Aidan Garcia

AP literature
Lawrence
11-13-15
Period 1st
Video Game Life
The day was going splendid so far; it was Christmas morning, and I was only a few years
old. I had been opening presents with my brother, and excitement became piled high for the next
one. There, directly in front of us was a sizable box containing who-knew-what? I finally clawed
away at the wrapping paper to reveal what was inside: a brand new Xbox, and it even came with
a couple of games! I spent the rest of that day playing them, and that became my first great
memory with video games, and sparked my passion for them.
After I began playing more and more video games, they started inspiring and influencing
me. I would play games at school that I made up based on what I had played the night before,
and it became truly intense when I began talking to myself playing the roles of multiple video
game characters. These games really were more than just fun activities in my downtime. Then
came my want to create. With my creativity and imagination thoroughly sparked, I began looking
around for game-making websites, and my hunger for creation was sated for a bit, but I wanted
to be able to create truly immersive experiences that captured what I wanted to portray in a
game. So I tried learning more and more about video game creation, which led me to learn more
about video games in general, and a good game maker should know about the field as a whole.
So here I am today, trying to further my knowledge about the vast industry that is video games.

With its rich history, interesting educational opportunities, intriguing job options, and bright
upcoming future, I want to be a part of this amazing, immersive industry myself.
There are many fields of technology, from engineering to computer programming, and
although video game design involves a lot of programming, it is a field of its own. Video games
combine graphic art, programming skills, musical talent, storyboard direction, and more
altogether to create a final, outstanding product. However, video games werent always this way;
they began in a state far different from what it is today. The very beginning of what can be
considered video games took place early in the 1940s. According to the Museum of Play,
Edward U. Condon began it all when he created a machine for the Westinghouse display at the
Worlds Fair. This machine was a computer that he designed to play the classic game Nim. As
described by the University of Toronto, Nim is a two-player game in which items are divided
into piles. The items are then removed a few at a time and placed into other pils. The winner is
the one who removes the last item. At the time, a computer capable of such a feat was unheard of
and revolutionary. That marked the start of video games. The Museum of Play continues to
describe the advancement of video games technology when a mere decade later, a program was
designed that could play chess against a human.
And then, in 1968, the birth of commercial home gaming began, with creation of the
Magnavox Odyssey. An odyssey it indeed was, as playing video games at home had been
unheard of before that point. The Odyssey was extremely primitive by todays standards,
consisting of a board of transistors, diodes. If you arent sure what these objects are, thats
probably because they are quite outdated and obsolete. And as for what the console is capable of,
it doesnt actually have a game library, but rather a variety of sheets that be placed over the
television screen to simulate games. All the actual Odyssey allowed the player to do was control

a dot that could be moved around the screen. Multiple players could join in, allowing for more
dots, but that is the extent of it.
A multitude of innovations followed the birth of the Odyssey, resulting in the formation
of the next major home video game system, the Atari Pong, which became an arcade staple . As
the years went on, better technology and more consoles were created: Sega Genesis, Nintendo
Entertainment System, Sony Playstation, Microsoft Xbox, and more. Eventually, advancements
in video game technology have led to this point: modern day. It really is amazing looking back
on how far its all come.
Given the complexity of modern video games, there are many talents required, and the
game-making process dips into multiple fields of study. Thats why video games usually have
enormous teams of people behind the creation process.On group of people may have the duty of
working on all of the games graphics while another group deals with artificial intelligence, then
another would be working on the voice acting portion, and so on. Video game production really
is a major team effort.
The trademark position of video game creation is the game developer position. Game
developers are crucial to everything that happens within the actual game, such as the physics of a
virtual bottle thats kicked, or how swapping weapons works. Without these people, video games
would not exist. Even the Odyssey needed some game developer magic in order to work. People
with this role code, program, and manage artificial intelligence. These are the people who not
only make video games possible, but they are also responsible for making them run smoothly.
There is a lot of technical knowledge required to be a game developer. Game developers
need to know how to program at a professional level, which can be quite challenging. Learning a
programming language can be a lot like learning an actual language; it takes time and devotion to

do, but is required. Game developers also need to know about other systems, such as artificial
intelligence, which will allow for many more possibilities in-game.
Probably the very first sight that will pop up when a video game is started is a result of a
game artist. These people are in charge making anything and everything that can be seen ingame. If there is so much as a crack on a tile, that is because a game artist worked to put it there.
Objects, aesthetic details, textures, character designs, and whatever else in a game that can be
seen. Even the way objects appear while moving is the work of game artists.
While being a game artist may not seem super complicated, it assuredly is. There is a lot
of knowledge and talent required. Someone looking to acquire the position must have a high
enough level of artistry, such as adept drawing skills. For most of todays video games, the
person must also be able to transfer that skill into a three-dimensional plane. This is where
computer knowledge comes into play, what with developing three-dimensional models with
computer programs and then defining movements with them. Precise skill is necessary for this
position.
Game designers didnt used to be required in the field. As a matter of fact, they werent
necessary at all. That is because video games used to be much simpler than they are now. Video
games used to rely on simple concepts to entertain people, but currently, they come packed with
plots and stories to completely enthrall players, and thats where game designers step in. As Full
Sail university words it, they are the ones that are in charge of the game play, story
development, and production needs of the industry. Its essentially more a leadership position,
which is more important than it may seem.
Being a game designer requires a vivid imagination. Storylines have become extremely
crucial in modern gaming for a game to be considered good or great. And game designers are the

ones who oversee these operations. Other than that, these people act a bit like general managers.
As such, management skills, and an understanding of other parts of the process is required to be
a successful game designer.
After learning so much about video games in general and knowing about the job
opportunities and experience required, do I really still want to be a part of this field? Of course!
Ever since around the time of my first Xbox, video games have been part of me. I have always
enjoyed playing them to such high extents. While other people enjoy video games, I truly enjoy
them, admittedly playing them too much at times. However, its not just that I love playing video
games, but its also that video games inspire me. Ive had an active imagination as long as I can
remember, but I attribute that majorly to video games. As a child, I would always make up games
to play with my friends during recess, but theyd always be based off of a video game that I had
recently played at home. From there, my imagination began to run wild with ideas. As I played
more and more video games with increasingly advanced stories, I began to rely on them less for
ideas, as I started coming up with my own I was essentially creating my own video games, in my
mind. Not only that, but I also began drawing at a very young age. In elementary school, my
fellow peers revered me as a skillful artist. I then continued to draw up until today, I ended up
considerably better at it, and although I wish I were an even more adept artist, I have what can
serve as a base, and I honestly find drawing to be quite a fun pastime. And then theres coding.
Unfortunately, I know next to nothing about coding and programming, although I do have
somewhat of a grasp on some of the basics. And from what I have learned, I find this process to
be fun as well.I have used a few game creator softwares that involve basic use of code, and Ive
had a blast using it to create what I wanted to.

Through all of those experiences and fond memories, I feel that I would be happy not only in the
field of video games creation, but I would be satisfied with virtually any position in the field. Be
it experience, enjoyment, or both, I believe I truly have the potential to make a name for myself
in the field, however I choose to enter it, and also have a great deal of fun doing it.
Yet another intriguing part of video games is what the possible future of them looks like.
Video games have advanced so much throughout the years that its incredible, and why would
now be the peak of that advancement? Ambitions seem to only be rising as new, innovative, and
sometimes even experimental technology is being produced for the field. For example, virtual
reality is a concept that hordes of people want explored. And actually, virtual reality has already
begun to see commercial success with the relatively new Oculus Rift. The Rift is placed directly
over the users eyes so he/she can see what is in the game as if actually being in it.
Video games are also becoming a substantially larger market. People are getting
increasingly into buying and playing them, which keeps the future from looking bleak at all.
According to Investopedias article on the subject, the future seems even brighter than I would
have guessed as production value of some video games is approaching the extreme heights of
Hollywood Blockbusters. And looking at how intricate and overall amazing video games are
becoming, it is easy to see how thats possible.
(I couldn't find my final draft for some reason.)
Works Cited
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