attention students!
Week of March 30-April 3
Start at the blue BEGIN HERE circle and stop at the red STOP sign.
Start at the blue BEGIN HERE circle and stop at the red STOP sign.
definitely, definitely click this
Okay you should also click this
Today's Goal: Achieve 20 levels minimum to receive full credit. Anything over that will = extra credit. Aaaaand go!
![Picture](/uploads/2/3/9/9/23998507/shutterstock-578845732-3-1_orig.jpg)
A "smart city"?
Click the picture above.
Click the picture above.
Digital Environments
Digital Environments are simulated settings that are designed to be used in films, photographs, and consumer interactive experiences...such as Video Gaming.
The Video Game Industry
- 63 percent of American households are home to at least one person who plays video games regularly (three or more hours a week).
- The average video game player is 35 years old and has been playing video games for about 13 years.
- More than half of the most frequent video game players are familiar with virtual reality; among those, 40 percent say they will likely purchase VR within the next year.
- Women age 18 or older represent a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population (31%) than boys age 18 or younger (17%).
- Thirty-six percent of the most frequent gamers play on their smartphones.
- Consumers spent more than $23.5 billion on game content, hardware and accessories in 2015, compared to $22.4 billion in 2014.
- http://essentialfacts.theesa.com/
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device such as a TV screen or computer monitor.
Video Games come in many forms, let's first understand the two major categories that any electronic falls under: Hardware and Software. |
Computer hardware is any physical device used in or with your machine, whereas software is a collection of code installed onto your computer's hard drive. For example, the computer monitor you are using to read this text and the mouse you are using to navigate this web page is computer hardware. The Internet browser that allowed you to visit this page and the operating system that the browser is running on is considered software.
Watch the video below and fill out the worksheet with definitions about the Video Game Industry.
Since they were first released, video games themselves have evolved in many aspects. From graphics and storyline to sales and popularity...
Click on the link below and use the arrow to navigate through the years and see how the industry has evolved.
http://www.museumofplay.org/about/icheg/video-game-history/timeline
Click on the link below and use the arrow to navigate through the years and see how the industry has evolved.
http://www.museumofplay.org/about/icheg/video-game-history/timeline
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2016 1992
The Evolution of Video Games
Watch the video below that introduces the Top Video Game Characters (and games) of all time.
On your worksheet, make sure to list them and while you are watching, be sure to observe the differences in graphics between characters and their games.
On your worksheet, make sure to list them and while you are watching, be sure to observe the differences in graphics between characters and their games.
Many video games have become so popular that they made it to the big screen aka Movies
What is your favorite video game genre?
Genres, or categories, of video games are not usually defined by the actual content of the game or its medium of play, but by its common challenge.
Action
Action games emphasize physical challenges that require eye-hand coordination and motor skill to overcome. They center around the player, who is in control of most of the action. Most of the earliest video games were considered action games; today, it is still a vast genre covering all games that involve physical challenges. |
Adventure
Unlike Action games, adventure games focus more on solving difficult puzzles rather than defeating the enemies. The puzzles in Adventure games also require deeper thought and more time to solve it, unlike the fast paced puzzles in Action games. Adventure games have 5 main characteristics that make them what they are. 1. Puzzle/problem solving in order to progress. Adventure games need the puzzles or there would be no way to progress in the game. 2. A narrative/interactive story. Adventure games need a story to follow so the puzzles make sense. 3. Exploration of surroundings. The player needs to look in every corner of their surroundings. Items they may need can be hidden well. 4. assuming the role of a character (hero). The player of an Adventure game plays as the protagonist of the game. The player solves the puzzles in order to further the hero's story to defeat the main antagonist. 5. collection and manipulation of objects. Certain items are important to the player. Some help to solve puzzles and others may be used to get assistance from NPC's (Non-playable characters). |
Simulation
Simulation games, sometimes called just simulators or sims, are a genre of video games that try to incorporate real world aspects through computer programs. Simulation games are based on real skills, situations, and scientifically plausible fantasies. These types of games can either be the nerdiest experiences in gaming, or home to some of the best heroics. Since Simulation games mimic real world scenarios such as flight training, hacking, and warfare they simulate real world heroes and villains. Some Simulation games are not as complex as simulating a war, some can just simulate life. |
Strategy
While Action games can require skillful thinking they are never considered to be a Strategy game. The Strategy genre of games requires larger levels of skillful thinking and resourceful planning in order to achieve victory. When compared to Action and even Adventure games, Strategy games are typically in a larger scope. Strategy games also differ from puzzle games, a sub-genre of Adventure games. While puzzle games require skills to solve the puzzles, Strategy games require thinking around conflict between two opposing sides. |
Role Playing Games (RPGs)
RPG's center around one character (protagonist) in an entirely fictional world. This allows the player to escape their monotonous everyday life, and live in the world they always dreamed of living in. Setting- having a good world can make the experience of an RPG better. Setting doesn't mean 2-D or 3-D graphics, in fact it has nothing to do with graphics at all. The setting of an RPG has to do with the geography, history, races, cultures, religions, traditions, lore and legends, and factions that the player may find and interact with throughout the game. Character building- Building a character is a big mechanic with RPG's. While other games have a set hero or character for you to play as, RPG's give the player more freedom to make a character they want. This can mean they can choose their race, gender, abilities and stats, what they wear, what they look like, etc. Without a character build, a game couldn't be an RPG. -Exploration of the world- RPG's tend to have vast worlds for the player to explore as they play through the story. Having this large world to explore can lead to fun adventures that may not have to do with the objective you are supposed to complete. Having this freedom of exploration can add more game play to the game. Quests- Quests build the objectives for the player to complete and progress the storyline. Some RPG's can even have branching questlines. The branches can lead to different stories that can lead to different endings. Quests are one of the most vital parts of an RPG. Variety- In RPG's there are generally multiple ways to complete one quest. In one game you could be stealthy in order to get what you need, or you can choose to fight your way through with any weapons available to you. Character progression- An important aspect of the RPG genre is the ability to develop your character the way you want to. This generally takes the form of stats and level up points. For example if you wanted to use magic, you would level up stats beneficial to magic use. Forming a party- Some RPG's allow you to gain followers who will follow you, do what you tell them, hold extra items that clutter your inventory, and even attack hostile enemies for you. The party mechanic can be fun as people always say "the more the merrier." User interface- Having an interface where you can access different thing is a key mechanic in RPG's. The interface is usually different from the pause menu of the game. This makes it easier to do separate things such as getting a weapon or checking on your stats. Dramatic narrative (good storyline)- A storyline is an integral part of the RPG genre. Without a story there would be no point for quests and no point to explore the world. Without the story the game is rendered unplayable. Consequences- In most RPG's different dialogue options warrant different consequences from the NPC's (Non-Playable Characters). |
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality (VR) typically refers to computer technologies that use software to generate realistic images, sounds and other sensations that replicate a real environment (or create an imaginary setting), and simulate a user's physical presence in this environment, by enabling the user to interact with this space and any objects depicted therein using specialized display screens or projectors and other devices.
While you watch this short video, write down the major points the narrator mentions about virtual reality.
Ever wanted to travel to a place in the world, but couldn't afford it? Technology today allows people the experience of travel and site-seeing...see below.
Let's go on the coolest field trip ever!!
Go on as many virtual field trips as you like (minimum of 2).
How are video games created?
Take out your notes on Video Gaming. You are going to click on the link to the right and write down the STEPS to creating video games, and a brief DEFINITION of what each of those steps entail.
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What is code?
Write this definition down....
Computer Programming - creating a sequence of instructions to enable the computer to do something. |
Fun Facts: Game programming, a subset of game development, is the software development of video games. Game programming requires substantial skill in software engineering as well as specialization in one or more of the following areas, which overlap heavily to create a game: simulation, computer graphics, artificial intelligence, physics, audio programming, and input. For massively multiplayer online games, additional areas, such as network programming and database programming are often included. Though often engaged in by professional game programmers, many novices may program games as a hobby.