Expert: Octane - 2/26/2009

Question
I would like to know how the video games/consoles of the 70's differ from the
ones today.  And also how our culture affected the advancement of the games
from the 70's till now.

Answer
Gday Isaiah,

Good question, and one that I am sure my answer will not do justice to.

Video Games have evolved quite a lot in the last 40 years much thanks to the advancements in technology.  Better Communications from Dial Up, DSL, Cable Satilight, WiFi and BluTooth.  Bigger and faster Processed.  Better Graphics & Sound technology.  Better and cheaper and more readily available Technology.

The video game home console has gone from something only the rich could afford to something that is available to just about every consumer.  It is also now being marked as your total entertainment center.  Dvr, dvd/bluray player, Internet hookup, content downloader and gaming center all wrapped up in a little box.  It has also gone as something was radical, shunned as being the downfall of youth to an acceptable piece of technology.  Arcade places where seems as undesirable places in the early days, so much so that the head of Atari came up the whole concept of Chucky Cheese to make video games more a family friendly environment.  Now there are arcade video games in most places of entertainment and even LAN and console centers are popping up to offer better than home experiences on equipment that you probably could never afford.   No longer an extension as the play at home Arcade machine but a leader in it own true seance.  It was really a spawn from the Arcade industry but now it has almost killed Arcade industry that started it.  The amount we now spend on video game technology outstrips many smaller nations economies.

The advancement in graphics has trended more and more towards realism.  With the breakdown in social taboos such as sex, violence, race and pornographic material in the last 15 years games are integrating more of these aspects into them.  This is where the whole ratings system for video games has stemmed from.  While in the 70's there was very little sexuality in games now it is literally over flowing with it.  Games are dealing with subjects that years ago where not even talked about.  Games are truly becoming a real escape.

Games have advanced in gameplay and a lot are more complex.  Some very complex.  With multiple levels of input being required.  The controller has gone from just a simple knob, to a joystick with a button or to to now a full extension of the human body.  There is more and more feed back to the player with now increased level of sight (Advancement to HD graphics), sound (From Beeps to fully surround sound) and feelings (Force feed back).  Although gameplay has been perceived to get better in most cases it may not have.  Flashy sound and graphics can now cover up lack of ability to produce game play.  Your favorite game now if the graphics and sound where reduced to Atari levels would you still want to play it?  While older style games the game simply got harder and harder while the players skill level increased in because of playing the games.  Games now have a Starting and Ending.  You can no-longer play you favorite game endlessly.  I believe Sony was the first to state that games needed a starting and ending.  If Sony Ruled the world Pac Man or Space Invaders would never been made.  (This probably came originally from the arcade industry where some game developers saw that if a continue feature is offered games could generate more review and if the game had a definite ending limits could be set on how much time one person could tie up a machine.)  There is also now more backstory, multimedia, merchandising tied into gaming.  Games have become more extensions of other properties while some games have spawned multi-million dollar murchasing tie ins.

Games have also advance in mutliplay.  Although the trend is more better and bigger multipayer worlds (WOW, Second Life etc)  Thanks in part to the advancement in communication technology.  It has also tended to isolate players more in there own world.  In the past people would meet and play, even challenge total strangers in Arcades.  To home consoles where people would gather to play there favorite 2 or even 4 multi player game.  Now most gaming is played remotely over the Internet.  How often have you played a game with 'friends' that you actually don't see or even really know in person?  Video games no longer really people together.

The current trend in first person shooters may soon be eclipsed by virtual reality/simulation games.  (How sad is it I see my daughter only too happy to play a cooking simulation game but not get up and actually learn to cook in real life.  I play guitar hero but really don't want to learn how to play a real guitar!)  Just live the Vs fighting games, platform, maze games have been super seeded by the current wave of games.  Every thing is a cycle eventually we may end up where we began (Only with better graphics)  Trends change with the change in society.  I think the growing trend is more interaction with the video game (Nintendo had hit gold with the Wii) I can only see the other big few follow suite.

Since I have seen the birth of the video game industry from it's fleeting steps out of the binaural ooze it will be interesting to see where it is going to go.  Hopefully the mistakes of the past will be learnt and not repeated.  

It will be interesting times.

Octane