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Video gaming reaches ‘seventh generation’ |
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Tuesday, 23 January 2007 |
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by MATT GRAVATT
It’s been a long time since I woke up early to play “Goldeneye” on the Nintendo 64 and even longer since I played “Super Mario Brothers” on an original 8-Bit Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).
It goes without saying that in the years since the release of the NES
in 1985, the nature and quality of video games have changed.
 Active Image | Bryan Tarnowski | The Appalachian
Adam R. Reaves, a sophomore anthropology major, plays a Nintendo Wii.
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In the era of high definition televisions, wireless Internet and high
definition-DVDs, video game consoles have improved by leaps and bounds,
embracing enhanced technology in new ways.
There are three new game consoles currently on the market: The Xbox
360, the Playstation 3 and the Wii, comprising what video game
enthusiasts refer to as the “seventh generation” gaming systems.
All three of these video game systems are commonly defined by their use
of Internet connectivity to enhance content and provide (in some cases
depending on service subscriptions) for online game play.
The main differences between the “seventh generation” consoles is their
graphic content, and, in the case of the Wii, their controllers.
Both the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 offer high-resolution graphics and high definition content.
The graphics on both of these consoles are astounding, allowing for unparalleled playing experience.
Then, there is the Wii. What the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 have in graphics, the Wii makes up for in ingenuity and game play.
The feature that sets the Wii apart from the other “seventh generation” systems is its controllers.
They are unlike any controllers in the video-game world, working to
control characters by physical movement, rather by pushing a series of
buttons.
Depending on the game, the player’s movements of the Wii controller are displayed onscreen.
For example, a player may swing the controller as one would swing a
punch in boxing, or make a slicing motion as if it were a sword, both
of which would be performed in game.
For me, this is the selling point for the Wii – its ingenuity in game play and controller technology.
Never before has a video game become so interactive and, for lack of a better word, “personal.”
In Wii “Sports,” a game package that ships with all Wii consoles,
multiple players can compete in boxing or tennis matches, which would
be dull on any other controller.
Simply put, the Wii is an entirely new direction in gaming, one
involving movement, interaction between players, and overall
contribution to a very enticing and fun game play experience.
I think the name says it best, Wii.
According to its Web site, Nintendo intended this system to be for everyone: avid gamers and non-gamers alike.
“Wii sounds like ‘we,’ which emphasizes that the console is for everyone,” according to the Web site.
There is a lot to choose from for those interested in casual or intense
video gaming, and each console has its particular pros and cons.
The Wii is not graphically oriented, but centers more on game play for everyone.
At $250, compared to $500 for the Playstation 3 and $300 for the Xbox 360, the Nintendo Wii is certainly something to marvel at.
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So here is mine :
- 1st generation games : describes the first video game consoles ever marketed, such as Magnavox; and games such as Pong. It lasted approximatively from 1972 to 1979.
- 2nd generation games : describes the first consoles that had a CPU processor, such as Atari 2600 or Colecovision, computers such as Apple II, and games such as Pac-Man or Space Invaders . It lasted approximatively from 1976 to 1984.
- 3rd generation : describes 8-bits consoles and computers such as Nintendo NES, Sega Master System, Amstrad CPC, and Commodore 64; and games such as Super Mario Bros. It lasted approximatively from 1983 to 1992.
- 4th generation : describes 16-bits consoles and computers such as Nintendo SuperNES, Sega Genesis, Atari ST, and Commodore Amiga (not to forget VGA cards for PCs); and games such as Street Fighter 2, Wing Commander and Sonic the Hedgehog. It lasted approximatively from 1987 to 1996.
- 5th generation : describes 32-bits and 64-bits systems such as Sony Play Station, Sega Saturn, and Nintendo 64 (not to forget PC-Pentiums with first 3D-cards such as 3DfX); and 3D games such as Tomb Raider. It lasted approximatively from 1993 to 1999.
- 6th generation : describes so-called 128-bits or "current-gen" systems such as Sega Dreamcast, SonyPlayStation 2, Microsoft X-Box and Nintendo Gamecube (not to forget 3D-cards such as Nvidia GeForce and ATI Radeon series). It started approximatively from 1998, and games are still being produced on these systems.
- 7th generation : describes newest consoles such as X-Box 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii.
Wikipedia has much more on it (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H...ideo_games), but let's say that a "video game generation" or a "generation of machines" defines another step in graphical and technical improvement. I didn't mention handheld consoles (gameboy, PSP...) because I don't exactly know where to put them.