IntroductionAssignmentsProcessEvaluationConclusionSources

THE HISTORY OF VIDEO GAMES

INTRODUCTION

VIDEO GAMES ARE EVERYWHERE AND ARE FAMOUS ALL AROUND THE GLOBE. HERE, YOU ARE GOING TO LEARN A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THEM; STARTING FROM A DEFINITION TO A DEBATE ABOUT ITS PROS AND CONS. LET'S SEE HOW MUCH YOU KNOW ABOUT GAMES!

First of all, you will need to have a clear definition of what video games are.

Once you have done that, you will have to do a short timeline about the first video games.

Finally, you will have to make a brainstorming as regards the pros and cons of gaming, choose a side and start to prepare a debate in order to defend your position. For this final project, the class will be separated in two big groups (for and against). Let's get started!

ASSIGNMENT

For the defi niti on of video games, you will have to do a brainstorming and think about what a game implies. Use your own words.

As regards the ti meline, you will have to read an arti cle about the fi rst games in the history of gaming. Once you have done this, you will have do a short and brief ti meline.

Finally, you will have to read a chart about the pros and cons of gaming. Then, you will have to do another brainstorming about other advantages and disadvantages that are not in the chart, choose if you are for or against gaming and start preparing a speech for the debate.

PROCESS

Production will be the focus of evaluation; the time and the effort you give to each assignment will be taken into account. The way you defend your point of view in the debate will be important as regards the evaluation of the final project.

EVALUATION

After investigating about the topic, you will have learned how to do a debate; starting from the definition, then reading about its impact or history through the years, brainstorming about its advantages and disadvantages and how to defend your position.

CONCLUSION

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webtaj.com/images/video-games-warning-strip-expects-parameter-string_438034.jpg

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inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blcomputer_videogames.htm

htt p://www.teach-ict.com/gcse_new/entertainment/games/miniweb/pg8.htm

SOURCES

GETTING STARTED

WHAT IS A VIDEO GAME? WHAT WOULD YOU SAY, IN YOUR OWN

WORDS, WHAT A VIDEO GAME IS?

Read the following definitions of video game and see if your definition is similar to these:

“An electronic or computerized game played by manipulating images on a video display or television screen.”

“A video games is an electronic game that has an interface designed for human interaction on a video device.”

DEFINITION

Read the fo l lowing arti cle about the fi rst v ideo games in the h istory of gaming.

In 1952, A .S. Douglas wrote h is PhD degree at the Univers i ty of Cambridge on Human-Computer interracti on. Douglas created the fi rst graphica l computer game - a vers ion of T ic -Tac-Toe. The game was programmed on a EDSAC vaccuum-tube computer, which had a cathode ray tube d isp lay.

Wi l l iam Hig inbotham created the fi rst v ideo game ever in 1958. His game, ca l led "Tennis for Two," was created and p layed on a Brookhaven Nati onal Laboratory osc i l loscope. In 1962, Steve Russel l invented SpaceWar!. Spacewar! was the fi rst game intended for computer use. Russel l used a MIT PDP-1 mainframe computer to des ign h is game.

In 1967, Ralph Baer wrote the fi rst v ideo game played on a te levis ion set , a game ca l led Chase. Ralph Baer was then part of Sanders Assoc iates , a mi l i tary e lectronics fi rm. Ralph Baer fi rst conceived of h is idea in 1951 whi le work ing for Loral , a te levis ion company.

In 1971, Nolan Bushnel l together with Ted Dabney, created the fi rst arcade game. I t was ca l led Computer Space, based on Steve Russel l ' s ear l ier game of Spacewar! . The arcade game Pong was created by Nolan Bushnel l (with help f rom Al Alcorn) a year later in 1972. Nolan Bushnel l and Ted Dabney started Atar i Computers that same year. In 1975, Atar i re-released Pong as a home video game.

GOING BACK IN TIME

Larry Kerecman was one of the fi rst operators of v ideo arcade games, including Computer Space. He writes that , "The br i l l iance of these machines was that Nolan Bushnel l and company took what was computer programming ( in Space War) and translated i t into a s impler version of the game (no gravity) using hard-wired logic c ircuits . The pr inted c ircuit boards that comprise electronics of these games use integrated c ircuits cal led smal l -scale integrated c ircuits . They consist of d iscrete log ic chips and gates or gates, 4- l ine to 16- l ine decoders, etc. stra ight out of the Texas Instruments catalog. The shape of the rocket ship and fl ying saucer even are vis ib le in a patt ern of d iodes on the PC board." In 1972, the fi rst commercia l v ideo game console that could be played in the home, the Odyssey was released by Magnavox and designed by Ralph Baer. The game machine was or ig inal ly designed whi le Ralph Baer was sti l l at Sanders Associates in 1966, Baer managed to gain h is legal r ights to the machine aft er Sanders Associates rejected i t . The Odyssey came programmed with twelve games.

In 1976, Fairchi ld released the fi rst programmable home game console cal led the Fairchi ld Video Entertainment System, and later renamed Channel F. Channel F was one of the fi rst e lectronic systems to use the newly invented microchip invented by Robert Noyce for the Fairchi ld Semiconductor Corporati on that a l lowed video games to not be l imited by the number of TTL switches.

On June 17, 1980, Atar i 's "Asteroids" and "Lunar Lander" were the fi rst two video games to ever be registered in the Copyr ight Offi ce.

After reading the article, do a short and brief timeline summarizing what you have just read.

REPRESENTING THE PAST

Here we have a chart with the pros and cons of gaming.

PROS AND CONSPros Cons

Many games can be very sociable, either playing against your mates on the sofa or

online with other people

Many other games are aimed for single player and so could be criticized for isolation you from family and friends for many hours

Games can be intellectual where you use clever strategy to beat other people

They can take lot of hours, that time could be spent doing something more productive or

sociable.

Games can be educational such as simulations of flight or real-life situations

Constant use of thumbs, wrist and eyes can lead to problems such as eye strain, RSI and

other physical problems

Improved eye-hand co-ordination for playing those fast action games

Games do not need much physical activity and so could be criticized for making you unfit.

Improves reaction times and quick thinking as a result of playing challenging games

The hardware and software together are quite expensive, which can be a challenge when

balancing what you want to spend your money on.

Games are plain fun!

Aft er reading, think of more advantages or disadvantages that are not mentioned in the chart.

Choose a side and prepare a speech to defend your side.

DEBATE