The first gaming console created was the “Brown Box” in 1967 and the creator of this gaming masterpiece was Ralph H Baer.
It consisted of discrete transistor-based digital games. Such games as ping pong, checkers, and chess only needed very basic programming logic.
The console had a limited number of graphical colors basically black and white and the sound system was also very limited as it did not have any internal speakers all noise output was via the television.
Brown Box console was sold with two controllers which were permanently attached to the console. All output came from the TV.
Atari Console
The Atari gaming console was released in 1977 and manufactured by Atari Inc. Atari console had been developed and had both an audio and video processor internally built into the console.
RAM (Random Access Memory) of the console was 128 bytes you could add additional RAM by simply slotting the cartridge into one of the available slots within the console. Additional RAM could be bought at an additional cost to the gamer!!
Console ROM (Read Only Memory) was 4 KB (KiloBytes) for the Atari console. Two wired controllers came along with the console and output was via TV which produced the visual and sound effects of playing the game. Popular games such as PacMan, Space Invaders, Missile Command, and Asteroids have a legendary status amongst modern-day gamers!!
Sega Master
The Sega Master System was manufactured by Sega. The Sega console specification is as follows:
8-bit processor
8 KB of ROM
8 KB of RAM and
16 KB of video RAM
Display resolution is 256 x 192
Two wired controllers came along with the console and output was via TV which produced the visual and sound effects of playing the game. The outputs are in color from the TV and sound signal through speakers. Such popular games were Space Harrier, Popeye, Mortal Kombat, and Street Fighter with the franchise still continuing to date.
PlayStation
The PlayStation was manufactured by Sony. The PlayStation console specification is as follows:
32-bit processor
2 MB of RAM
The display resolution is 640 x 480.
Two wired controllers came along with the console and the output was via TV which produced the visual and sound effects of playing the game. The outputs are in color from the TV and sound signal through speakers. Popular games released on the PlayStation were; Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy, Tekken, and Crash Bandicoot.
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 was the follow-up to the PlayStation by Sony Corporation. The PlayStation 2 console specification is as follows:
PlayStation 2 has a 32-bit processor.
RAM can hold 4 MB and the ROM can hold 4 MB.
The display resolution can vary between 256 x 224 to 1920 x 1080p (Progressive Scan) means higher definition games.
The audio comes from the TV. You can input two wired controllers. The outputs are color from the TV and sound signal through speakers. Popular games released for the PS2 include GTA San Andreas, Gran Turismo, and Dragons Quest.
Some of the games moved towards a more adult theme and games ratings were introduced to control the access of some violent games to underage customers.
PlayStation 3
Sony introduced higher-level specifications in the PlayStation 3 console. Admirers of the console wanted more power and the advance of the internet which meant a new gaming era called online gaming.
PlayStation 3 was built to accommodate and cement the position of Sony who was competing with Microsoft and Nintendo to have the best gaming consoles in the market. Games went to a different level and included online chats and groups of friends playing games across the globe. As long as someone had a console and internet connection boundaries between countries, races, and religions were reduced because of online gaming and PlayStation 3 was at the front of this evolution. Console specification is as follows:
3.2 GHz (Gigahertz) cell Broadband Engine Processor.
256 MB of Rambus XDR DRAM.
The display resolution is 1080p.
The introduction of wireless controllers came along with the console which meant gamers can now move around and not be fixed to the same position whilst playing a game. Headphones and mics were introduced to the marketplace to make the gaming experience more effective. Communication between teammates was a crucial means to win particular games. Internet bandwidth was increased to accommodate gamers who wanted quicker response times and thus consoles were “upgraded” to reflect this new demand of gamers.
Popular games released for the PS3 were; GTA V, The Last of Us, Modern Warfare, and Batman Arkham Night. Again, a move to more adult-based games such as Call of Duty (COD) and Grand Theft Auto saw high demand both from young and mature gamers and not just for men – female gamers started to enjoy the challenge of beating their opposition!!
PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 3 was a stepping stone towards the PlayStation 4. Hardcore PlayStation 3 fans wanted to expand and compete against people all around the world.
Sony Corporation Infrastructure was limited which meant matchmaking was pretty repetitive because you were playing against the same people who were connected to the same server.
Sony cooperation decided to invest a large sum of their profits on expanding their current infrastructure which included server capacity, processors and bandwidth increased substantially which allows the users to connect to Sony servers all over the globe and online gaming is accessible 24/7 all around the world.
PlayStation 4 console specification is as follows:
The PS4 has an 8-core AMD Jaguar x86-64 CPU
8GB GDDR5 RAM.
The storage size is between 500GB-1TB
The display resolution for the PS4 is 1080p however if you have a 4k monitor or TV it can have a resolution of 4k.
You can input chargers via USB ports and it comes with two DualShock controllers and the controllers have a Headphone jack for a mic. The outputs are the audio from your TV and the mic and the vibration from your controller (when you shoot a gun in a game the controller vibrates). These additional functionalities make the games more realistic to the users and put them in a world where their dreams can come true. Users are now competing on a global scale to be the best of the best!!
Development of Hand Held Consoles
The Gameboy Classic was manufactured by Nintendo. The Gameboy Classic has 8 Kbytes of RAM. The display resolution for the Gameboy Classic is 160 x 144. You get 30 hours of gaming time on the Gameboy. The Gameboy Classic is only compatible with cartridges. You can input headphones via stereos. The outputs are sounds coming out from your console.
The Gameboy color has 8 Kbytes of RAM. The display resolution for the Gameboy color is 160 x 144. You get 10 hours of gaming time on the Gameboy color which is worse than the previous model. The Gameboy Color is only compatible with cartridges. You can input headphones via stereos. The outputs are sounds coming out from your console.
The Gameboy Advance has a resolution of 240 x 160. You get 15 hours of gaming time on the Gameboy Classic. The Gameboy Color is only compatible with cartridges. You can input headphones via stereos. The outputs are sounds coming out from your console.
Genres and Objectives
There are many games with many different genres and they also have different objectives. For example;
Shooters: The main objectives for shooters depend on what shooter you are playing if you are playing Call of Duty the main objective is to kill the other team and aim to get the most number of kills and lead your team to victory. However, if you’re playing Rainbow Six Siege your main objective is to secure the area or extract the hostage so it would be more strategy based.
Sports: The main objectives for sports depend on what sports game you are playing if you are playing FIFA the main objective is to win games, score goals, and build the ultimate team however if you are playing UFC your objective is to win your fight and become the champion.
Strategy: Strategic games are commonly board or video games in which the players have to make wise decisions to win the game or they might end up losing their game. Strategy games are often single-player however there are some multiplayer games, unfortunately, they are not very popular.
Simulation: Simulation games are first-person which copies various daily activities in daily life. The simulation game's main objective is to gain the most in-game currency and to complete all the missions. Simulation games are mainly PC-based however more simulation games are coming to Sonys VR.
Card Games: Card games is a game in which cards are only used. There are various objectives in card games such as eliminating all of your opponent’s, gaining the most points, and losing the most cards. However, card games are not very popular digitally.
Horror games: The purpose of horror games is to scare you whilst you go through a series of obstacles. The main objectives of horror games are to escape from a spooky area or survive until time runs out in your lobby, however, your opponents (mainly computers) objective is to kill or capture the remaining players.
Action and Adventure: Action and Adventure games in which the player plays a fantasy role (mainly the hero/the main character) in an adventure story. The main objective of Action and Adventure games is to complete the story mode and try to get the most in-game currency and then get the best equipment and boost your character's attributes.
Evolution of Games
2D Arcade games
2D arcade games are the original type of games and the simplest gaming concepts. The game is played in a 2D environment. Pacman is a straightforward game to play but it is good fun. A lot of arcade games are two players for example street fighter and you can still play these games on smartphones. These games mainly have levels or you have a certain amount of lives and if you run out of lives it's game over.
3D RPG
You can play solo in RPG but you can play with a squad of players. Adventure RPGs like the Dark Soul games; the fallout games and Skyrim use 3rd person view. These games are in a 3D environment and when you turn around you can see your character from all angles without a frame change.
MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing games are more technically advanced and are a combination of role-playing video games and massively online games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual world. Some MMORPGs are based on real-life movies such as star trek or other franchises such as Star Wars the old republic but the most recent game that has caught the general public is “Fortnight”. People pay a fee to play against people all over the globe.
Mobile Gaming
Gaming on mobile phones is a good way to be occupied if you’re traveling because they fit in your pocket and most mobile games are free or they very cheap however at times it is difficult gaming on a mobile phone because the apps tend to crash or they are very “laggy”.
Differences between other Devices
Consoles are the easiest way to play games, your game will not crash mid-game in the same way as a mobile game. There’s a great catalog of games for consoles coming out monthly conversely mobile games do not come out as often as console games. Consoles can run 4k gaming if you have a suitable TV on the other games on a mobile aren’t very good graphics they are mainly pixels. The console does not run out of charge however, phones do. However mobile phones are very portable unlike consoles, you can play mobile games anywhere whereas you can only play a console on a TV.
Handhelds are pretty affordable unlike a good PC; good PCs are very expensive but if you don’t get a good PC your games will crash a lot and the game will be very laggy. Handhelds are portable, unlike PCs. You will not need the internet to play handheld games, unlike the PC. You will not need to download games for handhelds in contrast with PCs (downloading games on a PC might take a while because of your internet). However, you can play online on a PC although on handhelds you can’t.
Summary
Various game consoles exist on various consoles and there are numerous games to choose from. To suggest a particular platform and console and a particular game would be a difficult task. Cost and gaming experience does matter but it comes down to your own personal choice and what your friends decide is the trend at the moment.