The ludic tradition of video games was codified in the 1970s. This came after an experimental period of about 30 years, where we saw the emergence of the first prototype video games, which were often a balance between analog and digital.
Following the first tentative developments in the 1950s and 1960s, the first full-fledged video game was created in 1972: Pong. Do you remember it? Probably not, especially if video games are older than you! In those times, the Atari company had a brilliant idea. They reproduced the game of ping pong in digital form – an experiment that would give birth to 50 years of video game history, with so many trends that revolutionized technology and gaming itself. The industry has sprawled out in all directions, and become a very exciting space.
Of course, we’re a long way on from the days of Pong – but what has changed? Put simply… a lot. That’s not a super helpful answer, though, so we’re going to try to break that down into a more useful explanation. Let’s check out some of the biggest developments we’ve seen over those five decades.
Graphics
Graphics would be the number one on the list, and pretty much anyone could tell you this. Look at any of the early video games (not just Pong) and you’ll see pixelated approaches that are seriously underwhelming, at least when you compare them with today’s to-die-for beautiful graphics (although to be fair, we still love the retro look). Video games have positively raced through the developments here, and in just a few decades, become almost unrecognizable from their starting point.
Take almost any of the big budget modern video games, whether that’s Grand Theft Auto, a recent Final Fantasy development, Red Dead Redemption 2, or basically any of the others, and you’ll see graphics so good, you could almost mistake them for reality. It isn’t just the mainstream games, either: more niche gaming areas and indie developers have worked hard to make their games look amazing.
Take a casino, for example – would you expect state-of-the-art graphics there? Some people might not; how many CPU cycles do you really need to show a deck of cards or roll some dice? Any yet, some casinos have phenomenal graphics, and if you check out a game like roulette, you’ll see an ultra-realistic spinning wheel, with the ball bouncing about just like in reality. Look at it for a bit, and you’ll realize that it’s very much a mark of just how far we’ve come. When you realize how fundamental graphics are in basically every video game, it’s no wonder coders are so valuable in today’s world!
Inception of the Internet
The next big change? Well, we’ve gone from sitting behind screens on our own to vast multiplayer options that let us connect and play with people the world over. Want to join a huge Don’t Starve Together server with people in another country? Knock yourself out. Keen to test your Counter-Strike prowess against the pros from the other side of the world? Go nuts.
The internet has changed everything about the way we game and even view video games, turning them from simple pastimes into intricate group experiences where anybody can have fun. That social aspect was a particularly huge draw during the pandemic years, when we were all craving a bit of connection, and glad of any opportunity to do something fun!
A lot of people hate the games that require you to be online when you’re just playing by yourself (after all, why?!), but even so, we’re glad this development came along, because it totally turned the way we play on its head, and created something truly fabulous.
Controllers
Controllers – wow, they’ve been a rollercoaster. First of all, we went from the keyboard-only approach of early games to some dinosaur-like, clunky controllers. These primitive versions – think one button on a joystick – quickly evolved and developed into the swish, slick controllers that we have now, and while some people may mock the slightly weird design choices, there’s no question that we’re really spoilt for choice in our controller options.
We’ve even graduated to wireless, so you can wave farewell to the faulty cables of the past, and enjoy freedom with your controller. Cross-compatibility is going up too – the same controller will work on your laptop as your console, and that can only be a good thing.
Conclusion
Summing up the world of game evolution into one article isn’t super easy – there’s so much going on here, it’s hard to know where to begin. Hopefully, though, we’ve given you a quick taste of everything you need to know about the changes in this world – from the graphics to the controllers, and the vast expanse of the World Wide Web. What’s really interesting, though? The question of where we’re going next…
