A brief history of videogames: blog task

1) What were the first videogames like?

They were simple, games like pong was just a game about hitting a ball from one panel to another and seeing who could get the highest score. another one would be the Atari breakout where you would break the blocks and you would keep doing it until they cleared off.

2) How have videogames changed over time?

They have changed massively as they introduce new concepts of the different games, most have become a game where you need a computer which can run games at a very high speculation

3) What do the most successful games have in common? Answer this in as much detail as you can. Think about audience pleasures - what do people like about playing videogames?

The concept of the game, so games like fortnite have many other bootlegs or games similar like PUBG (Player Unknown Battle Grounds), they both have the same concept of last person standing wins kind of aspect, they also run on the same engine (unreal engine) which makes some aspects of the game run similarly and perform in certain ways

4) What criticisms have been made towards videogames over the years? Here's a good article on the impact of videogames on players that might be helpful.

firstly, as some researchers are concerned that excessive game playing could be a form of addictive behaviour, The World Health Organization recently decided to add "gaming disorder" to its list of mental health conditions in the update of the International Classification of Diseases. However some researchers are uncertain about calling gaming "addictive," since problematic gaming may in some cases serve as a dysfunctional coping mechanism for people struggling with depression or anxiety.

Research conducted by the American Psychological Association found that people who played violent video games were very slightly more likely to engage in aggressive behaviour.  However, they did said playing games was not enough to cause aggression.  However other studies have found no link between game violence and violent or aggressive thoughts. Either way, aggressive behaviour is not the same as violence.

A 2015 study found that in the months after popular violent video games are released, aggravated assault and homicide rates tend to drop. The researchers behind the study said the explanations for this correlation are complicated. Researchers say that aggressive people might seek out violent media and then play games instead of engaging in behaviour that might lead to criminal activity. So there doesn't seem to be any increase in criminal activity associated with playing games.

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 1) How many Fortnite players are there worldwide? Here's an updated article with recent figures for you.

Fortnite has 250 million players in total, as of March 2019. 

2) Why is it so popular? What are the audience pleasures of the game?

One of the major factors that has made Fortnite Battle Royale so successful is that it's free to play. Players don't need to splash any cash to battle against their friends. Another attraction is that the game is cross platform, meaning that Xbox and PlayStation players can compete against one another.

3) Why might some people criticise Fortnite?

parents could criticise it because of the violence/shooting the game involves, even though there are no bloody scenes. it takes lots of the enjoyable gameplay concepts from more mature shooting games but places them in a non-threatening, non-realistic world. some parents could also criticise it for how addictive it is among teens and kids. 

4) Copy and paste two comments from 'below the line' of the Guardian article - these are comments written by Guardian readers in response to the feature. Select one comment you agree with and one you disagree with and explain why.

"A fantastic game for all the family. The violence is cartoon-like, not gratuitous or graphic. I limit my children to only playing the Playstation at the weekends. Simple."

i agree with this statement to an extent, as i also believe the violence is not graphic or serious but kid friendly. but i think limiting children to only play on the weekends is not healthy. any homework or studying goes better with allotted breaks or else it becomes an unbearable task and children will start to get bored and lose focus. 

"Computer games represent everything wrong with society. Kids should be outside playing and smashing up bus shelters, not sat on their bums fiddling with Xstations and PC boxes."

i disagree with this statement as well to an extent, i do think kids should go outside with their friends and play but they should balance it with online gaming and videogames because its just simply the trend now and its whats popular. most kids and teens find it exciting and use it as a good way to pass time because its engaging. also playing online with your friends is something you can do regardless or the situation; if the weather is bad, friend is ill and cant go out or if they dont live in a close proximity to go out casually and meet. online gaming is a fun way for teens to interact and spend time with friends whilst making sure they have fun.