Games
Video Games, Consoles & Accessories
By Mike Smith
Aug 30, 2008 - 1:10:07 PM

The future of entertainment is video gaming. Today’s video game consoles take virtual reality to the next level, constantly pushing the envelope in graphical realism. Interactivity hasn’t been left behind either. Revolutionary changes to the game controllers and other video game accessories add new aspects to the gaming experience. Complex, twisted plots and gamer-defined storylines, combined with hugely interactive environments, are adding the depth to video games that attracts gamers of all demographics. The latest game systems are about more than just video games; they combine social networking, hi-def home theatre entertainment and a slew of other distractions coupled with cutting edge technology.

At the heart of the video gaming industry is the developers’ constant struggle to push the boundaries of reality while working within graphic constraints on the consoles. With each system comes not only a new challenge, but also uniqueness determined by variation in game controllers. Nintendo Wii games differ from both PS3 games and Xbox 360 games, simply because of the Wiimote and its accelerometers. Computer games arguably have the most beefed up graphic requirements, since computer graphics are highly flexible allowing developers to create stunningly detailed and intense environments.

Gaming consoles have seen seven generations, and each one has been more exciting than the last. The current iteration has three heavy weights pitted against each other – Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console, the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii. The advanced graphic processing unit or GPU that runs these machines churns out a state-of-the-art visual explosion that creates the incredible in-game detail. Long gone are the heavy, inconvenient console game systems of old. The shiny sleek new consoles pack a punch, with gaming, movies, music, photos and Internet all in tote. The killer app in all these systems would have to be their ability to connect gamers. The multiplayer aspect of today’s gaming spans continents, from the United States all the way to Japan.

Interactivity is one core aspect of video gaming. The game controllers like their consoles have seen much evolution. Accelerometers, optical sensors and Bluetooth receivers are among the various features that have transformed the gaming experience. Gone is the wired clutter that came with older consoles like the GameCube controller; wireless controllers have taken over. Revolutionary technology is the cornerstone of the seventh generation controller. At the centre of this change is the new PS3 controller with the SIXAXIS highly sensitive motion technology. The 3d freedom within this controller was first seen in the Wimote, the Nintendo Wii controller, which used accelerometers to enhance gaming. Twirl, flick, flip and twist these controllers to unravel a whole new meaning to intuitive, interactive gameplay.