Introduction

Six individuals from the College of Science Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT) were very fascinated by  the evolutionary  changes of video games  as a medium but never played  a great deal of them. Due to this fascination, We 'the group' started this blog as a Class Project to explore the realm of video games as a medium, to comment briefly on our experiences and to view the progression of various games and game consoles. Our first blog is an introduction to video games and its significant changes as a medium.

A brief history of Video Games

For years video games have been a source of entertainment for many. No longer enjoyed only by a particular generation, many people in the world today take pleasure in the recreational joys of video games. With the advent of social media sites such as Facebook, Google+ and a cornucopia of others, video games have gone from being a means of entertaining and socialising with a few friends to entertaining and socialising with many, in real time in some instances, all over the world.

The video game was born somewhere between the late 1950s and early 1960s in the form of “SpaceWar!” which was developed by a group of MIT students. This game was the first digital computer game and marked the beginning of the video game empire. From “Pong” to “Super Mario Bros.”; Magnavox Odessey console to the, most recent, Nintendo Wii, video games and their platforms have evolved during the half century of their existence --- from their conception to implementation. 

Video games have evolved from the clunky, coin-operated arcade games to a cartridge type game played on a specially designed console. Over the years, as science and technology improved, so too did the video game. Soon, better graphics (e.g. Playstaion 3, Xbox 360), more mobile game devices (e.g. Gameboy, Nintendo DS) and a higher level of interactivity was the rule of the day. Today, the level at which an individual can connect with other persons --- not necessarily within the same area or country --- partaking in a particular game can boggle the mind. Through social media platforms, such as Facebook, several online games, such as Farmville, Mafia Wars, Cityville, etc.  have claimed quite a following; allowing people to connect with friends, friends of friends and, in other cases, complete strangers in different regions of the world.

It is this wide reaching level of connectivity that exhibits video games’ power as a form of social media --- far-reaching, connection-oriented and interaction based.

These are the aspects of video games, as a form of social media, that will be explored via our Blog titled, “BASTED”. 

Evolution of video games