Computer and video games are becoming more common and socially acceptable. Many people spend their leisure hours in front of the television, but video games and computer games are also increasingly becoming an activity enjoyed by families. They have also become so popular that they can now be purchased for a low cost on the internet. Many online sellers offer free samples of games and software to entice customers to purchase.
Video gaming involves interaction with an interactive device or user interface (joystick, steering wheel, buttons, etc. ), with one or more user characters. A computer game or video game is an electronically interactive game that usually involves interaction with a human user interface device, including but not limited to a keyboard, mouse, or trackball, and an optional vision device. Video gaming systems are used to interact with other human beings through various forms of input. Computer and video gaming involves using the user’s hands, feet, and/or body to carry out actions and to interact with the computer or game system.
Computer and video gaming are related but different in many ways. The two terms are often used interchangeably, but they are different in many details. A gamer is a person who plays interactive computer or video games. A person who plays console games is one who watches a TV screen and uses a controller to play the game console.
Computer and video gaming involves using various types of sensory mechanisms to interact with the computer or game system. These include but are not limited to, vision, hearing, touch, and even taste. Vision is often used to refer to graphics in a video or computer game, and hearing is often used to describe the sounds in a video game. Some games require the use of a directional pad to control movement; some require the use of a keyboard or a gamepad (a device that is used to manipulate the action on a computer display) for controlling the action of a character in the game; and some even require the use of handheld controllers (a device that is held in the fingers and that is used to control the operation of a computer system through the use of pressure or other physical mechanisms).
Internet gaming involves playing video or computer games over a network of computers and devices. Networking and connection to devices over the internet are calling broadband Internet access and is usually provided at a high-speed usually using a standard telephone line. There are three types of broadband Internet access: leased, dedicated, and managed. Generally speaking, a dedicated Internet connection is more expensive than the second type, which is a leased Internet connection (it is less expensive to purchase the equipment for the gaming console than it is to lease the equipment).
The gaming market is a multi-billion dollar per year market. Video game consoles and handheld consoles have become a worldwide phenomenon. Internet-based gaming has also become a huge industry, with millions of people playing video and computer games online. The virtual world of gaming has made many people very rich. However, as with all things in the modern world, there will always be a new frontier for new consoles and new forms of interaction.