How Has Technology Helped In The Evolution Of Video Games

Ronald Tyler

Summer Sanderson

ENRD 402

17 October 2015

Evolution of Technology Through Gaming

While researching the modernization of technology through the evolution of gaming, I have come to realize that I am not the only one who believes that technology has drastically improved in part to support the growth of video games. I have come across numerous articles that support that gaming is a driving force financially and physically in the development of technology. These articles have tallied the growth of video games since their bare beginnings in the 1950s up to today. My purpose in this paper is to provide evidence that video games have helped in the evolution of technology.

The late 1950s through the early 1970s seen little progression

This marked the start of an upward spiral that would see the birth and death of numerous companies that would try to compete in this new market. Games like Pong: Atari, 1972, video game, and Space invaders: Atari, 1978, video game, became classics.

Then something amazing happened, the 1980s happened and with it ushered in a new era of video gaming on televisions. Multiple colors and more interactions with the game were now available for the players to enjoy. The Birth of the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) 1985, game console.

In 2012, the video game Call of Duty Black Ops 2 within the first 24 hours of its release generated approximately $500 million dollars in sales(IBtime), in just the U.S. and United Kingdom alone. In comparison, the highest grossing film in a 24 hour period is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2 (Warner Bros. 2011). Video games have become one of the fastest forms of entertainment, and today the video games industry generates enormous revenue. According to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), revenue from computer and console games has grown from 2.6 billion dollars in 1996 to 111.3 billion dollars globally in the year 2015 (ESA, 2015). According to the ESA five video games are purchased every 5

To be able to fulfill the need to bring newer and better graphical games developers are required to use more powerful technology which requires companies like Nvidia to continue to produce better products. Nvidia is a Graphics processing unit (GPU) developer, which has a slogan of “The way it is meant to be played”, has an entire line of GPUs dedicated and designed for gaming on computers and console based formats. Even the technology industry knows that the market cornered by gamers is a corner that they will continue to focus on and diligently strive