A game is an activity that is done for entertainment. We play games because they’re entertaining; they improve brain function, sharpen cognitive skills, and release serotonin, the happy hormone. With more significant visual stimulus, creativity, and satisfaction as technology advances, the excitement and attractiveness of playing games have only grown. Therefore it’s safe to say that technology helped games evolve. Technology has revolutionized the way people play games, from the first board game, Senet, discovered in Egypt in 3100 BC through virtual gaming, facial recognition, and gesture control technology.
In recent years, technology has perfected online gaming to the point where many games have blurred the barriers between reality and fantasy. As a result, games are increasingly utilized to entertain the general public and educate people in various professions. In the current context, mobile gaming technology is regarded as one of the most critical industry drivers. With the advancement of technology, gaming has seen several modifications. As a result, the gaming business has advanced beyond conception, from the development of electronic games to the period of arcade games.
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A history of games
In 1940, during the New York World’s Fair, Dr. Edward Uhler Condon unveiled the first known model of a game machine. Approximately 50,000 people played the game, which was based on the ancient mathematical game of Nim, during the six months it was on exhibit, with the computer winning more than 90% of the games. However, Ralph Baer and his colleagues did not debut their prototype, the Brown Box, as the first commercial home game system until 1967, nearly three decades later.
A vacuum tube circuit that could be connected to a television set was known as the Brown Box. It let two individuals manipulate cubes that followed each other on the screen. The Brown Box could be set up to play ping pong, checkers, and four different sports games. A lightgun for target shooting and a unique attachment for golf putting were among the additional accessories, both of which were made possible by advanced technology at the time.
Since those days, the video gaming world has gone from strength to strength, and who knows where it will end up. Here are some of the ways technology has helped this industry become the behemoth it is today.
Facial recognition
3D scanning and facial recognition technology enable systems to create your likeness in the game world, allowing you to create a bespoke avatar that looks exactly like you or transfer your own expressions to other digital creations. Furthermore, by utilizing the Intel RealSense 3D camera to scan 78 unique locations on a person’s face, developers may create games that respond to the gamer’s emotions. A few grimaces on your gaming screen, for example, suggest that the system will lessen the game’s difficulty instantly.
Streaming
Facebook, Apple, and Google are among the nontraditional gaming companies that have entered the market. The IT industry is attempting to make video game streaming as frictionless as listening to music on Spotify or watching a Netflix movie. With its well-known Xbox platform, Microsoft has already built a name for itself in the gaming industry. In 2019, Microsoft introduced Project xCloud, a video game streaming service that allows customers to stream Xbox games to PCs and other devices. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers were allowed to access the service after it became available in September 2020.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence has progressed in leaps and bounds throughout the years. Its incorporation into gaming has forever changed the game. AI has been lifting the ante for gamers since the early days of gaming, from NPCs to solo gaming. Pong and other early games used an elementary version of this technology. But what has changed the most in recent years is that current AI in games can practically imitate human players.
They’re everywhere nowadays, from Civilisation to Alien: Isolation‘s infamous AI-Xenomorph. And things are only getting better. As a result, AI is likely to be one of the most significant technological advancements that have improved and will continue to improve the gaming experience for human gamers.
Graphics
Text-based technologies and two-dimensional images were used in older online games. Games became more lifelike as 3D graphics and additional effects were available. New techniques for creating lifelike textures, computing physical attributes, and enabling in-game object interactions arose as a result of 3D graphics. Thanks to stunning effects and well-designed realistic elements, players may now fully immerse themselves in the online gaming environment.
Voice recognition
You’re too lazy to pick up that controller, aren’t you? It’s no problem! Voice-controlled gaming has been around for a while. Still, the reality of employing the technology in gaming systems has finally caught up with the potential—computers can now quickly identify voice instructions from the user. So, in addition to turning the console on and off , you can use voice commands to manage gameplay, chat on social media, play music from your library, and search the web, all by simply talking to your gaming system.
