Please leave comments and suggestions. Oh, and by the way, this isn't perfect because I'm only in junior high, and plus I had limited resources. But I would still like to see your opinions. Thank you! EDIT: I got a 96 on this! 
From Pong to Virtual Reality
Games that have been developed today are highly advanced and contain complex situations. Such games include God of War, Halo, and Super Mario Bros; however, it wasn't always this complex due to the technology limitations of the past. Pong, the first video game, supports this fact. The game only has one objective: to keep the ball from passing the paddles. As video games keep being made, the more interactive video games keep getting. The history of video games is rich, immersive, and ever-changing as technology keeps revamping in order to make money.
It all began in the 1960s, when Ralph Baer, an American engineer, thought of a new product that used a TV’s antenna input for “producing images for interactive play”. In November 1967, Baer unveiled the prototype version of Pong. It basically involved two white bars trying to keep a white ball from passing them, just like a regular Ping-Pong game in real life. When Nolan Bushwell saw the Pong prototype, he had an idea. He made and released a console called an Atari in the 1970s. It did just what Pong did, but with even more games, such as Adventure and Breakout. It was an instant success, and Bushwell became rich. After a couple of years, Nintendo joined the industry and released a new console called the NES in 1985. It was an even bigger success than the Atari because you can buy the games separately from the consoles, plus you could save the game without having to remember long passwords. Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Duck Hunt were one of the best-selling games of their own era. Nintendo then sold a new sequel to the NES, called the SNES. It had superior graphics and much better games. Nintendo's main competitor, Sega also released the Sega Genesis in 1989, but it did not sell so well, and soon they opted out of the video game console business.
In 1994, Sony entered the video game business with the PlayStation, which was a huge success. The reason why it sold so well is most likely because it was the first console to feature 3D graphics instead of flat 2D graphics featured on previous consoles, allowing for new experiences, with games such as Tekken and Final Fantasy 7 selling millions; this lead up to a sequel, the PlayStation 2. This new console was so popular, it shared 60% of the video game’s market at the time. Microsoft also entered the video game market because the company’s competitor, Sony, made more profit than they did profit because of the PlayStation. They wanted to counteract this by releasing the Xbox, a new console by Microsoft. It includes games such as Halo that sold millions. However, Microsoft’s original plan backfired because they lost $4 billion dollars in the process. Nintendo. however, prevailed through all of this by releasing the Wii and the DS. Both have sold literally hundreds upon thousands of consoles, and both have changed the video game in many ways no one could’ve ever predicted. The DS is the first handheld to have two screens, with one screen that is touch-sensitive. The Wii is the first console to use motion as part of game play. The DS is currently the best-selling console of all time, and both appeal to a wide distinct audience, including people who don’t play video games that much.
The future of video games is a little unclear, but some research is all you need to make it less confusing. Nintendo is currently planning to sell the Wii U in late 2012. The Wii U is really innovative as the controller has a touch screen on it. It is really advanced and includes stereoscopic 3D and HD graphics. Virtual reality is another thing we might see in the future. Virtual reality is not confirmed, but it is a possibility. It could be applied with special goggles and gloves that will make the person playing feel like they’re actually playing in the world of video games. AI, or artificial intelligence, in video games can be improved to make games harder. One idea is to make the computer learn how a player plays and their style of combat.
As you can see, the history of video games is very diverse and entertaining. Tons of things has happened since 1967, when the first video game was introduced. Many accomplishments, including the Atari, NES, PlayStation, and Xbox have been achieved; but, it's still the beginning. Augmented reality, the Wii U, and more are coming in the near future. Video games will always keep changing.
Edited by StreetPassWanter, 08 February 2012 - 01:36 PM.
