[Video Games]
A history and its constant evolution.
[Video Games]
A history and its constant evolution.
Video games is a topic that has evolved many times over the years and is an entertainment form that is seldom talked about in mainstream media. It grew out of the 1980's and 1990's as computers became ever more sophisticated in creating images and graphics. The medium compares favourably with cinema. It occasionally crosses over between mediums but seldom successfully.
One thing that makes video games special is that they are increasingly easy to make and can be made by individuals. So in the same way a book can be made and published by an individual author, so a video game can as well. Many are groundbreaking in telling stories like no other medium can. Telling stories in such a way where you are an active participant in the story rather than simply a passive viewer.
Some video games have survived the many changes that have occurred and adapted to the changing world. Others have fallen by the wayside. What makes a good video game now is very different than what made a good video game in yesteryear. Some games will inevitably have a nostalgia from when we first started playing.
Some people for whatever reason fear such technologies and blame the culture of video games for many of the problems of today. Wanting to ban such means of entertaining people. Any form of entertainment or story telling is influential. Whether that be in the form of books, cinema, television, journalism and beyond.
Many will be promoted as the next best thing and turn out to be rubbish. Hype is a notorious bad metric for determining whatform of entertainment you will enjoy.
Many will lose their appeal with time and with age, as different interests appeal or are able to be exercised.
Many prefer the outdoors as do I.
Though some find video games an anathema, I understand its appeal, especially on long dark winter evenings.
Just like a book you can transport yourself into the past. Transport yourself into the future. Transport you to some fantastical world. Explore the present, future or past with friends or on your own.
Games have existed since the dawn of humans. Sitting round campfires with time on their hand. Waiting for the next herd or rampaging beast to hasten by. Many tools and left overs have been found by archaeologists, dice, runes, ogham stones, chess pieces.
There are many types of games some try to simulate a battle. Some are games of luck where everybody regardless of skill have a chance of winning. Some use cards, dice a board or a stick. Some are skill based where the more you play and develop the skills required to win the better chance of winning you will have. Allowing top contenders to challenge each other while audiences watch on with running commentaries. With an appreciation by viewers of the difficulties and skills required.
Many games these days are team based games where the dynamics of team play come to the fore. Working within the dynamic of strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes your strong sometimes you are tired.
Some are what are termed simulators. Trying to create a visual representation of the world. Where you can practice the skills required to overcome the dangers of the simulated world to better prepare for the real world. These equally can be battle games or skills based games.
One of the more important transitions in terms of technology from the 1980's to the present day, that is often overlooked. Was the switch from analog to digital technologies. Instead of lasers and phosphoros. Pixeles and increasingly tiny led's being either on or off became a much quicker and more detailed way to display an image. Both moving and still. Sound could be digitised as well. This gave a less intense viewing experience, for both the eyes and ears. You can still hear and see the change in the music and televisiual and movies of the decades.
Simulators have exploded in recent years to include nearly every real world job imaginable. Enabling staff to train in a safe and enjoyable manner.
One of the great inovations or difficulties was how to to draw a 3D world onto a 2D surface. Screens are essentially flat but tricks can be performed using maths to draw an image in such a way that it appears 3D. This was done initially by just drawing lines. Then shaders were added to the space between the lines to give the impression of depth. One noteable example of this is the video game Elite and it's successors. Which took the milky way. Using scientific accurate date of all the known stars in the milky way that were known. As well as accurately plotting the solar system's planets. It would take this scientific data then fill in the blanks in the data. Then allow the player to travel between the stars and planetary bodies.
One area these LLM's are particularly good at is in the world of programming and making it easier and easier to program and game design.
Take this game below :
A simple game with the help of Claude ai.
449 Lines of Code
22,669 characters
The world record in WPM is 212 words per minute which would work out at just under 109 minutes. The average is around 40 words per minute which works out as 567 minutes. Which works out at close to 9.5 hours.
Claude took just a few minutes to code.
Saving time and reducing repetitive strain injuries overnight..