Introduction to Videogame Programing

2014/2015

Index• Definition of Videogame• A brief history about videogames• The development of a videogame• The videogame industry

Index• Definition of Videogame• A brief history about videogames• The development of a videogame• The videogame industry

Definition of Video Game

A video game is a graphical application in real time where there is an explicit interaction between the user and the video game

Definition of Video Game

• The term of real-time refers to the need of generating a rate of frames or images per second, usually 30 or 60, to provide user a feeling of reality.

• The interaction is performed by joysticks, keyboards, mouse or even our body.

A video game is a graphical application in real time where there is an explicit interaction between the user and the video game

Index• Definition of Videogame• A brief history about videogames• The development of a videogame• The videogame industry

A brief history about video games • The (pre) history• Tennis for two, for two human players, was created by William Higinbotham in the

Brookhaven National Laboratory.

• The video game was not executable in any computer, but in an analogical system like the oscilloscope.

A brief history about video games • The (pre) history• In 1960, Stephan Russell and other students from the Massachusetts Institute of

Technology (MIT), designed and developed Spacewar!

A brief history about video games • The (pre) history• Spacewar! is a video game for two human players, where each of them manages a

spaceship and the goal is to destroy the spaceship of the other player.

A brief history about video games • The (pre) history• The first video games (in the 70s) were characterized by their simplicity and its hardware

development.

• In these years the first video game consoles and the first machines dedicated to the execution of video games appeared.

• The first companies focused on the development of videogames: Nintendo in Japan or Atari in the USA.

A brief history about video games • The (pre) history• The Pong video game is considered as the first video game of the history.• This game was develop by Nolan Bushnell & Alan Alcorn in Atari in 1975.• The game was included in the video game console Atari Pong. It is estimated that they

have sold 50.000 units.

A brief history about video games • The (pre) history• Space Invaders (1978). Arcade video game

designed by Toshihiro Nishikado.• Arcade is the generic term for the video game

consoles available in public places.

A brief history about video games • The (pre) history• Galaxy Game, was the first arcade machine of the history, Pitts & Tuck (1971)• Computer Space, was the first machine of Atari, Nolan Bushnell (1971)• Magnavox Odissey was the first video console of the history (1972)

Galaxy Game

Computer Space

Magnavox Odissey

A brief history about video games • The (pre) history• In mid 80s, the (nowadays) “classical” games became really famous.

• It is considered as the golden age of the video games (1978-1983)

• When Space Invaders arrived in 1978 the benefits generated by the video game industry went from 454 millions $ in 1978 to 5.313 millions $ in 1982. The benefits were increased a 5% monthly.

A brief history about video games • The golden age (1978-1983)• Asteroids, Atari (1979)• Galaxian, Namco (1979)• Pac-Man, Namco (1980)

A brief history about video games • The 80s• The microprocessor allowed to reduce the price of personal computers (Intel 4004, in

1971)• In the 80s, there were a drastically increase of the storage, and processing, capacity of the

computers.• New video game consoles and new hardware dedicated for video games appeared.

Intel 4004, 1971

Apple II, 1977Atari VCS/2600, 1977ZX Spectrum 48k (1982)

A brief history about video games • The 80s• New Japanese companies (Taito, Nintendo, Sega) started their activity in the market.• In 1977, the Nintendo CEO Hiroshi Yamauchi hired Shigeru Miyamoto. Together, they

changed the video game world.

Sega Master System (1985)Nintendo Entertainment System (1983)

A brief history about video games • The 80s• Nintendo: Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros (1983), Tennis, Dragon Quest, The Legend of

Zelda, Final Fantasy

• Sega: Sonic saga, The House of the Dead saga, Altered Beast, Out Run, Golden Axe

• Capcom (Capsule Computers): Commando, Ghosts’n Goblins, 1943: The battle of midway, Mega Man, Cadillac and Dinosaurs, or Street Fighter

• Namco: Pac-Man (1980), Galaxian (1979), Dragon Ball (1984), Tekken (1994)

A brief history about video games • The 80s• Nintendo: Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros (1983), Tennis, Dragon Quest, The Legend of

Zelda, Final Fantasy

A brief history about video games • The 80s• Sega: Sonic saga, The House of the Dead saga, Altered Beast, Out Run, Golden Axe

A brief history about video games • The 80s• Capcom (Capsule Computers): Commando, Ghosts’n Goblins, 1943: The battle of midway,

Mega Man, Cadillac and Dinosaurs, or Street Fighter

A brief history about video games • The 80s• Namco: Pac-Man (1980), Galaxian (1979), Dragon Ball (1984), Tekken (1994)

A brief history about video games • The 80s• 16-bit machines and new video game consoles.• The graphic adventures appeared.

Commodore Amiga 500 (1985)

Atari ST 1040 (1986)

Nintendo Game Boy (1989)

A brief history about video games • The 90s• New video game genres: real-time strategy games (Civilization), virtual worlds (SimCity)• Other important games: Warcraft: Orcs & Humans (1994), Age of Empires (1997) and

Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines (1998)

A brief history about video games • The 90s• In the 90s a war for the video game market started.

Sega Saturn (1994)Sony Playstation (1994) Nintendo 64 (1996)

A brief history about video games • Since 2000• The apparition of video game consoles and PCs with high performance produced the

reduction of arcade machines.• Computer networks and Internet allowed the creation of new video game online genres

and massive online games

Sony Playstation 2(2000) Microsoft Xbox (2001)

Nintendo Wii (2006)

A brief history about video games • Since 2000• In the last years there was an exploitation of the franchise.

• Halo: Combat Evolved (2001), Resident Evil (1996), Silent Hill (1999), Prince of Persia (2003), The King of Fighters (1994), Final Fantasy (1987), Street Fighter (1987), Call of Duty (2003), Metal Slug (1996), Medal of Honor (2001), Guitar Hero (2005) ,Grand Theft Auto III (2001),…

Index• Definition of Videogame• A brief history about videogames• The development of a videogame• The videogame industry

The development of a video game• Key concepts related with the computer science:• Personal Computers like multi-goal platform.• Microprocessors development• Development of specific hardware devices• Polygonal technology in 3D• Internet• Game engine development• Programmed shaders

The development of a video game• Other concepts:• Social Networks• Mobile technologies• Tablets• Plug & Play technologies• eTouch technologies

Index• Definition of Videogame• A brief history about videogames• The development of a videogame• The videogame industry

The industry• The video game industry is an economic sector involved in the development,

distribution, marketing and sales of both, the videogames and the hardware devices.

• In the 2000’s, the video game industry has generated more money than the film industry and the musical industry together.

• According to an European ranking the fourth countries where the video game industry has generated more money are: United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain.

The industry• In 2009, the video game industry gained 57.600.000.000 € in the world.

• Ibis Capital estimates that, nowadays, each videogame generates around 7,4 and 9,7 millions of euros.

• Amongst the best seller videogame, the leader is ‘Mario’ followed by ‘Pokemon’, ‘Tetris’, ‘The Sims’, ‘Need for Speed’, ‘Final Fantasy’, ‘Grand Theft Auto’, ‘Fifa’, ‘Madden NFL’ and ‘The Legend of Zelda’.

The industry• Sales of video games platforms in Spain during 2006-2008

The industry• The value of this industry in Europe (Hardware and Software) has been estimated in

11.000 millions of euros (2012).

• The number of video games developed for personal computers has been decreased, and the biggest effort has been focused on the development of videogames for other platforms.

• Since mid 80’s, the development of videogames has been focused on non-personal computer platforms. Thanks to the development of the ‘Nintendo Entertainment System’ or NES videogame platform by Nintendo.

The industry• The main videogame systems:• Not Mobile:

• PlayStation 2 (Sony)• PlayStation 3 (Sony)• Xbox 360 (Microsoft)• Wii (Nintendo)

• Mobile:• Nintendo DS (Nintendo)• Nintendo 3DS (Nintendo)• PSP (Sony)• PSVita (Sony)