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Video Games: Pong to Present . Presentation by Doug Wilcox Com 546 – Evolution and Trends in Digital Media – December 6, 2005. Agenda. Who invented the video game? Brief Industry History Impact of Internet Games compared to Film Future of the Games Industry. Who Invented the Video Game?.
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Video Games: Pong to Present Presentation by Doug Wilcox Com 546 – Evolution and Trends in Digital Media – December 6, 2005
Agenda • Who invented the video game? • Brief Industry History • Impact of Internet • Games compared to Film • Future of the Games Industry
Who Invented the Video Game? • Ralph Baer • 1949: Loral tasks Baer to create next-generation television. Baer suggests interactive game, but management refuses. • 1966: revisits idea under new employer • 1970: Baer licenses his technology to Magnavox for tennis game • Steve Russell • 1961: Invents Spacewar! for MIT mainframe • Spacewar! popular on college campuses • Nolan Bushnell, Nutting Associates commercialize Spacewar!
1976: Deathrace 2000 creates first public outcry Early Years: 1970 - 1985 • 1972: Atari is formed • Bushnell founds Atari, develops Pong • Pong popular in public trial • Bushnell breaks off negotiations with Bally and Midway • 1983: Atari starts decline • Overproduces ET, Pac Man • Games industry’s first slump
Rise of Japanese Consoles: 1985 – 2000 • 1980s: Nintendo and Sega • Donkey Kong boosts Nintendo • Mortal Kombat defines Sega as adult oriented console • 1994: Nintendo and Sony attempt collaboration, but fail. Sony goes on to develop Playstation. • 2000: Sega bows out of hardware market, leaving Nintendo and Sony. Xbox appears the following year. • 2000 – Present: Sony vs. Microsoft
Effect of Internet • Online games offer unlimited game-play compared to traditional single-player game • Possibility for online distribution • Consumer can “mod” content for PC online games • Quake • Counterstrike • Starcraft • Social structures online • Bartle (1996) taxonomy • Jansz and Martens (2005) observe group dynamics for online gamers
2004: Sales data leveling off Games compared to Film Industry • 2004: Games surpass film revenues • $9.9 billion (Games) vs. $9.4 billion (Film) • Blockbusters: Spiderman ($114M) vs. Halo ($125M)
Games compared to Film Industry • Shared Franchises: film versions of games • Tomb Raider • Final Fantasy • Doom • Halo • Consolidation • Film industry in 1930s – Studios leverage titles • Games industry at present • Advances against royalties • Rising costs – risk averse • Increasing reliance on recycled franchises
Future of Games • Online Growth • Larger and richer multiplayer environments • Increasing transfer between virtual, real economies • Additional forms of communication • Advertising • Sony vs. Microsoft • Battle for the living room • HDTV to allow consoles to displace PCs