Video gaming has been with
Graphics
This is a very obvious difference, all technologies improved over time, so does video game consoles and computers. With high processing power and graphics cards, we get to see video graphics turn from 8-bit to a polygon to almost Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) graphics. The 8-bit graphic gives us more imagination to form our own interpretation of the world, the current graphics can make everything as close to real life or better artistic rendition for the game developers. The current generation of video games allows more open world environment for the player to explore with thousands upon thousands of minor details being implemented into the game, all for the player to feel they are living in a world than an empty shell.
Storytelling
In the early days when NES and other early family computers first hit the scene, game developers have been trying to tell stories, no matter how simple it might be, through a video game. Classic video games like “Final Fantasy”, “Metal Gear” and “The Legend of Zelda” have and still telling incredible stories throughout the decade. In recent years, we start to see more interactivity games and developers most certainly made use of it to tell stories. One of these examples is the “Soul Series”, which includes games like “Dark Souls trilogy”, “Demon Souls” and “Bloodborne”. The “Soul Series” doesn’t quite tell a story in a linear way like much other game does, but players gather bits and pieces of the story through talking to in-game Non-Playable Characters (NPC), items descriptions and exploration through the entire game.
Right now, we have fantastic stories being told through video games and many of them have touched more hearts than TV series or movies. “God of War”, “Red Dead Redemption 2”, “Marvel’s Spiderman” are some of the video games that made gamers cry all over the globe. Storytelling has definitely gotten more prominent in a video game than ever.
Gamer Demographics
In the early days of gaming, only people who are a bit well off can afford the latest gaming consoles. If you have a little more money in the pocket, you can afford a handheld console to play your favourite games on the go. That was more than two decades ago, and gaming has changed for the better. Game consoles are extremely powerful and more affordable, PC gamers can customize their computers to optimize their gaming experience, high-speed internet made gaming with another player across the globe possible and mobiles games made gaming easier to be accessed.
This means that video games have penetrated into almost all age groups, more gamers are able to play games at the different platform and more games are available to gamers alike. According to Wepc.com, more than 60% of U.S population are gamers and the average age are 33 years old and 37 years old for men and women respectively. This shows that people are playing more video games than 20 years ago and games are more interactive and more depth than in the past.
Rise of the independent games
Independent games (indie games) are getting more spotlight than usual, partly because there are more video game education and training available for people to engage in. Also, there are more open source video game engine which people can purchase and use it to develop their games, as
For example, an indie games horror game, “Five nights at Freddy’s”, developed by Scott Cawthon alone, garnered so much popularity that it spawns more sequels, novels and even a movie deal of the same game. Indie game “Brother: A Tale of Two Sons”, developed by Starbreeze Studios, made full use of the narrative in the game and control mechanics to provide a sense of loss that gamers have never felt before.
With game development more open to everyone and more training available, it is easier for
How you pay for your game
Not everything in gaming is a flower bed, there are some things that are generally hated by any gamers, and Micro-transaction is one of them. Micro-transaction is a way of paying real money for in-game currency or items, so you can progress the game faster. It can be seen widely on many Sports games, mobiles games and online games. Many developers and publishers are using it to prompt players to buy something commonly known as loot box, where random items are given to the player, with a low percentage of getting a rare item. There are reports of gamers spending hundreds and even thousands of dollars on loot boxes, on top of a $60 dollar game they purchase. Zero dollars if you are playing a free to play
Loot boxes are essentially a form of gambling, with most gamers are at the juvenile age, many government bodies are showing concern and even hold hearings to question developers and publishers of the idea of introducing gambling to young gamers.
Other than loot boxes, there are also paid DLC content and/or characters, that players can purchase to make their game feel complete. However, data miners found out that many games had content cut away or locked so that it can be sold as paid content, in order to earn more money from a single game or to extend the life span of a game. It is less hated than loot boxes, but still an unethical business strategy to cut content away from a game and sell it as paid DLC.
It will continue to change
With the end of 2019’s E3 conference, there are more games and consoles coming for gamers to enjoy. Developers are also developing new way of playing your game, you can even be one of those developers as well. As much as anyone is concern, game will change and continues to change, bringing this entertainment platform to even more people.
