Gaming

1. Gaming “My niche in the world” Connor Masters 9D

2. What it is… Gaming is the entertaining experience of playing characters in a virtual reality. • The games can range from sci-fi, fantasy, action, puzzle, simulation and strategy. Games are booming in this generation because so many people want the sought after games that are meant to provide the best experience. • As the time went by, videogames got better and the prices rose, leaving each game to be more expensive than the last. • Some video games make it to portable electronics such as the IPad, IPhone and IPod but as these are not official gaming devices I did not include them in the gaming console montage. • Gaming has been around for a few decades with the first famous game being ‘Pong’. Ever since, we have gone through enlarged pixel games, text-based games, 2D, 3D, polygon figures and the almost realistic. Today videogames can blow people’s minds and let us experience things that could never been possible without the advance in technology.

3. My involvement in it… I play videogames to calm myself and get away from the stresses in life. I get the feeling of control and because you have no control over life, I get a feeling of euphoria. I generally play videogames at my house because of their inability of portability. When I am at a friends house, we play videogames but I will not reveal their location for obvious reasons. • I am not what people call a ‘hard-core gamer’ because I play videogames for the experience, not the challenge. To play most videogames you need a monitor (screen), power, the console itself, power cord, display cord, a controller and the videogame disc. • The latest consoles consist of the PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox Kinect, PlayStation Vita and various computers. • To play videogames you need to be able to think fast, notice everything on the monitor, quick reflexes, strategic thinking and creativity. I have most of these but I still have to develop them to a better degree.

4. $$$$$$ • This hobby can be quite expensive ranging from $80 to $700 depending on the deal you get for it. I play it as a part-time job, in other words, I play it as much as possible because I love it so much that if I didn’t have anything else to do, I would die gaming. • The reason I got interested in this was when my father bought my sister and I a PlayStation 1. With it we got Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped, Porsche Challenge, Lego Racer, Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer. I started playing Spyro 2 and have been sucked in ever since. My passion for it is still as strong as when I first played videogames but now there are so many games that it is hard to keep track of which games I own. Gaming is a fantastic industry to get into. • Some games challenge your brain, some are calming and visually fantastic while others can be just pure, mindless fun. • It may create a hole in your wallet but it is worth it for the experience and the lasting joy some games give. • Some places to try these out are at game stores but the best places to go are E3, Gamescom and the newly opened Ebgames Expo. • Sadly these conventions are only on once a year and the tickets are very expensive but if you are enthusiastic about gaming and want to try games that are coming soon then they are a great choice.

5. History Gaming was thought of in the 1940’s but until the 1970’s they were only simple games developed by certain enthusiasts. • One of the first videogames was ‘Space Invaders’ which was an idea stolen from ‘Spacewar!’. • Nintendo is one of the oldest gaming companies and has dominated the market by buying SEGA and milking as much as they can out of the franchises SEGA had. Another famous game is Asteroids, a game where you destroy asteroids to defend your ship. Most of todays games are unique in their own way but history has shaped them to advance on past games and further their experience leaving the customer happy.

6. Gamescom Location

7. E3 Location ‘A’ is the location

8. EBgames Expo Location