Video games emerge from a number of existing historical factors and cultural practices. In this module, we will explore how global gaming cultures, coin-operated amusements, and technical experimentation with computers helped make video games possible.

In the United States, in particular, the arcade game was one of the earliest forms of computer culture average people had access to. Arcade games played a critical role in the development of video games and remain a key area of game design internationally.

Some of the earliest popular computer games relied on text, rather than graphics. Companies like Infocom focused on the possibilities of interactive text games and other important titles, like Colossal Cave Adventure, helped shape early game design.

Computer game genres developed alongside technology while adapting genres, mechanics, and conventions from earlier, even analog games. In this module, we consider the case of the British computer industry’s relationship with games and trace the rise of graphical adventure games and the eventual development of massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs).

In the U.S., the decline of Atari helped lay the ground for the console wars, a period during which competitors (primarily Sega and Nintendo) fought for U.S. market share. This unit considers the console wars and the post-crash arcade market.

The 1990s saw rapid change in consumer gaming technologies including both consoles and computers. Improved graphical capabilities helped sow the seeds of increased scrutiny from policy makers and moral guardians while CD-ROM opened opportunities to reach new audiences.

As video games have become part of daily life, both games and the people who play them have become more diverse. Players turn to video games for a variety of reasons, and, increasingly, game companies consider not just an audience, but many audiences.

Increased access to tools for game making have led to a large number of independent and experimental game makers. As independent game development has grown, so, too, has the infrastructure through which these games circulate—festivals, online marketplaces, and other venues have helped expand access to a broader variety of games.

This module contains the summative course assessment that has been designed to evaluate your understanding of the course material and assess your ability to apply the knowledge you have acquired throughout the course.