From Pong to PS2 (Sebastian Emina)

http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/engine/mm/subscribe_mm/base/past_base.php

The article is an in-depth discussion on how gaming used to be consumed by audiences. It describes how only in 1973 "it wasn’t uncommon to see a dozen or so people gathered around an arcade screen" which shows that in just over 30 years gaming has progressed in an unbelieveable and incredible manner. It makes you wonder in 30 years from now what will gaming be like?

It tells of how those in the past who became crazed by the first arcade game weren't aware of how they were living in the beginning of gaming and that 30 years from then we are now able to play games against people on the other side of the world with a press of a button. "Not many of those people could have predicted that they were witnessing the infancy of what would rapidly become the most successful entertainment industry in the world."

The progression since the creation of Pong in 1973 is vast; and Sebastian Emina speaks perfectly of this sheer progression by a slightly comical but true statement in his article. "Even the games we play on our mobile phones are now more sophisticated than early arcade video games like ‘Pong’ – and thinking about quite how hard pushed you’d have been to fit a ‘Pong’ machine in your trouser pocket makes you realise just how far they’ve come." The progression in such a short space of time that gaming has made is simply amazing and it shows no signs of slowing down as the recent introduction of online gaming so clearly shows.

It also touches very briefly on the social issues that have been debated vigorously by the public. It shows how gaming can effect social lives of the audience because of addiction to the gaming world and even put it infront of important parts of their lives. "These days, everyone knows (or is) someone who has failed exams, lost friends and ended relationships because of their relentless ambition to get to the next level of the latest big thing. Love ’em or hate ’em, in a world where Lara Croft is an A-list celebrity, video games are hard to ignore and impossible to avoid." This is more of a generalized statement, but in reality it is sadly true. Kids of today are obsessed with the latest crazes and games and its become a part of childhood where if you havn't got the best games on the market your deemed "uncool." This just highlights the sheer progression and power gaming is having over the public and this is only likely to grow as technology itself progresses.

The article interestingly compares the wars between companies trying to make the best gaming consoles or games to a "vicious real-life ‘game’ involving thousands of programmers, designers, creative consultants and advertising executives – and a ‘score’ measured solely in money: lots and lots of money." It shows how competetion has always been present between companies trying to be the next big thing on the gaming market. At first, it began with Atari and their Pong and PacMan games. Then came in the Nintendo 64 and Sega Dreamcast to wipe Atari off the map with their famous games of Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog respectively. And then began a whole new era that is still present in today. The introduction of the Playstation was the end of Nintendo and Sega much to Atori's delight; "‘Serves them right,’ said certain nostalgic ex-owners of the Atari ST." Now even the prestigious Playstation is under competetive pressure from the Xbox and Wii. It just shows that as gaming evolves, progresses and change; so does the top-dog gaming company..