Gaming has become an increasingly popular pastime for many people. Video games can be used on any type of personal computer and are usually supplied by the gaming software manufacturer. Modern gaming equipment can also be purchased from third party vendors and can include peripheral devices such as digital cameras, microphones, speakers and even television screens. It is very common for games to also be supplied with instructions and help documentation which makes them even easier to learn and play.
Gaming devices are becoming more advanced each year with the release of new consoles and video games. Console video games are usually targeted at a specific group of people or age groups. The most popular games are normally designed for younger children and are aimed at teaching them how to interact with others. Console gaming systems are powered either by cartridges or by internal hard drives. Most modern consoles come with pre-installed games and accessories.
Computer games are geared towards a different audience. Most computer games are played on personal computers and may contain components which are intended only for use by the owner of the computer. Computer games generally require the use of a keyboard, mouse, gaming pad, speakers and a digital camera. Many computer games use networking technologies to allow players to interact with each other and sometimes with the game server. The gaming experience can be highly competitive and some games require large amounts of data transmission.
Modern consoles such as the Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Wii and Xbox are amongst the most popular gaming devices. Consoles such as the Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 specialize in their own particular genre of gaming and do not lend themselves well to generic multiplayer video games. Instead, most console gaming systems connect with downloadable games that can be played on regular televisions and other home electronic games. Unlike PCs and gaming consoles, the internet is one of the main sources of information and tips for playing video games. Online gaming communities have developed because playing video games has become so popular.
PC gaming has a history much longer than video games. Early systems such as the Ultima System and the Atari are among the first platforms on which computer games were developed. Personal computers have also been used to develop single player titles for video games. As personal computers and gaming platforms advance, the use of personal information is becoming more important.
One major complaint about computer and video games is the invasion of the gamer’s privacy. Gamers are eager to give their opinions about the portrayal of women in video games, the depiction of violence, the violence in video games, the language in video games, and other issues. The expansion of internet gaming into other arenas has led to concerns about privacy intrusions. Concerns have also been raised about the possibility of memory theft and the security of video gaming computers. Some owners feel that they should be able to modify or delete video games before playing them. There are few options for pc gamers in this respect.