A History of Video Games

<p>This research begins with the premise that while video-games have become a pervasive cultural force over the last four decades, there is still a dearth of educational and historical material regarding the emergence of video game home consoles and their content. Games have an extensive history, dating back to early radar displays and oscilloscopes of the 1960s (Tennis for Two, 1958) and early home video game consoles of the 1970s (Magnavox Odyssey, 1972). From the JAMMA (Japanese Amusement Machine and Marketing Association) arcade standard of the 80s to the high powered processors of Sonys PS4, video games have come a long way and left a wealth of audio-visual material in their wake. Much of this material, however, is archived and engaged within a traditional manner: through text books or museum exhibitions (Games Master, ACMI 2015). Through interactive design however, this data can be made easily comprehensible and accessible as interactive data-visualisation content. This design research project explores processes of data visualization, interactive design and video game production to open up video game history and communicate its developmental stages in a universally accessible manner. Though there has been research conducted utilising game engines for visualizations in other fields (from landscape architecture to bio-medical science) it has rarely been used to visualize the history of gaming itself. This visualization (utilising the Unreal Engine and incorporating historical video content) creates an accessible preservation and catalogue of video game history, and an interactive graphical interface that allows users to easily learn and understand the history of console development and the processes that lead video games to their current state.</p>

A History of Video Games

<p>This research begins with the premise that while video-games have become a pervasive cultural force over the last four decades, there is still a dearth of educational and historical material regarding the emergence of video game home consoles and their content. Games have an extensive history, dating back to early radar displays and oscilloscopes of the 1960s (Tennis for Two, 1958) and early home video game consoles of the 1970s (Magnavox Odyssey, 1972). From the JAMMA (Japanese Amusement Machine and Marketing Association) arcade standard of the 80s to the high powered processors of Sonys PS4, video games have come a long way and left a wealth of audio-visual material in their wake. Much of this material, however, is archived and engaged within a traditional manner: through text books or museum exhibitions (Games Master, ACMI 2015). Through interactive design however, this data can be made easily comprehensible and accessible as interactive data-visualisation content. This design research project explores processes of data visualization, interactive design and video game production to open up video game history and communicate its developmental stages in a universally accessible manner. Though there has been research conducted utilising game engines for visualizations in other fields (from landscape architecture to bio-medical science) it has rarely been used to visualize the history of gaming itself. This visualization (utilising the Unreal Engine and incorporating historical video content) creates an accessible preservation and catalogue of video game history, and an interactive graphical interface that allows users to easily learn and understand the history of console development and the processes that lead video games to their current state.</p>

Teachers' Perceptions of Using Digital Gaming in Classrooms

Digital gaming is a widespread activity in our society; more than 45 million homes have video-game consoles. Mostly, educators see this as a waste of valuable time that could be used for learning instead. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative study is to understand teachers' perspectives on using digital gaming among their students at Northern Illinois University in the state of Illinois. The main findings of this study discovered that most of the teachers who were interviewed have a positive attitude toward digital gaming and they think it that has a number of benefits that should not be ignored. Moreover, the results of this study revealed that teachers noted that using digital games increased students' engagement as well as improved students' skills, such as critical thinking, self- directed learning, technological skills, and self- motivation. This study has showed that indeed digital games have a bright future as a tool used at various stages of learning for different levels of students. Consequently, the educational policy makers should to embrace digital gaming as a learning tool.

Exergames to Prevent the Secondary Functional Deterioration of Older Adults during Hospitalization and Isolation Periods during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic is having an intense impact on the functional capacity of older adults, making them more vulnerable to frailty and dependency. The development of preventive and rehabilitative measures which counteract the consequences of confinement or hospitalization is an urgent need. Exergaming can promote physical activity, prevent falls, and maintain functional and cognitive capacity. However, although the use of exergames in health programs for the elderly is promising, their widespread use should not be considered without the supervision of a social health professional. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate and analyze three video game consoles (Nintendo Wii®, Xbox-Kinect® and Play Station 4®) and 26 commercial exergames with the aim of identifying their usefulness for the prevention of functional deterioration. Three occupational therapists analyzed the data independently, and subsequently agreed on the results. The examination of the commercial consoles met three criteria: components, interaction channels and the type of the exergame. Each exergame was analyzed taking into account its ability to train postural control, balance, upper limb functionality and cognitive function. The results of the evaluation showed that exergames contain game activities that can be part of the rehabilitative treatment aimed at the prevention of the functional impairment of older people affected by COVID.

Create a Remote-Control Application with Spotify

Spotify is a music streaming service that was developed in Stockholm, Sweden. The first version was released back in 2008 and today it doesn't only provide music, but video and podcasts as well. Growing rapidly from a startup in Sweden to the biggest music service in the world, Spotify has apps running on video game consoles and mobile phones, and has integration with many social networks. Luckily, Spotify is also a great platform for developers and provides a really nice and well-documented REST API where it's possible to make searches by artists, search by albums, search by tracks and play songs. Our project enables us to access the Spotify through the remote client i.e., Terminal. We will implement two types of authentication flow that Spotify supports i.e., client credentials and authorization flow. Finally, we will implement a remote client where the users can search for artists, browse artist’s albums and tracks and play a song in the user’s active device.

The Hidden Potential Within Video Game Consoles

<div><div><div><p>Video game consoles share many of the characteristics of an ideal device for use in enterprise deployments. In comparison to many desktop and notebook PCs available in the market, modern video game consoles are actually quite powerful and capable. They provide an excellent user experience with simple and intuitive setup and operation. At the heart of the design of many modern video game consoles is security; they are remarkably resilient against very sophisticated hardware and software attacks. They are also rather cost-effective in comparison to modern PCs.</p></div></div></div>

“Have You Played Atari Today?”

Around 1980, home video game consoles began to transition from a luxury product for affluent technophiles into a mass-market entertainment product. Television advertisements were central to that transition, not least in that they helped shape a popular image of who plays video games. This chapter examines the prominent role of music in an influential early television advertising campaign for Atari, the leading maker of home consoles at the time. The music of the “Have You Played Atari Today?” campaign reached across gender and age demographics, positioning Atari’s products as fun for every member of the family. Although most ads of the series were unified musically through the use of the same extended jingle, each featured lyrics tailored to demonstrate the product’s appeal to various members of an extended family. Furthermore, the jingle’s musical hook eventually became a standalone sonic signifier for the Atari brand that endured for years beyond the initial campaign.