game industry in particular continue to digitize we can only speculate on the ultimate outcome. It may be that box art goes away completely, and we come to think differently of the way games are represented in the market place. I believe we will also see a further melding between video games and the internet. We will begin to see considerable overlap between the two, perhaps even so far to have a purely digital form of currency with which we pay for our games.
NPD Group, Inc. (Sept 20, 2010). "PC Full-Game Digital Downloads Surpass Retail Unit Sales". Press release. Retrieved 2010-09-21.
http://www.npd.com/press/releases/press_100920.html
Question 1. What are the details of the event?
EA's EA Partners division caters to smaller game studios, allowing a greater degree of expression, and at the same time, becoming a "champion of independence."
Question 2: Why was the event important to the industry?
The independence of smaller and more artistic game studios is critical to the future of the game industry. The smaller studios provide the market with independent thought, and fuel a cycle of renewal in the creative thought amongst game desingers.
Vore, B. (May 25, 2010). A History Of EA Partners. Retrieved September 22, 2010 from http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/05/25/a-history-of-ea-partners.aspx
http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/05/25/a-history-of-ea-partners.aspx
Question 1: What were the details of the event?
For better or worse, the United States government mandated that all television signals should be digital or high definition. This prompted mass numbers of people to purchase high definition televisions.
Question 2: Why was the event important to the industry?
Once most of the homes in the US had HDTVs, the demand for high definition games increased exponentially.
Developers and Designers were able to add vast amounts of details, creating depth in environments where there had been none before.
Condon, S. (January 26, 2009). Senate OKs delay of digital-TV transition. In Cnet News. Retrieved September 22, 2010, from http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10150551-38.html.
Image by Andrew Pace
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10150551-38.html
Question 1: What are the details of the event?
World of Warcraft, the undisputed king of massively multiplayer online games, stated in December, 2008 that it had reached 11.5 million users.
Question 2: Why was the event important to the industry?
World of Warcraft shows the massive potential of massively multiplayer games. Gamers are more than willing to spend vast amounts of time and money in online worlds. The demand for economy designers and social interaction designers is at an all time high.
Cavalli, E. (December 23, 2008). World of Warcraft reaches 11.5 million users. Retrieved September 22, 2010 from http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2008/12/world-of-warc-1/
http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2008/12/world-of-warc-1/
Question 1: What were the details of the event?
In a red letter year for the game industry, Jack Thompson, the anti-video game activist who for years sought legal action against video game developers, was disbarred by the Florida court system.
Question 2: Why was the event important to the industry?
With the disgrace of the game industry's most vocal critic, the industry seemed to have a fresh gust of wind in its sails. A new level of validation moved the industry from an era where games were thought to be for children, into a time when games are seen to be for the masses.
This had the effect of enabling designers to create games more oriented towards adults and maturing the entire industry.
Fahey, M. (September 25, 2008). Jack Thompson Disbarred. Retrieved on September 22, 2010 from http://kotaku.com/5054772/jack-thompson-disbarred
http://kotaku.com/5054772/jack-thompson-disbarred
Question 1: What are the details of the event?
In 2008, incredibly, consumers purchased nearly 100 million game consoles and handhelds.
Question 2: Why was the event important to the industry?
The massive console sales numbers of 2008 illustrate the prevalence of video gaming in today's culture. Moreover, video gamers have begun to construct their own culture, and even sub cultures.
Today's designers and developers can expect to earn massive followings, provided their games are good.
VGChartz LTD. (2010). Hardware Annual Summary. Retrieved September 22, 2010, from http://www.vgchartz.com/hw_annual_summary.php
Image taken from http://www.vgchartz.com/hw_annual_summary.php
http://www.vgchartz.com/hw_annual_summary.php
Question 1: What are the details of the event?
In 2008, Turbine announced it would be developing a Massively Multiplayer Online title for game consoles, and that they were investigating the possibility of cross-platform playability.
Question 2. Why was the event important to the industry?
The effect would be a massive migration from PCs to gaming consoles for gamers. This also creates added difficulty for game developers, in that they now have greater programming hurdles to over come. Bridging the gap between various consoles is certainly a difficult task.
Whitting, M. (June 11, 2008). Turbine Confirms Console MMO in the Works. Retrieved on September 22, 2010. From http://www.1up.com/news/turbine-confirms-console-mmo-works
http://www.1up.com/news/turbine-confirms-console-mmo-works
Question 1: What were the details of the event?
Euphoria is an advanced motion control add-on that allows game developers to integrate lifelike reactions in non-player characters.
Question 2: Why was the event important to the industry?
Euphoria signals a new day for game developers, where the requirements for scripting advanced character actions is no longer necessary. Instead, the game development process is streamlined, with the added bonus of a more realistic representation of human reaction and interaction.
NaturalMotion. (March 13, 2006). NaturalMotion Announces euphoria Run-time Technology for Next-Generation Game Platforms. Retrieved from http://www.naturalmotion.com/files/euphoria.pdf
http://www.naturalmotion.com/files/euphoria.pdf
Question 1: What are the details of the event?
Roger Ebert ignited a firestorm amongst the gaming community when he denied video game's ability to be art. The argument has grown over the last five years, with proponents and detractors both wading into the fray.
Question 2: Why was the event important to the industry?
Strangely enough, this is a subject most people have an opinion on. Mine is here: http://wp.me/pJRod-3j. Essentially, Mr. Ebert has cast down the gauntlet to game designers: Show me a game that is art, and I will believe you.
This will inevitably lead to more artistic games, games that draw in the player, and build a deeply emotional experience for them. Only time will tell the full effect of Mr. Ebert's opinion.
http://arstechnica.com/old/content/2005/11/5657.ars
Question 1: What were the details of the event?
In October of 2003, Jack Thompson filed a $246 million lawsuit against Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Games, and Wal-Mart. Thompson accused these companies of contributing in several murders that had been "linked" to "Murder Simulators", Thompson's term for violent video games.
Thompson was quoted as saying, "I think the video game industry is about as evil as any entity in America is. I'm out to take their money from them -- and it's blood money, in some of these instances -- and give it to the people who have been harmed by them."
Question 2: Why was the event important to the industry?
Prior to Jack Thompson's crusade, video games that depicted brutal and wanton violence were common. Games like Doom II, the Grand Theft Auto series, and others went over the top with simulated gore and meaningless destruction.
While Jack Thompson was unable to eradicate violent video games, todays version is either firmly grounded in fiction, such as those games in the Halo series, or representative of the violence our soldiers experience every day. Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Medal of Honor games are the most prominent representatives of this enormous segment of the video game industry.
http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/thrill-kill/Content?oid=1484783
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