Video game
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Video games are electronic games played on a video screen (normally a television, or a built-in screen when played on a handheld machine).
There are many types of these games: role-playing games; shooters, first-person shooters, side-scrollers, and platformers are just a few.
There have been many types of consoles used to play video games. Some of the first were the Atari 2600 and Nintendo Entertainment System in the 1980s. New video game consoles are the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and GameCube. The best selling video game console of all time is the PlayStation 2, made by Sony.
People can play portable video games anywhere. The most popular portable video game console is the Nintendo GameBoy. Today, there are the Nintendo DS and the PlayStation Portable. People can even watch movies on the PlayStation Portable.
Classic video game characters include Mario and his friends.
There has been some arguments over the violence and sex in video games. For more information see video game controversy.
Each year, over ten thousand games are made for the PC. Many more are made for the Xbox, GC, and PSP. The older consoles seldom have new games developed for them although console games are emulated (changed so they can be played on a PC) frequently. Also, they are more popular emulated than when they were on sale.
The use of video games to compete is called electronic sports.
[edit] Next generation consoles
Microsoft's Xbox 360 came out in late 2005. This is little more than a high powered xbox. It offers a better online experience and graphics than its predecessor, as well as wireless controllers. Like the original, it also allows people to put music from an MP3 player or other sources onto the system. Being the first next generation console to hit the markets, it has a big advantage over its competitors.
Sony's PlayStation 3, which came out in November of 2006, is the newest of the PlayStation game consoles. The PlayStation Portable (PSP), although not as new, is another recent PlayStation game console.
Nintendo's new console, the Wii, was also released in November 2006. Its odd-shaped controller shaped like a television remote is much different from a normal game controller. This system features a motion sensor built into the remote allowing for a more immersive experience. An example would be swinging the remote like a racket when playing a tennis game.
