Video gaming has been around since the late 1950’s but the majority of people had to wait until the 1970’s for the first video game consoles such as the Magnavox Odyssey followed on by cult consoles such as the Atari 2600. Arcade game ports were popular, the Atari 2600 had the classic Space Invaders and the Colecovision had Donkey Kong. What followed was to many the golden age of gaming with games such as Pac Man, Frogger and Asteroids to name but a few.
Over the decades, gaming has transformed from what was seen as a geeky hobby to a popular social activity. From games played online over your Xbox and PlayStation, casual gaming on social media websites and virtual casino gaming, or on the move with your mobile phone – there is a game for everyone to enjoy. From AAA titles such as Halo 4 and Call of Duty, to independent games such as Minecraft you can easily lose yourself in the worlds just as you would with a book. It is this phenomenon that has helped video gaming become one of the most popular forms of entertainment with accolades such as the Xbox 360 add-on Kinect becoming the fastest selling consumer electronics devices to date according to Wikipedia.
The future of video gaming looks set to be even brighter in the coming months. The latest Nintendo console, the Wii U launches shortly, introducing a unique controller with a screen allowing you to follow the action on both your TV and controller. Some gaming fans may see this experimental method of control to be not true gaming in the traditional sense and more as a gimmick but time will tell as the original Wii was the most highly bought console of this generation.
In 2013 the new consoles from Microsoft and Sony are expected to launch. Gaming fans expect these launches to be the true start of the next generation of gaming, with improved graphics, multiplayer and integration to media such as the ever growing video on demand services. 2013 promises to be an exciting year for video game fans!
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