From Pac-Man and Tetris to Augmented Reality

To access the current circular of video game It took years of development, with the evolution of computing playing a fundamental role. This is the only way to explain how we went from playing Pac Man (known in Spain as “comecocos”) and fitting the pieces in the lovable and addictive game Tetris, to researching Pokemon In real scenarios of our cities through augmented reality.

But in addition to technological development, another mainstay of video game success is the economy. According to Newzoo, in 2021 the video game business generated nearly $160,000 million worldwide. The report records a total of 3000 million players, 55% of whom are from Asia and the Pacific region.

The video game, along with its technological and economic components, plays an important role as a cultural component. For the millions of people around the world who consume them, video games are not an exclusive part of their spare time. They condition their social relationships and daily activities, creating communities that transcend geographical boundaries.

But reaching the current generalization of this type of entertainment took years of development, with the development of computing playing a fundamental role. This is the only way to explain how we went from playing backman (known in Spain as “comecocos”) and put together the pieces in the lovable and addictive game Tetris, to search for Pokemon in real places of our cities through augmented reality.

the origin

Video games appear as applications of a playful nature, developed from the 1950s by computer programmers. Since it could not be less in rational and mathematical minds, the first attempts gave shape to chess programs, with which scientists, in addition to killing time, developed the syntax of new computer languages.

A step forward was taken in the late 1950s by a physicist named Willie Higginbotham. Trying to make a thematic exhibition in a government laboratory United Statea simple game played on a black and white TV that simulates a game of tennis.

These primitive attempts were limited to laboratories and scientists, and still did not comply with a basic rule of what we know today as a video game: its widespread use anywhere and anytime. We had to wait for the ’70s to find the earliest precedents.

From laboratories to recreation halls

in 1972 Nolan Bushnell He patented the first interactive game in history, Pong, and created Atari, which is still active. What is new is that for the first time video games are leaving laboratories and being installed in entertainment devices located in public places. In exchange for just a few coins, anyone can access a fun experience that in those years was a novelty that amazed players.

Since then, the evolution of video games has been unstoppable. If the first step is to leave laboratories to be fitted into entertainment machines, they will soon reach personal computers and living rooms, and from there to cell phones. An unstoppable road, its only limit technology And the imagination of programmers.

Million dollar business

But in addition to technological development, another mainstay of video game success is the economy. According to the agency newzooIn 2021, the video game business generated nearly $160,000 million worldwide. The report records a total of 3,000 million players, 55% of whom are from Asia and the region security.

The study points to the promotion of games in the “cloud”, the emergence of entertainment applications on smartphones and the expansion of new markets as drivers of this growth. The report also indicates that the results of 2021 exceeded the results of 2020, the year in which video game consumption doubled, due to the blockade due to the Corona virus pandemic. COVID-19.

Video game as a cultural element

The video game, along with its technological and economic components, plays an important role as a cultural component. For the millions of people around the world who consume them, video games are not an exclusive part of their spare time. They condition their social relationships and daily activities, creating communities that transcend geographical boundaries.

Far from judging whether the penetration of video games into the psyche of users has positive or negative effects, it must be recognized that their discontinuation has come in parallel with other social changes. Which means that video games are more than just a disruptive agent, they are another facet of the unstoppable transformation of the world today.

For all these reasons, if you are an irreducible player and move in the digital world like a fish in water, we wish you a happy Player’s Day And enjoy your favorite hobby. On the other hand, if you have is the real world and your tastes are more traditional, it is better to wait for the day dedicated to your hobby, it is surely there and written in red on the calendar.