Computer Games

Over the last decade the line between computer games and video games has blurred extensively Today the terms are nearly synonymous for most people but some insist on maintaining a separation between the distinct styles of gaming The major gaming platforms are arcade machines computers and game consoles What are the differences

Arcade machines Arcade machines are standalone gaming machines that include the computer chips dedicated to running the games large displays and all of the controls for operating the game Also known as coinops these game machines are found in arcades and other public places where gamers can pay to play each round of a game

Video game consoles are gaming platforms designed for home use Often they are designed to be hooked to a television for display but some portable game consoles have their own builtin displays Like arcade machines video game consoles are controlled by computer chips that operate the games However unlike most arcade machines which are each dedicated to a single game consoles can play a variety of different games The games may be purchased separately and are stored on different media like CDs DVDs and cartridges also known as ROMs

Of course modern game consoles are becoming more multipurpose Many of the newest generation of gaming consoles allows users to access the Internet at least for online gaming listen to MP3s and watch DVD movies

While all video arcade and computer games depend on chips to operate computers in the gaming arena are generally defined as a complete system that can do operations other than gaming For example someone may use their home PC for Internet surfing word processing banking and listening to music as well as playing World of Warcraft Bejeweled or that old standby Mine Sweeper So what is the real difference between computer games and video games In early days the games that were released for console machines were known as video games and those released for computer systems were known as computer games However many games today are released across platform so they are available for many console systems as well as computers In addition early computer games took advantage of the peripherals that were available to computer users such as the keyboard and mouse then later the Internet Early video games took advantage of their console peripherals optimizing their twitch action play for hand controllers with buttons and dpads However today you can buy nearly any peripheral for any gaming system you can access online multiplayer games from even handheld consoles and the lines continue to blur Of course many computer games can be accessed online and even played for free In the 80s and 90s some genres such as Role Playing Games RPGs were far more popular on computers than on consoles and many players associated twitch shooters and action platform games with the platforms that hooked to TVs However today many RPGs are successfully sold on consoles and multiplayer action shooters have reigned supreme on the Personal Computer. Today the most successful games such as Madden NFL 2006 and Grand Theft Auto San Andreas whether you call them computer games or video games are found on several platforms