Love them or hate them, video games are here to stay. The debates about content, benefits and ills will rage on for a long time but certain aspects of the industry cannot be ignored. Video games represent some of the fastest growing areas of technology today.
A Brief History of the Gaming Console
The video game console represents possibly the best example of the meeting know how and imagination. Like so many tools being used today, game consoles had a relatively humble beginning with the release of the Magnavox Odyssey in 1972. This was followed by the Atari Pong in 1975. Subsequent releases by these and other companies included:
- Magnavox Odyssey 100 and the Odyssey 200, both released in 1975
- Atari Super Pong, 1976
- Wonder Wizard 7702, 1976
- Atari 400, 1979
- Vectrex, 1982
Most would agree that the era of the modern console began with the introduction of the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985. This sparked something of a race with other developers such as Sony over the following years. Bringing along and aiding the growth of the multi billion dollar gaming industry today.
Enhanced Communication Capabilities of Consoles
Not satisfied with groundbreaking graphics and enhanced game play, developers sought to take advantage of the growing Internet audience. Online gaming basically means that the game is played over a network. This can be anything from World of Warcraft to Xbox Live. The real time interaction is no different from the collaborative capabilities of web conferencing software.
Gamers have been able to test their mettle against other players on PC and console games for some time. Additionally, headsets allow them to maintain constant voice communication with team members. Like web conference tools many online games played on the PC have a live chat feature. Players can form teams or go one on one using online communication capabilities.
While most players might not stop to think about it, when they go head to head with others at distant locations, they are in fact conferencing.
This overlapping of technology is good not only for the gaming industry but also for web conferencing companies as well. While gamers and web conference users wait for the next big development, one thing is clear, the sky is the limit.