The history of video games goes back to 1947. Ever since then, computer games have changed considerably in terms of technological, social, and economic sense.
All these changes happened because of “technology”. Sometimes games gave way to technology, and sometimes technology showed the way for games. But these two systems have always supported each other.
The world’s first computer game was designed to entertain customers in the waiting rooms.
Nowadays, they continue to entertain people from all over the world and give us the opportunity to experience unique adventures in virtual worlds. That’s not all: Casino games, especially online slots with free bonuses, can also make us rich. Computer games are an industry in itself and statistics show that this industry is much bigger than we think.
In this context, some interesting statistics are:
● We spent 8 hours a week for computer games
● 97% of the population under the age of 18 is playing computer games
● For the population over the age of 18, this rate is 53%
● 60% of the players are male, 40% are female
● Average age of players is 34
Some Old and New Examples
This billion-dollar industry is growing day by day. As technology advances, the structure and characteristics of computer games change too. If we give some examples to the connection between games and technology:
● Gaming on Demand: This service, which was popular in 2010, still continues today. But it does not have its old prevalence. Simply put, the computer game is stored in a remote server and, you reach that server over the internet. The hardware level of your computer does not matter because the game is streamed from the remote server. So you can play all games with the highest possible graphics settings. OnLive, Gaikai, and Otoy were among the companies that developed this technology. It is possible to use a similar technology nowadays via Steam. Unfortunately, because of the internet connection speed issues, GoD technology died before it had a chance to grow.
● Facial & Voice Recognition: We met this technology with the second generation consoles. You can also use it on desktop computers with the help of webcams. In face recognition technology, 78 different points of your face are scanned, and distinguishing points are determined. Voice recognition technology uses a similar system. You do not need to use a password to use your console/ computer, it is enough to scan your face. You can also perform many different operations (opening, closing, starting games, etc.) with voice commands.
● Control with Gestures: It is possible to control your avatar with your body movements with this technology, which is also used on second generation consoles. However, both consoles (Xbox – PlayStation) requires a special camera for this to work. This camera even knows who you are from your body movements. A technology developed by Intel (RealSense) used for these systems.
● Realistic Graphics: Graphics cards work just like the processors: They use advanced chips to do calculations. The graphics cards’ calculations and memories directly affect the quality of the textures you see on the screen. Nowadays, you can play games with extremely realistic graphics at 4K resolution. Graphics cards and processors are developed almost parallel to each other. If you would like to know some of the best gaming video cards in 2019, it is suggested that you should take a look at PCGuide’s list for details.
● Augmented Reality: This technology, which is being used with mobile phones, adds virtual effects to the camera image. Many mobile applications are using this technology today, although it has not become so popular because of the need for powerful hardware. For example, applications such as Instagram’s filters are based on Augmented Reality technology.
● Mobile Gaming: We are no longer dependent on desktop computers to play games. With the development of technology, we can play games with our mobile phones and tablet PCs anywhere and anytime we want. There are even games that are played only on mobile devices by millions of people. From hand-carried Nintendo GameBoys to mobile phones: Mobile gaming is now living its golden age.
Virtual Reality Is the Future
So, what awaits us in the future? Technology has evolved to fit sophisticated equipment into a small eyeglass. In other words, Virtual Reality seems to be our future technology. These glasses have two versions, which are known as VR and Gear VR, and they allow you to get into the game, literally.
You control your character with hand gestures, even do in-game interactions with your hands. One of the most important aspects of this technology is that it can be used for almost all games. So not just FPS, you can even play casino games with the VR infrastructure. This experience is so different, it is changing all our gaming habits.
We will see more of the examples of VR technology in the coming years. Cooperation between technology and games continues without ceasing.