Computer Games

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Computer games have been in existence since the advent of the personal computer in the late 1970's. They are played by millions of people around the globe on millions of computers. They range from surprisingly realistic to far-fetched. There are so many they can't be counted.

Computer games have evolved hand in hand with the increasing capabilities of hardware. In the past six years, with hardware being faster and less expensive with more capacity, games have gone from two-dimensional graphics with low sound quality that fit on a few floppy disks to the graphics-intensive, surround sound games that are prevalent today. However, the quality of games based on their story-line and content has always been good, though it can be argued that those qualities have decreased in recent times due to more focused attention on the graphics part of the game.

There are many genres and sub-genres of computer games available on the market, each modeling to a certain extent things found in life or in books. Some of the more popular ones are strategy, which can be said to be the evolution of strategy board games, sports games, flight simulators, driving and racing simulators, adventure games, computer versions of popular card and board games, and puzzle games.

One of the more controversial genres of computer games is the first-person shooter. These games place the player in control of a fictional being with an arsenal of weapons to aid the person in destroying everything else that moves. These games are often filled with blood and gore, and with increased graphics and sound capabilities, are sometimes thought of as being too realistic.

The future of computer gaming almost certainly lies on the internet. Almost every popular game title has multi-player capabilities, and even some games are coming out that can only be played on the internet. Groups are forming gaming 'clans' where members can practice against each other and than play against other groups. Producers of adventure game titles have tried for massive worlds where every player can interact with every other player. Increased modem capabilities also facilitate this type of game play and with more and more people on the net and playing games, expansion in this direction seems inevitable.

For more information on computer games look at The Art of Computer Game Design, by Chris Crawford, written in 1982.