Beginning in 1979, video games slowly started to invade homes and occupy young children and adults alike. The first video game was created in Japan and it has evolved greatly over the years. Video games have not only become a hobby for young children, but they have become an obsession for young adults. Individuals are constantly in competition with one another to have the latest and greatest video game. They also race one another to conquer all the levels of the most challenging games. With individuals constantly looking for new challenges, the area of video game design has increased in popularity.
Children are becoming fascinated with video games at a younger age. To prevent them from becoming zombies in front of the television, video game design companies are incorporation education, as well as physical activity to most of their video games. Games such as V-tech and Leap Frog use colors, numbers and words to educate young children on how to read and count. One recent game that has revolutionized the video game industry is Nintendo’s Wii. This game console uses video games to incorporate physical activity. Game users are required to use their physical skills to complete tasks such as fishing, bowling and tennis. While these games aim to educate and increase physical activity among youth, there are still traditional games on the market that simply aim to entertain.
What once started as a recreational activity, video gaming has now become a sport to some people. There are actually tournaments around the world where individuals compete against one another in the latest video games. Individuals also create teams to compete against individuals from all different countries. While most people think individuals play these games for fun, it is actually a very competitive sport. Individuals train for months, even years to master the skills need to conquer a game. They study each video game design and try to learn all the tricks and special features of each game. Individuals are not competing for bragging rights. Some tournaments offer prizes in excess of $500,000, proving that these games are not to be taken lightly.
With the increased popularity of video game tournaments and leisure activities, the career field of video game design is in high demand of qualified candidates. Colleges all over the country offer programs to teach students about video games and how to design them. Courses include work in graphic design, script writing and drawing. Classes are also offered in a variety of different specialties aimed to make individuals marketable in a variety of different fields. Students learn essential computer skills such as Photoshop, animation and cinematography. However, these computer skills are also important skills in different career fields, therefore opening numerous opportunities to graduates in this specific program
Upon completion of a video game design program, students can work for numerous different companies. Design companies are constantly looking for fresh thinkers and creative individuals to take their video games to new levels. Students in design programs learn how to conceptualize, design and plan animations and video games. They also learn how to produce and evolve character models and design levels in video games. Along with these important video game skills, students also learn marketing, business and entertainment law to make them a well-rounded candidate.
With a video game design degree, students can not only use their imaginations to create games, but they can also manage the production of games or be a critic with the skills they learn through this particular program. What was once thought of as simply entertainment has become an increasing popular industry.
Archive for the ‘Video Games’ Category
The Art Of Video Game Design
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Who Plays Video Games?
With the great number of video games for sale and the huge variety of video games that are downloadable through the internet, it probably will not surprise you to learn that 60 percent of the American population has played some kind of video game. They are rivalling baseball as the great American pastime. Indeed, there are versions of baseball and NFL available as video games. Video games grew out of our fascination with computers and they are played by young and old alike. Video game playing is not limited to kids and teenagers, although children are starting to play video games at younger and more tender ages.
Nearly half of all American children aged 4 to 6 are estimated to have played video games, and a new market has sprung up to develop video games to involve toddlers and make computers more attractive for them to use. More attractive to children! Kids take to computers better than ducks to water, and stay connected for life. As of 2005, a quarter of the children in the aged four to six age group who have played computer games say it is a regular habit. The toddler, of course, cannot yet talk about their video game habits. But their parents report that children, especially boys have lost interest in playing with their traditional toys like action figures, Legos, and puzzles and prefer video games. However, kids are not the primary users of video games. Their parents played video games as children and teenagers.
We are now experiencing the phenomenon of second-generation video game players. Video games have been around since the 1970’s, clearly enough time for some third generation players to come upon the scene. Side to side, mouse to mouse with the kids are the adults who have never stopped playing or who began playing as adults. Adults represent the largest group of video game players and the average age of video gamers is 29. Certainly, the older generation has the good sense to avoid this costly, time consuming habit, you may think. Think again – 17 percent of gamers are 50 years of age and older. If this keeps up, retirement communities are no longer able to offer Bingo and Cribbage as recreational bonuses. The baby boom generation will head into its twilight years amid Dungeons and Dragons competitions.
The joy of mindlessly zoning out in virtual reality instead of actually doing something or speaking to someone is so compelling that video games are now a multibillion-dollar business. The video game companies often rival the stock exchange earnings of energy corporations and pharmaceutical companies. Nintendo often beats the earnings of major Hollywood studios. In 2004, 9.9 billion dollars was spent on video games, on consoles like PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube, and on hand-held systems like Game Boy and Nintendo DS in the U.S. alone. Of course, America is the leader in video game retail but the rest of the world is far behind, making video game stocks a hot commodity. But no one is interested in “playing ” the stock market anymore; they’re all to busy playing video games.
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Video Games Get The Final Votes
Have you ever thought to yourself what makes a good video game? Strong visuals and good controls are essential as well as well crafted concepts. Great video games have feeling, surprise, emotion, interaction, and even addiction and the final votes are for the year are in.
When video games offer all these elements gamers know the sure enjoyment of being able to turn on their video gaming system and instantly becoming involved in one of the best video games on the market. Great video games can cause gamers to want to stay up all night no matter if they have to go to school or work the next morning. Being able to play a great video game forces gamers to experience a new way to push your reflexes and brain harder and faster. Great video games allow gamers to become a galactic warrior, fight aliens, villains, undersea explorers, or even be the hero.
Video games from last year have been voted on and the results for best video game of the year are in. The video games that has been voted best video games of the year are BioShock, Call of Duty 4 – Modern Warfare, Assassin’s Creed, Super Mario Galaxy, and Orange Box. BioShock is an adventure video game that becomes a complete experience for gamers. Gamers become immersed in the action of this video game where the environments are remarkable and the game play begins to invade your mind.
BioShock has the ability to make gamers feel like that are actually wandering through the 1960s era of a undersea utopia that is populated by a crazed zombie and crazy girls that go around carrying chemicals that will help enhance your biological superpowers. This video game goes right down to the detail with props and costumes from the 1960s period, which make such a realistic experience for gamers. The story and concept are incredible and the within the video game there are many rooms to explore, not to mention all the creepy elements that make this video game part sci-fi novel and part horror film. This video game has been rated M for mature.
Another great video game is Call of Duty 4 – Modern Warfare, which is a combination of edge of your seat warfare along with a great story line and even better visual effects. This version of Call Of Duty has been reinvented into a more modern conflict and is a perfect blend of action and realism of visual affects that are unbelievable. This video game has a well-crafted story line that is full of unexpected surprises that is sure to keep gamers pleased for hours of fun. This video game has been rated M for mature.
Assassin’s Creed is another stunning video game that has naturally fluid control capabilities and incredible missions that are set within the Middle Ages. The main character in this video game has free-run abilities that are the best of any video game this year. This video game has been rated M for mature. The Mario Brothers are back with Super Mario Galaxy. In this new video game Mario soars from planet to planet within a colorful masterpiece where controls are easily handled. This video game is a combination of puzzles and action. This video game has been rated E for everyone.
The Orange Box is a combination of five amazing video games in one and has become one of the best values in video games of the year. This video game consists of a brain busting game called Portal and a multi-player game called Team Fortress 2 that is fun and stylish. It also includes the intense story of Half Life 2 that is filled with action. This is an incredible video game that has some thing for every one and is rated teen to mature.
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