Game Hardware – An Evolved History

The term gaming pertains generally to any electronic game that requires interaction by the player with regard to some range of physical actions in order to generate virtual feedback. Such interaction can take the form of shooting, role playing, puzzle solving, card matching, racing, fighting, and card drafting. A computer game or video game is an interactive electronic game which involves human interaction via a display device, a joystick, mouse, game pad, or even a hand held motion sensitive device to generate virtual tactile feedback to the player. Video games are usually designed for use by a personal computer and a game console such as Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Wii, Xbox, and Play station. There are also online computer games that can be played using a common computer and Internet connection.

Console manufacturers such as Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo and Play station have developed and produced various types of video games consoles that are targeted at different audiences. Consoles such as the Play station Portable devices and Nintendo’s New generation consoles have been targeted at a younger audience whereas gaming machines such as the Xbox and Play station X-eye have been designed for an older audience that requires more sophisticated and elaborate game controllers. Consoles such as the Nintendo Wii and Sony PSP gaming machines are targeted at younger audiences while gaming machines such as X-eye have been designed to work better with older people who prefer more sophisticated game controllers. When it comes to online gaming the most popular forms of hardware used are dedicated game consoles, online game servers, and game cartridges that allow players to download content from digital distribution companies such as Blizzard Entertainment, Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Sega, Nintendo and Sony Computer Entertainment.

Gaming devices such as the X-eye were developed after the introduction of the first computer video game consoles such as the Atari. The original X-eye game system was manufactured by Philips Noreve, a company that at the time was considered a high profile competitor in the global markets. The company had introduced a new level of peripheral hardware that allowed users to attach a variety of audio and visual equipment to their computers so that they could enjoy the benefits of gaming and to connect them to other networked devices. With the introduction of the X-eye the scope of peripheral gaming expanded to include video gaming equipment that required a separate card from the computer to work properly.