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{{Short description|Electronic game with user interface and visual feedback}}
{{Pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Redirect|Video Games|other uses|Video Games (disambiguation)}}
{{Redirect|Computer game|games played on personal computers|PC game|other uses|Computer game (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
[[File:Universum TV Multispiel 2006.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|First-generation ''[[Pong]]'' console at the [[Computerspielemuseum Berlin]]|alt=Two children playing ''Pong'' on a television set.]]
{{Video Games|all}}

A '''video game'''{{efn|"Videogame" may also be used, though this is less frequent.}} or '''computer game''' is an [[electronic game]] that involves interaction with a [[user interface]] or [[input device]] (such as a [[joystick]], [[game controller|controller]], [[computer keyboard|keyboard]], or [[motion sensing]] device) to generate [[visual]] [[feedback]] from a [[display device]], most commonly shown in a [[video]] format on a [[television set]], [[computer monitor]], [[flat-panel display]] or [[touchscreen]] on [[handheld device]]s, or a [[virtual reality headset]]. Most modern video games are [[audiovisual]], with [[Sound|audio]] complement delivered through [[loudspeaker|speakers]] or [[headphones]], and sometimes also with other types of sensory feedback (e.g., [[haptic technology]] that provides [[Touch|tactile]] sensations). Some video games also allow [[microphone]] and [[webcam]] inputs for [[voice chat in online gaming|in-game chatting]] and [[video game livestreaming|livestreaming]].

Video games are typically categorized according to their [[hardware platform]], which traditionally includes [[arcade video game]]s, [[console game]]s, and [[PC game|computer (PC) games]]; the latter also encompasses [[network game|LAN game]]s, [[online game]]s, and [[browser game]]s. More recently, the [[video game industry]] has expanded onto [[mobile gaming]] through [[mobile device]]s (such as [[smartphones]] and [[tablet computers]]), [[virtual reality|virtual]] and [[augmented reality]] systems, and remote [[cloud gaming]]. Video games are also classified into a wide range of [[video game genre|genres]] based on their style of [[gameplay]] and [[target audience]].

The first video game prototypes in the 1950s and 1960s were simple extensions of electronic games using video-like output from large, room-sized [[mainframe computers]]. The first consumer video game was the arcade video game ''[[Computer Space]]'' in 1971. In 1972 came the iconic hit game ''[[Pong]]'' and the first [[home video game console|home console]], the [[Magnavox Odyssey]]. The industry grew quickly during the [[golden age of arcade video games|"golden age" of arcade video games]] from the late 1970s to early 1980s but suffered from the [[1983 video game crash|crash of the North American video game market in 1983]] due to loss of publishing control and saturation of the market. Following the crash, the industry matured, was dominated by Japanese companies such as [[Nintendo]], [[Sega]], and [[Sony Interactive Entertainment|Sony]], and established practices and methods around the development and distribution of video games to prevent a similar crash in the future, many of which continue to be followed. In the 2000s, the core industry centered on "[[AAA (video game industry)|AAA]]" games, leaving little room for riskier experimental games. Coupled with the availability of the [[Internet]] and [[digital distribution of video games|digital distribution]], this gave room for [[independent video game development]] (or "[[indie game]]s") to gain prominence into the 2010s. Since then, the commercial importance of the [[video game industry]] has been increasing. The emerging Asian markets and proliferation of smartphone games in particular are altering player demographics towards [[casual games|casual gaming]] and increasing [[video game monetization|monetization]] by incorporating [[games as a service]].

Today, [[video game development]] requires numerous [[interdisciplinary]] skills, [[foresight (psychology)|vision]], [[teamwork]], and [[Collaboration|liaison]]s between different parties, including [[video game developers|developers]], [[video game publishers|publishers]], [[distribution (marketing)|distributors]], [[retailer]]s, [[Electronic hardware|hardware]] manufacturers, and other marketers, to successfully bring a game to its consumers. {{As of|2020}}, the global video game market had estimated annual revenues of {{USD|159 billion}} across hardware, software, and services, which is three times the size of the global [[music industry]] and four times that of the [[film industry]] in 2019,<ref name="vg industry size 2020">{{cite web | url = https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/05/covid-19-taking-gaming-and-esports-next-level/ | title = How COVID-19 is taking gaming and esports to the next level | publisher = [[World Economic Forum]] | date = 15 May 2020 | access-date = 5 May 2021 | first = Stefan | last = Hall | archive-date = 5 May 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210505214601/https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/05/covid-19-taking-gaming-and-esports-next-level/ | url-status = live }}</ref> making it a formidable heavyweight across the modern [[entertainment industry]]. The video game market is also a major influence behind the [[electronics industry]], where [[personal computer]] component, console, and peripheral sales, as well as consumer demands for better game performance, have been powerful driving factors for hardware design and innovation.

==Origins==
{{Main|History of video games|Early history of video games}}
{{Further|History of arcade video games}}
[[File:Tennis For Two on a DuMont Lab Oscilloscope Type 304-A.jpg|thumb|''[[Tennis for Two]]'' (1958), an early [[analog computer]] game that used an [[oscilloscope]] for a display]]

Early video games use interactive electronic devices with various display formats. The earliest example is from 1947—a "[[cathode-ray tube amusement device]]" was filed for a patent on 25 January 1947, by [[Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr.]] and Estle Ray Mann, and issued on 14 December 1948, as U.S. Patent 2455992.<ref>{{US Patent|2455992}}</ref> Inspired by [[radar]] display technology, it consists of an analog device allowing a user to control the parabolic arc of a dot on the screen to simulate a missile being fired at targets, which are paper drawings fixed to the screen.<ref name="PongStory">{{cite web| url = http://www.pong-story.com/intro.htm| title = Welcome to Pong-Story – Introduction| publisher = Pong-Story| access-date = 24 October 2007| url-status=live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100827183321/http://www.pong-story.com/intro.htm| archive-date = 27 August 2010| df = dmy-all}}</ref> Other early examples include [[Christopher Strachey]]'s [[draughts]] game, the [[Nimrod (computer)|Nimrod]] computer at the 1951 [[Festival of Britain]]; ''[[OXO (video game)|OXO]]'', a [[tic-tac-toe]] computer game by [[A.S. Douglas|Alexander S. Douglas]] for the [[EDSAC]] in 1952; ''[[Tennis for Two]]'', an electronic interactive game engineered by [[William Higinbotham]] in 1958; and ''[[Spacewar!]]'', written by [[MIT|Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] students Martin Graetz, [[Steve Russell (computer scientist)|Steve Russell]], and Wayne Wiitanen's on a DEC [[PDP-1]] computer in 1961. Each game has different means of display: NIMROD has a panel of lights to play the game of [[Nim]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Welcome to... NIMROD! |url=http://www.goodeveca.net/nimrod/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723135752/http://www.goodeveca.net/nimrod/ |archive-date=23 July 2011 |access-date=24 October 2007 |website=goodeveca.net |df=dmy-all}}</ref> OXO has a graphical display to play tic-tac-toe,<ref>{{cite web |first=David |last=Winter |url=http://www.pong-story.com/1952.htm |title=A.S.Douglas' 1952 Noughts and Crosses game |publisher=PONG-Story |access-date=3 July 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223140718/http://www.pong-story.com/1952.htm |archive-date=23 December 2015 }}</ref> ''Tennis for Two'' has an oscilloscope to display a side view of a tennis court,<ref name="PongStory"/> and ''Spacewar!'' has the [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]] PDP-1's vector display to have two [[Spacecraft|spaceships]] battle each other.<ref>{{cite book| last= Rabin| first= Steve| title= Introduction to Game Development| publisher= Charles River Media| location= Massachusetts| isbn= 978-1-58450-377-4| year= 2005| orig-year= 14 June 2005| url-access= registration| url= https://archive.org/details/introductiontoga0000unse}}</ref>

{{multiple images
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| image1            = Ralph-Baer.jpg
| caption1          = [[Ralph H. Baer]] in 2009
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| image2            = Nolan Bushnell 2013.jpg
| caption2          = [[Nolan Bushnell]] in 2013
| alt2              = Nolan Bushnell giving a speech at the Game Developers Conference in 2011
}}

These preliminary inventions paved the way for the origins of video games today. [[Ralph H. Baer]], while working at [[Sanders Associates]] in 1966, devised a control system to play a rudimentary game of table tennis on a television screen. With the company's approval, Baer built the prototype "Brown Box". Sanders patented Baer's inventions and licensed them to [[Magnavox]], which commercialized it as the first [[home video game console]], the [[Magnavox Odyssey]], released in 1972.<ref name="PongStory"/><ref>{{cite magazine |author=Orlando, Greg |date=15 May 2007 |title=Console Portraits: A 40-Year Pictorial History of Gaming |url=https://www.wired.com/2007/06/gallery-game-history/ |url-status=live |magazine=[[Wired News]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516011520/http://www.wired.com/gaming/gamingreviews/multimedia/2007/05/gallery_game_history |archive-date=16 May 2008 |access-date=7 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |df=dmy-all}}</ref> Separately, [[Nolan Bushnell]] and [[Ted Dabney]], inspired by seeing ''Spacewar!'' running at [[Stanford University]], devised a similar version running in a smaller coin-operated [[arcade cabinet]] using a less expensive computer. This was released as ''[[Computer Space]]'', the first [[arcade video game]], in 1971.<ref>{{cite web |author=Yagoda |first=Marvin |year=2008 |title=1972 Nutting Associates Computer Space |url=http://marvin3m.com/arcade/cspace.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081228061939/http://www.marvin3m.com/arcade/cspace.htm |archive-date=28 December 2008 |website=Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum}}</ref> Bushnell and Dabney went on to form [[Atari, Inc.]], and with [[Allan Alcorn]], created their second [[arcade game]] in 1972, the hit [[ping pong]]-style ''[[Pong]]'', which was directly inspired by the table tennis game on the Odyssey. Sanders and Magnavox sued Atari for infringement of Baer's patents, but Atari settled out of court, paying for perpetual rights to the patents. Following their agreement, Atari made a home version of ''Pong'', which was released by Christmas 1975.<ref name="PongStory"/> The success of the Odyssey and ''Pong'', both as an arcade game and home machine, launched the video game industry.<ref name="PBS-GameRev-Time">{{cite web| title = History of Gaming – Interactive Timeline of Game History| url = https://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/history/timeline_flash.html| publisher = [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]]| access-date = 25 October 2007| url-status=live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060218080821/http://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/history/timeline_flash.html| archive-date = 18 February 2006| df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="InformIT">{{cite book| author = Miller, Michael| url = https://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=378141| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071012152258/http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=378141| archive-date = 12 October 2007| title = A History of Home Video Game Consoles| publisher = [[InformIT (publisher)|InformIT]]| date = 1 April 2005| access-date = 7 May 2022}}</ref> Both Baer and Bushnell have been titled "Father of Video Games" for their contributions.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Barton |first1=Mat |last2=Loguidice |first2=Bill |date=9 January 2009 |title=The History Of Pong: Avoid Missing Game to Start Industry |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3900/the_history_of_pong_avoid_missing_.php |url-status= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090112004852/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3900/the_history_of_pong_avoid_missing_.php |archive-date=12 January 2009 |access-date=7 May 2022 |publisher=[[Game Developer (website)|Game Developer]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | title = Atari Inc.: Business Is Fun | first1 = Curt | last1 = Vendel | first2 = Marty | last2 = Goldberg | publisher = Syzygy Press | year = 2012 | isbn = 978-0985597405 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/atariincbusiness0000gold/page/26 26] | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/atariincbusiness0000gold/page/26 }}</ref>

==Terminology==
The term "video game" was developed to distinguish this class of [[electronic game]]s that were played on some type of [[Display device|video display]] rather than on a [[teletype printer]], [[loudspeaker|audio speaker]] or similar device.<ref name="Wolf 2007">{{cite book |last=Wolf |first=Mark |editor-last=Wolf |editor-first=Mark |date=2007 |title=The Video Game Explosion |location=Westport, CT |publisher=Greenwood Press |pages=3–7 |chapter=Chapter 1: What Is a Video Game?|isbn=978-0313338687}}</ref> This also distinguished from many [[handheld electronic game]]s like ''[[Merlin (console)|Merlin]]'' which commonly used LED lights for indicators but did not use these in combination for imaging purposes.<ref name="wolf medium chp1"/>

"Computer game" may also be used as a descriptor, as all these types of games essentially require the use of a computer processor, and in some cases, it is used interchangeably with "video game".<ref name="vg theory reader intro">{{cite book | title = The Video Game Theory Reader | first1 = Mark | last1 = Wolf | first2= Bernard | last2= Perron | chapter = Introduction: An Introduction To The Video Game Theory | date = 2003 | publisher = [[Routledge]], [[Taylor & Francis Group]] }}</ref> Particularly in the United Kingdom and Western Europe, this is common due to the historic relevance of domestically produced microcomputers. Other terms used include digital game, for example by the [[Australian Bureau of Statistics]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-06-15 |title=Film, Television and Digital Games, Australia, 2015-16 financial year |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/industry/technology-and-innovation/film-television-and-digital-games-australia/latest-release |access-date=2023-03-16 |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics |language=en}}</ref> However, the term "computer game" can also be used to more specifically refer to games played primarily on [[personal computer]]s or other type of flexible hardware systems (also known as a [[PC game]]), as a way distinguish them from [[console game]]s, [[arcade game]]s or [[mobile game]]s.<ref name="wolf medium chp1"/><ref name="Wolf 2007"/> Other terms such as "television game" or "telegame" had been used in the 1970s and early 1980s, particularly for the [[video game console|home gaming console]]s that rely on connection to a [[television set]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Wills |first=John |title=Gamer Nation: Video Games and American Culture |date=2019 |publisher=[[Johns Hopkins Press]] |isbn=9781421428697 |page=5 |oclc=1088892215}}</ref> In Japan, where consoles like the Odyssey were first imported and then made within the country by the large television manufacturers such as [[Toshiba]] and [[Sharp Corporation]], such games are known as "TV games", or ''TV geemu'' or ''terebi geemu''.<ref name="geemu">{{cite journal|first=Martin|last=Picard|title=The Foundation of Geemu: A Brief History of Early Japanese video games|journal=International Journal of Computer Game Research|date=December 2013|volume=13|issue=2|url=http://gamestudies.org/1302/articles/picard|access-date=19 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150624050100/http://gamestudies.org/1302/articles/picard | archive-date=24 June 2015|url-status=live }}</ref> "Electronic game" may also be used to refer to video games, but this also incorporates devices like early handheld electronic games that lack any video output.<ref name="vg theory reader intro"/> and the term "TV game" is still commonly used into the 21st century.<ref name="geemu"/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Akagi |first1=Masumi |title=アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971–2005) |trans-title=Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971–2005) |date=13 October 2006 |publisher=Amusement News Agency |language=ja |location=Japan |isbn=978-4990251215 |url=https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005}}</ref>

The first appearance of the term "video game" emerged around 1973. The [[Oxford English Dictionary]] cited a 10 November 1973 ''[[BusinessWeek]]'' article as the first printed use of the term.<ref>{{cite news | title = A red-hot market for video games | work = [[BusinessWeek]] | date = 10 November 1973 | pages = 212 }}</ref> Though Bushnell believed the term came from a vending magazine review of ''Computer Space'' in 1971,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/404/vcg-interview-nolan-bushnell-founder-of-atari | title = VC&G Interview: Nolan Bushnell, Founder of Atari | first = Benj | last = Edwards | date = 12 December 2007 | access-date = 3 August 2020 | work = Vintage Computing | archive-date = 23 July 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200723130632/http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/404/vcg-interview-nolan-bushnell-founder-of-atari | url-status = live }}</ref> a review of the major vending magazines ''[[Vending Times]]'' and ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]'' showed that the term came much earlier, appearing first around March 1973 in these magazines in mass usage including by the arcade game manufacturers. As analyzed by video game historian Keith Smith, the sudden appearance suggested that the term had been proposed and readily adopted by those involved. This appeared to trace to Ed Adlum, who ran ''Cashbox''{{'}}s coin-operated section until 1972 and then later founded ''RePlay Magazine'', covering the coin-op amusement field, in 1975. In a September 1982 issue of ''RePlay'', Adlum is credited with first naming these games as "video games": "RePlay's Eddie Adlum worked at 'Cash Box' when 'TV games' first came out. The personalities in those days were Bushnell, his sales manager Pat Karns and a handful of other 'TV game' manufacturers like Henry Leyser and the McEwan brothers. It seemed awkward to call their products 'TV games', so borrowing a word from ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''{{'}}s description of movie jukeboxes, Adlum started to refer to this new breed of amusement machine as 'video games.' The phrase stuck."{{citation needed|date=January 2023}} Adlum explained in 1985 that up until the early 1970s, [[amusement arcades]] typically had non-video [[arcade games]] such as [[pinball]] machines and [[electro-mechanical game]]s. With the arrival of video games in arcades during the early 1970s, there was initially some confusion in the arcade industry over what term should be used to describe the new games. He "wrestled with descriptions of this type of game," alternating between "TV game" and "television game" but "finally woke up one day" and said, "what the hell... video game!"<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Adlum |first=Eddie |date=November 1985 |title=The Replay Years: Reflections from Eddie Adlum |url=https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-11-issue-no.-2-november-1985-600DPI/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2011%2C%20Issue%20No.%202%20-%20November%201985/page/152 |magazine=RePlay |volume=11 |issue=2 |pages=134–175 (152)}}{{Dead link|date=June 2023}}</ref>

For many years, the traveling Videotopia exhibit served as the closest representation of such a vital resource. In addition to collecting home video game consoles, the Electronics Conservancy organization set out to locate and restore 400 antique arcade cabinets after realizing that the majority of these games had been destroyed and feared the loss of their historical significance.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Therrien |first=Carl |date=January 2012 |title=Video Games Caught Up in History |url=https://www.ludov.ca/documents/publications/Therrien%20-%20Before%20the%20Crash.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221113213403/https://www.ludov.ca/documents/publications/Therrien%20-%20Before%20the%20Crash.pdf |archive-date=13 November 2022}}</ref> Video games have significantly began to be seen in the real-world as a purpose to present history in a way of understanding the methodology and terms that are being compared. Researchers have looked at how historical representations affect how the public perceives the past, and digital humanists encourage historians to use video games as primary materials.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Spring |first=Dawn |date=2015-04-03 |title=Gaming history: computer and video games as historical scholarship |journal=Rethinking History |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=207–221 |doi=10.1080/13642529.2014.973714 |s2cid=144613217 |issn=1364-2529|doi-access=free }}</ref> Video games, considering their past and age, have over time progressed as what a video game really means. Whether played through a monitor, TV, or a hand-held device, there are many ways that video games are being displayed for users to enjoy. People have drawn comparisons between flow-state-engaged video gamers and pupils in conventional school settings. In traditional, teacher-led classrooms, students have little say in what they learn, are passive consumers of the information selected by teachers, are required to follow the pace and skill level of the group (group teaching), and receive brief, imprecise, normative feedback on their work.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Squire |first=Kurt |title=Video Games in Education |url=http://www.skatekidsonline.com/parents_teachers/Video_games_in_education_Updated.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121119014510/http://www.skatekidsonline.com/parents_teachers/Video_games_in_education_Updated.pdf |archive-date=19 November 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> Video games, as they continue to develop into better graphic definition and genre's, create new terminology when something unknown tends to become known. Yearly, consoles are being created to compete against other brands with similar functioning features that tends to lead the consumer into which they'd like to purchase. Now, companies have moved towards games only the specific console can play to grasp the consumer into purchasing their product compared to when video games first began, there was little to no variety. In 1989, a console war begun with Nintendo, one of the biggest in gaming was up against target, Sega with their brand new Master System which, failed to compete, allowing the Nintendo Emulator System to be one of the most consumed product in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 October 2022 |title=Video Game History |url=https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/history-of-video-games |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190310145323/https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/history-of-video-games |archive-date=10 March 2019 |access-date=2022-11-13 |website=[[History Channel]] |language=en}}</ref> More technology continued to be created, as the computer began to be used in people's houses for more than just office and daily use. Games began being implemented into computers and have progressively grown since then with coded robots to play against you. Early games like tic-tac-toe, solitaire, and Tennis for Two were great ways to bring new gaming to another system rather than one specifically meant for gaming.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Video Game History |url=https://www.si.edu/spotlight/the-father-of-the-video-game-the-ralph-baer-prototypes-and-electronic-games/video-game-history |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181030171514/https://www.si.edu/spotlight/the-father-of-the-video-game-the-ralph-baer-prototypes-and-electronic-games/video-game-history |archive-date=30 October 2018 |access-date=2022-11-13 |website=[[Smithsonian Institution]] |language=en}}</ref>

===Definition===
While many games readily fall into a clear, well-understood definition of video games, new genres and innovations in game development have raised the question of what are the essential factors of a video game that separate the medium from other forms of entertainment.

The introduction of [[interactive film]]s in the 1980s with games like ''[[Dragon's Lair]]'', featured games with [[full motion video]] played off a form of media but only limited user interaction.<ref>{{cite book | last = Perron | first = Bernard | chapter = From gamers to players and gameplayers: The example of interactive movies | title = The Video Game Theory Reader | pages = 259–280 | publisher = [[Routledge]] | year = 2013 | editor-first1 = Mark JP | editor-last1 = Wolf | editor-first2 = Bernard | editor-last2 = Perron | isbn = 9781135205188 }}</ref> This had required a means to distinguish these games from more traditional board games that happen to also use external media, such as the ''Clue VCR Mystery Game'' which required players to watch VCR clips between turns. To distinguish between these two, video games are considered to require some interactivity that affects the visual display.<ref name="wolf medium chp1">{{cite book | last = Wolf | first = Mark JP | title = The Medium of the Video Game | publisher = [[University of Texas Press]] | year = 2001 | chapter = Chapter 1: Video game as the medium | pages = 13–33 | isbn = 9780292791503 }}</ref>

Most video games tend to feature some type of victory or winning conditions, such as a scoring mechanism or a final [[boss (video game)|boss]] fight. The introduction of [[walking simulator]]s ([[adventure game]]s that allow for exploration but lack any objectives) like ''[[Gone Home]]'', and [[empathy game]]s (video games that tend to focus on emotion) like ''[[That Dragon, Cancer]]'' brought the idea of games that did not have any such type of winning condition and raising the question of whether these were actually games.<ref>{{cite web |last=Clark |first=Nicole |date=11 November 2017 |title=A brief history of the "walking simulator," gaming's most detested genre |url=https://www.salon.com/2017/11/11/a-brief-history-of-the-walking-simulator-gamings-most-detested-genre/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824042010/https://www.salon.com/2017/11/11/a-brief-history-of-the-walking-simulator-gamings-most-detested-genre/ |archive-date=24 August 2020 |accessdate=12 September 2021 |work=[[Salon (magazine)|Salon]]}}</ref> These are still commonly justified as video games as they provide a game world that the player can interact with by some means.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Zimmermann | first1 = Felix | first2 = Christian | last2= Huberts | title = From walking simulator to ambience action game | journal = Press Start | volume = 5 | issue = 2 | date = 2019 | pages = 29–50 }}</ref>

The lack of any industry definition for a video game by 2021 was an issue during the case ''[[Epic Games v. Apple]]'' which dealt with video games offered on Apple's [[App Store (iOS)|iOS App Store]]. Among concerns raised were games like ''[[Fortnite Creative]]'' and ''[[Roblox]]'' which created [[metaverse]]s of interactive experiences, and whether the larger game and the individual experiences themselves were games or not in relation to fees that Apple charged for the App Store. Judge [[Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers]], recognizing that there was yet an industry standard definition for a video game, established for her ruling that "At a bare minimum, video games appear to require some level of interactivity or involvement between the player and the medium" compared to passive entertainment like film, music, and television, and "videogames are also generally graphically rendered or animated, as opposed to being recorded live or via motion capture as in films or television".<ref name="pcgamer epic case def">{{cite web | url = https://www.pcgamer.com/videogame-definition-legal/ | title = Epic v Apple judge grapples with the big question: What is a videogame? | first = Joseph | last = Knoop | date = 10 September 2021 | accessdate = 10 September 2021 | work = [[PC Gamer]] | archive-date = 15 September 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210915140722/https://www.pcgamer.com/videogame-definition-legal/ | url-status = live }}</ref> Rogers still concluded that what is a video game "appears highly eclectic and diverse".<ref name="pcgamer epic case def"/>

===Video game terminology===
{{see also|Glossary of video game terms}}
[[File:Freedoom002_01.png|thumb|right|''[[Freedoom]]'', a [[video game clone|clone]] of the [[first-person shooter]] ''[[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]]''. Common elements include a [[Heads-up display (video games)|heads-up display]] along the bottom that includes the player's remaining [[Health (game terminology)|health]] and ammunition.]] 
The gameplay experience varies radically between video games, but many common elements exist. Most games will launch into a [[title screen]] and give the player a chance to review options such as the number of players before starting a game. Most games are divided into [[Level (video games)|levels]] which the player must work the avatar through, [[Score (game)|scoring points]], collecting [[power-up]]s to boost the avatar's innate attributes, all while either using special attacks to defeat enemies or moves to avoid them. This information is relayed to the player through a type of on-screen [[user interface]] such as a [[Heads-up display (video games)|heads-up display]] atop the rendering of the game itself. Taking damage will deplete their avatar's [[Health (game terminology)|health]], and if that falls to zero or if the avatar otherwise falls into an impossible-to-escape location, the player will lose one of their [[Life (video games)|lives]]. Should they lose all their lives without gaining an [[extra life|extra life or "1-UP"]], then the player will reach the "[[game over]]" screen. Many levels as well as the game's finale end with a type of [[boss (video games)|boss]] character the player must defeat to continue on. In some games, intermediate points between levels will offer [[save point]]s where the player can create a [[saved game]] on storage media to restart the game should they lose all their lives or need to stop the game and restart at a later time. These also may be in the form of a passage that can be written down and reentered at the title screen.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Product flaws include [[software bug]]s which can manifest as [[glitch]]es which may be [[Exploit (online gaming)|exploited]] by the player; this is often the foundation of [[speedrun]]ning a video game. These bugs, along with [[cheat codes]], [[Easter egg (media)|Easter eggs]], and other hidden secrets that were intentionally added to the game can also be exploited.<ref name="WashPost">{{cite news| title = In Game World, Cheaters Proudly Prosper| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/27/AR2006082701059.html| newspaper = [[The Washington Post]]| author = Vargas, Jose Antonio| date = 28 August 2006| access-date = 24 October 2007| url-status=live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110820080450/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/27/AR2006082701059.html| archive-date = 20 August 2011| df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="KonamiCode">{{cite web |author= |title=Cracking the Code: The Konami Code |url=http://www.1up.com/features/cracking-code-konami-code |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522201923/http://www.1up.com/features/cracking-code-konami-code |archive-date=22 May 2011 |access-date=24 October 2007 |website=[[1UP.com]] |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="Wolf">{{cite book | title=Encyclopedia of Video Games: The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming | publisher=ABC-CLIO | author=Wolf, Mark J.P. | year=2012 | pages=177 | isbn=978-0-313-37936-9}}</ref><ref name="Patterns">Björk, Staffan; Holopainen, Jussi (2005). [https://books.google.com/books?id=IFQfyODK4wAC&pg=PA235 ''Patterns In Game Design''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505124122/https://books.google.com/books?id=IFQfyODK4wAC&pg=PA235#v=onepage&f=false |date=5 May 2016 }}. Charles River Media. p. 235. {{ISBN|978-1-58450-354-5}}. Retrieved 25 January 2013.</ref> On some consoles, [[cheat cartridge]]s allow players to execute these cheat codes, and user-developed [[trainer (games)|trainers]] allow similar bypassing for computer software games. Both of which might make the game easier, give the player additional power-ups, or change the appearance of the game.<ref name="KonamiCode"/>

==Components==
[[File:Arcade Sugoi Malmi Helsinki.jpg|right|thumb|[[Arcade video game]] machines at the Sugoi arcade game hall in [[Malmi, Helsinki|Malmi]], [[Helsinki]], Finland]]
To distinguish from electronic games, a video game is generally considered to require a platform, the hardware which contains computing elements, to process player interaction from some type of input device and displays the results to a video output display.<ref name="eu game industry"/>

===Platform===
{{More citations needed|section|date=November 2022}}[[File:Consoles-computerspielemuseum.jpg|right|thumb|Various gaming consoles at the [[Computerspielemuseum Berlin|Computer Games Museum]] in Berlin]]
Video games require a platform, a specific combination of [[electronic component]]s or [[computer hardware]] and associated [[operating system|software]], to operate.<ref name="platformdef">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Platform |dictionary=[[Dictionary.com]] |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/platform |access-date=3 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071107070648/http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/platform |archive-date=7 November 2007 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref> The term system is also commonly used. These platforms may include multiple brandsheld by [[platform holder]]s, such as Nintendo or Sony, seeking to gain larger market shares.<ref>{{cite web |title=The future for platform holders is cooperation, not just competition / Opinion |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/the-future-for-platform-holders-is-cooperation-not-just-competition-opinion |access-date=18 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Platform holders and indies: Handy tips from the developers |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/platform-holders-and-indies-handy-tips-from-developers |access-date=18 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Platform Holders |url=https://flylib.com/books/en/2.594.1.28/1/ |access-date=18 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Game development for console platforms |url=https://unity.com/solutions/console |quote=New to console video game development? Start with resources to help you gain approval with platform holders and get started on developing your game.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Technical Requirements Checklist |url=https://research.ncl.ac.uk/game/mastersdegree/workshops/technicalrequirementschecklists/Technical%20Requirements%20Checklist%20Workshop.pdf |access-date=18 March 2024}}</ref> Games are typically designed to be played on one or a limited number of platforms, and exclusivity to a platform or brand is used by platform holders as a competitive edge in the video game market.<ref>{{cite book | title = Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage: Concepts and Cases | editor-first1=Arthur | editor-last1= Thompson |editor-first2=A. J. | editor-last2 = Strickland III | editor-first3 = John | editor-last3 = Gamble | chapter = Competition in Video Game Consoles: Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo Battle for Supremacy | first = John |last =Gamble | pages = C-198-C211 | isbn = 978-0073381244 |year = 2007 | publisher = [[McGraw-Hill]] }}</ref> However, games may be developed for alternative platforms than intended, which are described as [[Port (video gaming)|ports]] or conversions. These also may be remasters - where most of the original game's source code is reused and art assets, models, and game levels are updated for modern systems – and remakes, where in addition to asset improvements, significant reworking of the original game and possibly from scratch is performed.<ref name="port vs conversion">{{cite conference | title = Proceedings of the 2019 DiGRA International Conference: Game, Play and the Emerging Ludo-Mix | last1 = Grabarczyk | first1 = Pawel | first2 = Espen | last2 = Aarseth | chapter-url = http://www.digra.org/digital-library/publications/port-or-conversion-an-ontological-framework-for-classifying-game-versions/ | chapter = Port or conversion? An ontological framework for classifying game versions | conference = DiGRA Conference 2019 | date = August 2019 | access-date = 5 May 2021 | archive-date = 29 July 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200729142448/http://www.digra.org/digital-library/publications/port-or-conversion-an-ontological-framework-for-classifying-game-versions/ | url-status = live }}</ref>

The list below is not exhaustive and excludes other electronic devices capable of playing video games such as [[Personal digital assistant|PDA]]s and [[graphing calculator]]s.

;PC games
:[[PC game]]s involve a player interacting with a [[personal computer]] (PC) connected to a [[video monitor]].<ref>{{cite book |first1=David |last1=Olle |first2=Jean Riescher |last2=Westcott |title=Video Game Addiction |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w-pJDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT16 |publisher=Stylus Publishing, LLC |year=2018 |page=16 |isbn=978-1-937585-84-6 |access-date=9 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809090716/https://books.google.es/books?id=w-pJDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT16 |archive-date=9 August 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> Personal computers are not dedicated game platforms, so there may be differences running the same game on different hardware. Also, the openness allows some features to developers like reduced software cost,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2011/12/13/is-pc-gaming-really-more-expensive-than-consoles|title=Is PC Gaming Really More Expensive Than Consoles?|first=Rick|last=Lane|date=13 December 2011|access-date=9 August 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160813150831/http://www.ign.com/articles/2011/12/13/is-pc-gaming-really-more-expensive-than-consoles|archive-date=13 August 2016}}</ref> increased flexibility, increased innovation, emulation, creation of modifications or [[mod (video gaming)|mods]], open hosting for [[online game|online gaming]] (in which a person plays a video game with people who are in a different household) and others. A [[gaming computer]] is a PC or laptop intended specifically for gaming, typically using high-performance, high-cost components. In additional to personal computer gaming, there also exist games that work on [[mainframe computer]]s and other similarly shared systems, with users logging in remotely to use the computer.
;Home console
:[[File:PS2-Fat-Console-Set.jpg|thumb|The [[PlayStation 2]] is the [[List of best-selling game consoles|best-selling video game console]], with over 155 million units sold.<ref>{{cite news| title= Xbox 360 beats Wii as the UK's best-selling console| date= June 27, 2013| newspaper= [[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]]| url= http://metro.co.uk/2013/06/27/xbox-360-beats-wii-as-the-uks-best-selling-console-3858990/| access-date= October 31, 2013| author= GameCentral staff| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190419064841/https://metro.co.uk/2013/06/27/xbox-360-beats-wii-as-the-uks-best-selling-console-3858990/| archive-date= April 19, 2019| url-status= live}}</ref>]]A [[console game]] is played on a [[home video game console|home console]], a specialized electronic device that connects to a common [[television set]] or [[Composite monitor|composite video monitor]]. Home consoles are specifically designed to play games using a dedicated hardware environment, giving developers a concrete hardware target for development and assurances of what features will be available, simplifying development compared to PC game development. Usually consoles only run games developed for it, or games from other platform made by the same company, but never games developed by its direct competitor, even if the same game is available on different platforms. It often comes with a specific [[game controller]]. Major console platforms include [[Xbox]], [[PlayStation]] and [[Nintendo video game consoles|Nintendo]].
;Handheld console
:A [[handheld game console]] is a small, self-contained electronic device that is portable and can be held in a user's hands. It features the console, a small screen, speakers and buttons, [[joystick]] or other [[game controller]]s in a single unit. Like consoles, handhelds are dedicated platforms, and share almost the same characteristics. Handheld hardware usually is less powerful than PC or console hardware. Some handheld games from the late 1970s and early 1980s could only play one game. In the 1990s and 2000s, a number of handheld games used cartridges, which enabled them to be used to play many different games. The handheld console has waned in the 2010s as mobile device gaming has become a more dominant factor.
;Arcade video game
:[[File:Light gun survival horror arcade game.jpg|thumb|right|A police-themed arcade game in which players use a [[light gun]]]] An [[arcade video game]] generally refers to a game played on an even more specialized type of electronic device that is typically designed to play only one game and is encased in a special, large coin-operated [[arcade cabinet|cabinet]] which has one built-in console, controllers (joystick, buttons, etc.), a [[CRT screen]], and audio amplifier and speakers. Arcade games often have brightly painted logos and images relating to the theme of the game. While most arcade games are housed in a vertical cabinet, which the user typically stands in front of to play, some arcade games use a tabletop approach, in which the display screen is housed in a table-style cabinet with a see-through table top. With table-top games, the users typically sit to play. In the 1990s and 2000s, some arcade games offered players a choice of multiple games. In the 1980s, [[video arcade]]s were businesses in which game players could use a number of arcade video games. In the 2010s, there are far fewer video arcades, but some movie theaters and family entertainment centers still have them.
;Browser game
:A [[browser game]] takes advantages of standardizations of technologies for the functionality of [[web browser]]s across multiple devices providing a [[cross-platform]] environment. These games may be identified based on the website that they appear, such as with [[Miniclip]] games. Others are named based on the programming platform used to develop them, such as [[Java (programming language)|Java]] and [[Adobe Flash|Flash]] games.
;Mobile game
:With the introduction of [[smartphone]]s and [[tablet computer]]s standardized on the [[iOS]] and [[Android (operating system)|Android]] operating systems, [[mobile gaming]] has become a significant platform. These games may use unique features of mobile devices that are not necessary present on other platforms, such as [[accelerometer]]s, [[GPS|global positioning information]] and camera devices to support [[augmented reality]] gameplay.
;Cloud gaming
:[[Cloud gaming]] requires a minimal hardware device, such as a basic computer, console, laptop, mobile phone or even a dedicated hardware device connected to a display with good Internet connectivity that connects to hardware systems by the cloud gaming provider. The game is computed and rendered on the remote hardware, using a number of predictive methods to reduce the [[network latency]] between player input and output on their display device. For example, the [[Xbox Cloud Gaming]] and [[PlayStation Now]] platforms use dedicated custom [[server blade]] hardware in [[cloud computing]] centers.
;Virtual reality
:[[File:Gamescom Playstation VR Playseat (36454815300).jpg|thumb|right|Players using the [[PlayStation VR]] headsets in 2017]] [[Virtual reality]] (VR) games generally require players to use a special [[Head-mounted display|head-mounted unit]] that provides [[Stereoscopy|stereoscopic screens]] and [[positional tracking|motion tracking]] to immerse a player within virtual environment that responds to their head movements. Some VR systems include control units for the player's hands as to provide a direct way to interact with the virtual world. VR systems generally require a separate computer, console, or other processing device that couples with the head-mounted unit.
;Emulation
:An [[Video game console emulator|emulator]] enables games from a console or otherwise different system to be run in a type of [[virtual machine]] on a modern system, simulating the hardware of the original and allows old games to be played. While emulators themselves have been found to be legal in United States case law, the act of obtaining the game software that one does not already own may violate copyrights. However, there are some official releases of emulated software from game manufacturers, such as Nintendo with its [[Virtual Console]] or [[Nintendo Switch Online]] offerings.
;Backward compatibility
:[[Backward compatibility]] is similar in nature to emulation in that older games can be played on newer platforms, but typically directly though hardware and build-in software within the platform. The [[PlayStation 2]] popularized the trend of having the capability of playing past generation games from the [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation 1]] simply by inserting the original game media into the newer console, while Nintendo's [[Wii]] could play [[GameCube]] titles as well in the same manner.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bashir|first=Dale|title=10 Gaming Innovations That The PlayStation 2 Brought to Us 20 Years Ago
|url=https://sea.ign.com/god-of-war/165395/news/10-gaming-innovations-that-the-playstation-2-brought-to-us-20-years-ago|date=October 26, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Gelbart|first=Bryn|title=PlayStation's Long, Complicated History with Backward Compatibility|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/sony-playstation-history-with-backward-compatibility|date=May 13, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=History of Backwards Compatibility|url=https://huguesjohnson.com/features/backwards/|date=2024}}</ref>

===Game media===
[[File:NES-Cartridge.jpg|thumb|right|An unlabeled game cartridge for the Nintendo Entertainment System]]
Early arcade games, home consoles, and handheld games were dedicated hardware units with the game's logic built into the electronic componentry of the hardware. Since then, most video game platforms are considered programmable, having means to read and play multiple games distributed on different types of media or formats. Physical formats include [[ROM cartridge]]s, [[magnetic storage]] including [[magnetic-tape data storage]] and [[floppy disc]]s, [[optical media]] formats including [[CD-ROM]] and [[DVD]]s, and [[flash memory]] cards. Furthermore [[digital distribution]] over the Internet or other communication methods as well as [[cloud gaming]] alleviate the need for any physical media. In some cases, the media serves as the direct read-only memory for the game, or it may be the form of [[Installation (computer programs)|installation media]] that is used to write the main assets to the player's platform's local storage for faster loading periods and later updates.

Games can be extended with new content and [[Patch (computing)|software patches]] through either [[expansion pack]]s which are typically available as physical media, or as [[downloadable content]] nominally available via digital distribution. These can be offered freely or can be used to [[Video game monetization|monetize]] a game following its initial release. Several games offer players the ability to create [[user-generated content]] to share with others to play. Other games, mostly those on personal computers, can be extended with [[mod (video games)|user-created modifications]] or mods that alter or add onto the game; these often are unofficial and were developed by players from [[reverse engineering]] of the game, but other games provide official support for modding the game.<ref name="lombardi">{{cite web |last=Hyman |first=Paul |date=9 April 2004 |title=Hollywood Reporter interviewing Doug Lombardi, Quote: "Mods absolutely helped us drive huge sales to 'Half-Life'" |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000484956 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080506004712/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000484956 |archive-date=6 May 2008 |access-date=10 August 2009 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}.</ref>

===Input device===
{{Main|Game controller}}
[[File:Nintendo-Super-NES-Controller.jpg|thumb|A North American [[Super NES]] game controller from the early 1990s]]
Video game can use several types of input devices to translate human actions to a game. Most common are the use of game controllers like [[gamepad]]s and [[joystick]]s for most consoles, and as accessories for personal computer systems along keyboard and mouse controls. Common controls on the most recent controllers include face buttons, shoulder triggers, [[analog stick]]s, and [[d-pad|directional pads ("d-pads")]]. Consoles typically include standard controllers which are shipped or bundled with the console itself, while peripheral controllers are available as a separate purchase from the console manufacturer or third-party vendors.<ref>{{cite book | title = The Videogame Style Guide and Reference Manual | first1 = David | last1 = Thomas | first2 = Kyle | last2 = Orland | first3 = Scott | last3 = Steinberg | page = 21 | publisher = Power Play Publishing | date = 2007 | isbn = 9781430313052 | url = http://www.gamestyleguide.com/VideoGameStyleGuideeBook.pdf | accessdate = 13 September 2021 | archive-date = 11 July 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110711072136/http://www.gamestyleguide.com/VideoGameStyleGuideeBook.pdf | url-status = live }}</ref> Similar control sets are built into handheld consoles and onto arcade cabinets. Newer technology improvements have incorporated additional technology into the controller or the game platform, such as [[touchscreen]]s and [[motion detection]] sensors that give more options for how the player interacts with the game. Specialized controllers may be used for certain genres of games, including [[racing wheel]]s, [[light gun]]s and [[dance pad]]s. [[Digital camera]]s and motion detection can capture movements of the player as input into the game, which can, in some cases, effectively eliminate the control, and on other systems such as virtual reality, are used to enhance immersion into the game.

===Display and output===
{{main|Video game graphics}}
[[File:Game-Boy-FL.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Handheld units, like the Game Boy, include built-in output screens and sound speakers.]]
By definition, all video games are intended to output graphics to an external video display, such as [[cathode-ray tube]] televisions, newer [[liquid-crystal display]] (LCD) televisions and built-in screens, [[projector]]s or [[computer monitor]]s, depending on the type of platform the game is played on. Features such as [[color depth]], [[refresh rate]], [[frame rate]], and [[screen resolution]] are a combination of the limitations of the game platform and display device and the program efficiency of the game itself. The game's output can range from fixed displays using LED or LCD elements, [[text-based game]]s, [[2D computer graphics|two-dimensional]] and [[3D computer graphics|three-dimensional]] graphics, and [[augmented reality]] displays.

The game's graphics are often accompanied by sound produced by internal speakers on the game platform or external speakers attached to the platform, as directed by the game's programming. This often will include sound effects tied to the player's actions to provide audio feedback, as well as background music for the game.

Some platforms support additional feedback mechanics to the player that a game can take advantage of. This is most commonly [[haptic technology]] built into the game controller, such as causing the controller to shake in the player's hands to simulate a shaking earthquake occurring in game.

==Classifications==
Video games are frequently classified by a number of factors related to how one plays them.

===Genre===
{{Main|Video game genre}}
{{See also|Gameplay}}
[[File:Dustforce Trailer.webm|thumb|thumbtime=54|right|''[[Dustforce]]'' is representative of the [[platform game]] genre as its gameplay involves jumping between platforms.]]
A video game, like most other forms of media, may be categorized into [[genres]]. However, unlike film or television which use visual or narrative elements, video games are generally categorized into genres based on their gameplay interaction, since this is the primary means which one interacts with a video game.<ref name=Apperley>{{cite journal |access-date=19 April 2013 |title=Genre and game studies |journal=Simulation & Gaming |author=Apperley, Thomas H. |year=2006 |volume=37 |issue=1 |pages=6–23 |url=http://trac.assembla.com/CommanderAssembler/export/32/docs/Genre%20and%20game%20studies%20-%20tom-apperley.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005003753/http://trac.assembla.com/CommanderAssembler/export/32/docs/Genre%20and%20game%20studies%20-%20tom-apperley.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 October 2013 |doi=10.1177/1046878105282278 |s2cid=17373114 }}</ref><ref name="Gamasutra">{{cite web| title=Background: The Origins of Game Genres| url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4074/the_designers_notebook_sorting_.php| author=Adams, Ernest| date=9 July 2009| website=[[Game Developer (website)|Game Developer]]| access-date=7 May 2022| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217155232/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4074/the_designers_notebook_sorting_.php| archive-date=17 December 2014| df=dmy-all| author-link=Ernest W. Adams}}</ref><ref name="Explosion">{{cite book|last1=Wolf|first1=Mark J.P.|date=2008|title=The Video Game Explosion: A History from PONG to Playstation and Beyond|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XiM0ntMybNwC&q=video+game+genres|publisher=ABC-CLIO|page=259|isbn=978-0313338687|access-date=2014-12-03|archive-date=23 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423094107/https://books.google.com/books?id=XiM0ntMybNwC&q=video+game+genres|url-status=live}}</ref> The narrative setting does not impact gameplay; a [[shooter game]] is still a shooter game, regardless of whether it takes place in a fantasy world or in outer space.<ref name="fundamentals">{{cite book|last=Adams|first=Ernest|author2=Andrew Rollings|title=Fundamentals of Game Design|publisher=Prentice Hall|year=2006|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Lm1jAgAAQBAJ|page=67|isbn=978-0-13-343571-9|access-date=12 November 2015|archive-date=15 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200915042311/https://books.google.com/books?id=Lm1jAgAAQBAJ|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Harteveld|first1=Casper|year=2011|title=Triadic Game Design: Balancing Reality, Meaning and Play|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sIcQYKcoH7IC&q=lives+game+design|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|page=71|isbn=978-1-84996-157-8|access-date=12 November 2020|archive-date=30 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220130011802/https://books.google.com/books?id=sIcQYKcoH7IC&q=lives+game+design|url-status=live}}</ref> An exception is the [[horror game]] genre, used for games that are based on narrative elements of [[horror fiction]], the [[supernatural]], and [[psychological horror]].<ref>{{cite book | title = Horror Video Games: Essays on the Fusion of Fear and Play | editor-first = Bernard | editor-last = Perron | first = Bernard | last = Perron | chapter= Games of Fear: A Multi-Faceted Historical Account of the Horror Genre in Video Games | publisher = [[McFarland & Company]] | year = 2009 | pages = 26–45 | isbn = 978-0786441976 }}</ref>

Genre names are normally self-describing in terms of the type of gameplay, such as [[action game]], [[computer role playing game|role playing game]], or [[shoot 'em up]], though some genres have derivations from influential works that have defined that genre, such as [[roguelike]]s from ''[[Rogue (video game)|Rogue]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-rogue|title=The Essential 50 Part 12 – Rogue|last=Parish|first=Jeremy|work=[[1UP.com]]|access-date=1 March 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130228092550/http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-rogue|archive-date=28 February 2013}}</ref> [[Grand Theft Auto clone]]s from ''[[Grand Theft Auto III]]'',<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lecky-Thompson|first1=Guy W.|date=2008-01-01|title=Video Game Design Revealed|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3aQLAAAAQBAJ&q=video+game+genres|publisher=Cengage Learning|page=23|isbn=978-1584506072|access-date=2014-12-03|archive-date=22 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422130424/https://books.google.com/books?id=3aQLAAAAQBAJ&q=video+game+genres|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[battle royale game]]s from the film ''[[Battle Royale (film)|Battle Royale]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Zavarise |first1=Giada |title=How Battle Royale went from a manga to a Fortnite game mode |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/06/how-battle-royale-went-from-a-manga-to-a-fortnite-game-mode/ |website=[[Rock, Paper, Shotgun]] |access-date=24 May 2020 |date=6 December 2018 |archive-date=26 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726154840/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/06/how-battle-royale-went-from-a-manga-to-a-fortnite-game-mode/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The names may shift over time as players, developers and the media come up with new terms; for example, [[first-person shooter]]s were originally called "Doom clones" based on [[Doom (1993 video game)|the 1993 game]].<ref>{{cite journal | title = Video Game Genre, Evolution and Innovation | first = Dominic | last = Arsenault | journal = Eludamos. Journal for Computer Game Culture | volume = 3 | issue = 2 | year =2009 |pages = 149–176 | doi = 10.7557/23.6003 | s2cid = 62171492 | doi-access = free }}</ref> A hierarchy of game genres exist, with top-level genres like "shooter game" and "action game" that broadly capture the game's main gameplay style, and several subgenres of specific implementation, such as within the shooter game [[first-person shooter]] and [[third-person shooter]]. Some cross-genre types also exist that fall until multiple top-level genres such as [[action-adventure game]].

===Mode===
[[File:Winter_2004_DreamHack_LAN_Party.jpg|thumb|right|A [[LAN party]] at the 2004 [[DreamHack]] with hundreds of players]]
A video game's mode describes how many players can use the game at the same type. This is primarily distinguished by [[single-player video game]]s and [[multiplayer video game]]s. Within the latter category, multiplayer games can be played in a variety of ways, including locally at the same device, on separate devices connected through a local network such as [[LAN party|LAN parties]], or online via separate Internet connections. Most multiplayer games are based on competitive gameplay, but many offer [[Cooperative video game|cooperative and team-based options]] as well as [[asymmetric gameplay]]. [[Online game]]s use server structures that can also enable [[massively multiplayer online game]]s (MMOs) to support hundreds of players at the same time.

A small number of video games are [[zero-player game]]s, in which the player has very limited interaction with the game itself. These are most commonly simulation games where the player may establish a starting state and then let the game proceed on its own, watching the results as a passive observer, such as with many computerized simulations of [[Conway's Game of Life]].<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-04-15-video-game-pioneer-john-h-conway-dies-aged-82 | title = Video game pioneer John H. Conway dies aged 82 | first = Tom | last = Phillips | date = 15 April 2020 | access-date = 19 March 2021 | work = [[Eurogamer]] | archive-date = 27 April 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200427101454/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-04-15-video-game-pioneer-john-h-conway-dies-aged-82 | url-status = live }}</ref>

===Types===
Most video games are intended for entertainment purposes.<ref name="eu game industry">{{cite report | last1 = De Prato | first1 = Guiditta | first2 = Claudio | last2= Feijóo |first3= Daniel |last3= Nepelski |first4= Marc |last4= Bogdanowicz | first5= Jean Paul | last5= Simon | title = Born digital/grown digital: Assessing the future competitiveness of the EU video games software industry | publisher = JRC Scientific and Technical Reports | number = EUR 24555 EN | year = 2010 |url=https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC60711 }}</ref> Different game types include:

; Core games
: Core or hard-core games refer to the typical perception of video games, developed for entertainment purposes. These games typically require a fair amount of time to learn and master, in contrast to casual games, and thus are most appealing to gamers rather than a broader audience. Most of the AAA video game industry is based around the delivery of core games.<ref>Keogh, Brendan. "Between Triple-A, indie, casual, and DIY: Sites of tension in the videogames cultural industries." In The Routledge companion to the cultural industries, pp. 152-162. Routledge, 2015.</ref>

; Casual games
: In contrast to core games, [[casual game]]s are designed for ease of accessibility, simple to understand gameplay and quick to grasp rule sets, and aimed at [[mass market]] audience. They frequently support the ability to jump in and out of play on demand, such as during commuting or lunch breaks. Numerous browser and mobile games fall into the casual game area, and casual games often are from genres with low intensity game elements such as [[match three]], [[hidden object]], [[Time Management (video game genre)|time management]], and [[Puzzle video game|puzzle]] games.<ref>{{cite web |last=Boyes |first=Emma |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/gdc-08-are-casual-games-the-future/ |title=GDC '08: Are casual games the future? |work=[[CNET]] |date=18 Feb 2008 |access-date=7 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711072428/http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6186207.html?tag=result%3Btitle%3B0 |archive-date=2011-07-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Causal games frequently use [[social-network game]] mechanics, where players can enlist the help of friends on their social media networks for extra turns or moves each day.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6735/what_makes_social_games_social.php?print=1 | title = What Makes Social Games Social? | first = Matt | last = Ricchetti | date = 17 February 2012 | access-date = 13 August 2020 | work = [[Gamasutra]] | archive-date = 12 August 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200812010938/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6735/what_makes_social_games_social.php?print=1 | url-status = live }}</ref> Popular casual games include ''[[Tetris]]'' and ''[[Candy Crush Saga]]''. More recent, starting in the late 2010s, are [[hyper-casual game]]s which use even more simplistic rules for short but infinitely replayable games, such as ''[[Flappy Bird]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.ft.com/content/55f64cfe-125e-4529-b16e-ad77f8cd8710 | title = How 'hyper-casual' games are winning the mobile market | first = Tim | last = Bradshaw | date = 20 August 2020 | access-date = 29 March 2021 | work = [[Financial Times]] | archive-date = 13 January 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210113104256/https://www.ft.com/content/55f64cfe-125e-4529-b16e-ad77f8cd8710 | url-status = live }}</ref>
; Educational games
: [[Education software]] has been used in homes and classrooms to help teach children and students, and video games have been similarly adapted for these reasons, all designed to provide a form of interactivity and entertainment tied to game design elements. There are a variety of differences in their designs and how they educate the user. These are broadly split between [[Educational entertainment|edutainment]] games that tend to focus on the entertainment value and rote learning but are unlikely to engage in [[critical thinking]], and [[educational video game]]s that are geared towards problem solving through motivation and positive reinforcement while downplaying the entertainment value.<ref>{{cite journal | title = Educational Video Game Design: A Review of the Literature | first = Mary Jo | last = Dondlinger | journal = Journal of Applied Educational Technology | volume =4 | issue = 1 | pages = 21–31 | date = 2007 }}</ref> Examples of educational games include ''[[The Oregon Trail (series)|The Oregon Trail]]'' and the ''[[Carmen Sandiego (video game series)|Carmen Sandiego]]'' series. Further, games not initially developed for educational purposes have found their way into the classroom after release, such as that feature [[open world]]s or [[sandbox game|virtual sandboxes]] like ''[[Minecraft]]'',<ref name="Education">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/minecraft-in-education-how-video-games-are-teaching-kids/1100-6400549/ |title=Minecraft In Education: How Video Games Are Teaching Kids |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |magazine=[[GameSpot]] |date=25 November 2012 |access-date=9 December 2012 |last=Walton |first=Mark |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131010082122/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/minecraft-in-education-how-video-games-are-teaching-kids/1100-6400549/ |archive-date=10 October 2013}}</ref> or offer critical thinking skills through [[puzzle video game]]s like ''[[SpaceChem]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/220936/spacechem-used-as-educational-tool-in-schools/ | title = SpaceChem Used as Educational Tool in Schools | first = Pete | last = Davidson | date = 7 July 2011 | access-date =18 July 2011 | publisher = [[GamePro]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111202190506/http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/220936/spacechem-used-as-educational-tool-in-schools/ | url-status = dead | archive-date= 2 December 2011 }}</ref>
;Serious games
:[[File:AFA Beech in Flight Simulator.jpg|thumb|''[[Microsoft Flight Simulator]]'' is an example of a simulation game.]] Further extending from educational games, [[serious game]]s are those where the entertainment factor may be augmented, overshadowed, or even eliminated by other purposes for the game. Game design is used to reinforce the non-entertainment purpose of the game, such as using video game technology for the game's interactive world, or [[gamification]] for reinforcement training. Educational games are a form of serious games, but other types of games include [[exergaming|fitness games]] that incorporate significant physical exercise to help keep the player fit (such as ''[[Wii Fit]]''), simulator games that resemble [[Flight simulator|flight simulators]] to pilot aircraft (such as ''[[Microsoft Flight Simulator]]''), [[advergame]]s that are built around the advertising of a product (such as ''[[Pepsiman (video game)|Pepsiman]]''), and [[newsgame]]s aimed at conveying a specific advocacy message (such as ''[[NarcoGuerra]]'').<ref>{{cite book | title = Serious Games: Foundations, Concepts and Practice | chapter = 1. Introduction | first1 = Josef | last1 = Wiemeyer | first2 = Ralf | last2 = Dörner | first3= Stefan | last3 = Göbel | first4 = Wolfgang | last4 = Effelsberg | publisher = [[Springer International Publishing]] | year = 2016 | isbn = 978-3319406121 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last1 = Djaouti | first1 = Damien | first2= Julian | last2= Alvarez | first3= Jean-Pierre | last3= Jessel | first4= Olivier | last4= Rampnoux | title = Serious Games and Edutainment Applications | chapter = Origins of Serious Games | pages= 25–43 | publisher =[[Springer Publishing|Springer]] |year= 2011 | doi = 10.1007/978-1-4471-2161-9_3 | isbn = 978-1-4471-2160-2 | chapter-url = https://normandie-univ.hal.science/hal-04024666 }}</ref>
;Art games
:Although video games have been considered an art form on their own, games may be developed to try to purposely communicate a story or message, using the medium as a work of art. These [[art game|art or arthouse games]] are designed to generate emotion and empathy from the player by challenging societal norms and offering critique through the interactivity of the video game medium. They may not have any type of win condition and are designed to let the player explore through the game world and scenarios. Most art games are [[indie game]]s in nature, designed based on personal experiences or stories through a single developer or small team. Examples of art games include ''[[Passage (video game)|Passage]]'', ''[[Flower (video game)|Flower]]'', and ''[[That Dragon, Cancer]]''.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/5893530/Art-house-video-games.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/5893530/Art-house-video-games.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | first=Chris | last=Schilling | title=Art house video games | date=23 July 2009}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="holmes2003">Holmes, Tiffany. ''[http://hypertext.rmit.edu.au/dac/papers/Holmes.pdf Arcade Classics Span Art? Current Trends in the Art Game Genre]''. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130420092835/http://hypertext.rmit.edu.au/dac/papers/Holmes.pdf|date=2013-04-20}}. [[Digital Arts and Culture|Melbourne DAC 2003]]. 2003.</ref><ref>{{cite conference | last = Gintere | first= Ieva | title = A New Digital Art Game: The Art of the Future | conference = Society. Integration. Education. Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference | volume =4 | pages = 346–360 | year = 2019 }}</ref>

===Content rating===
{{Main|Video game content rating system}}
[[File:ESRBrating.PNG|thumb|right|A typical ESRB rating label, listing the rating and specific content descriptors for ''[[Rabbids Go Home]]'']]
Video games can be subject to national and international [[content rating]] requirements. Like with film content ratings, video game ratings typing identify the target age group that the national or regional ratings board believes is appropriate for the player, ranging from all-ages, to a teenager-or-older, to mature, to the infrequent adult-only games. Most content review is based on the level of violence, both in the type of violence and how [[Graphic violence|graphic]] it may be represented, and sexual content, but other themes such as drug and alcohol use and gambling that can influence children may also be identified. A primary identifier based on a minimum age is used by nearly all systems, along with additional descriptors to identify specific content that players and parents should be aware of.

The regulations vary from country to country but generally are voluntary systems upheld by vendor practices, with penalty and fines issued by the ratings body on the video game publisher for misuse of the ratings. Among the major content rating systems include:
* [[Entertainment Software Rating Board]] (ESRB) that oversees games released in the United States. ESRB ratings are voluntary and rated along a E (Everyone), E10+ (Everyone 10 and older), T (Teen), M (Mature), and AO (Adults Only). Attempts to mandate video games ratings in the U.S. subsequently led to the landmark [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] case, ''[[Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association]]'' in 2011 which ruled video games were a protected form of art, a key victory for the video game industry.<ref name="legal results">{{cite web|last=McCauley|first=Dennis|title=The Political Game: A Brief History of Video Game Legislation|url=http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/18/the-political-game-a-brief-history-of-video-game-legislation/|work=joystiq.com|access-date=20 January 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121224031138/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/18/the-political-game-a-brief-history-of-video-game-legislation|archive-date=24 December 2012}}</ref>
* [[Pan European Game Information]] (PEGI) covering the United Kingdom, most of the European Union and other European countries, replacing previous national-based systems. The PEGI system uses content rated based on minimum recommended ages, which include 3+, 8+, 12+, 16+, and 18+.
* [[Australian Classification Board]] (ACB) oversees the ratings of games and other works in Australia, using ratings of G (General), PG (Parental Guidance), M (Mature), MA15+ (Mature Accompanied), R18+ (Restricted), and X (Restricted for pornographic material). ACB can also deny to give a rating to game (RC – Refused Classification). The ACB's ratings are enforceable by law, and importantly, games cannot be imported or purchased digitally in Australia if they have failed to gain a rating or were given the RC rating, leading to a [[List of banned video games in Australia|number of notable banned games]].
* [[Computer Entertainment Rating Organization]] (CERO) rates games for Japan. Their ratings include A (all ages), B (12 and older), C (15 and over), D (17 and over), and Z (18 and over).
* [[Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle]] (USK) rates games for Germany. Their ratings include 0, 6, 12, 16, and 18.

Additionally, the major content system provides have worked to create the [[International Age Rating Coalition]] (IARC), a means to streamline and align the content ratings system between different region, so that a publisher would only need to complete the content ratings review for one provider, and use the IARC transition to affirm the content rating for all other regions.

Certain nations have even more restrictive rules related to political or ideological content. Within Germany, until 2018, the [[Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle]] (''Entertainment Software Self-Regulation'') would refuse to classify, and thus allow sale, of any game depicting [[Nazi]] imagery, and thus often requiring developers to replace such imagery with fictional ones. This ruling was relaxed in 2018 to allow for such imagery for "social adequacy" purposes that applied to other works of art.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-08-09-germany-relaxes-stance-on-nazi-symbols-in-video-games | title = Germany relaxes stance on Nazi symbols in video games | first = Matthew | last = Handrahan | date = 9 August 2018 | access-date = 9 August 2018 | work = [[GamesIndustry.biz]] | archive-date = 13 July 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210713220333/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-08-09-germany-relaxes-stance-on-nazi-symbols-in-video-games | url-status = live }}</ref> [[Video games in China|China's video game segment]] is mostly isolated from the rest of the world due to the government's censorship, and all games published there must adhere to strict government review, disallowing content such as smearing the image of the [[Chinese Communist Party]]. Foreign games published in China often require modification by developers and publishers to meet these requirements.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.pcgamesn.com/fortnite/fortnite-china-ban | title = Fortnite, PUBG, and Paladins have reportedly been banned by the Chinese government | first1 = Ali | last1 = Jones | date = 11 December 2018 | access-date = 11 December 2018 | work = [[PCGamesN]] | archive-date = 6 August 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200806211701/https://www.pcgamesn.com/fortnite/fortnite-china-ban | url-status = live }}</ref>

==Development==
{{Main|Video game development}}
{{See also|Video game industry practices}}
[[File:Virtual-camera-system.png|thumb|Developers use various tools to create video games. Here an editor is fine-tuning the [[virtual camera system]].]]

Video game development and authorship, much like any other form of entertainment, is frequently a cross-disciplinary field. [[Video game developer]]s, as employees within this industry are commonly referred, primarily include [[game programmer|programmers]] and [[graphic design]]ers. Over the years this has expanded to include almost every type of skill that one might see prevalent in the creation of any movie or television program, including [[sound design]]ers, musicians, and other technicians; as well as skills that are specific to video games, such as the [[game designer]]. All of these are managed by [[game producer|producers]].

In the early days of the industry, it was more common for a single person to manage all of the roles needed to create a video game. As platforms have become more complex and powerful in the type of material they can present, larger teams have been needed to generate all of the art, programming, cinematography, and more. This is not to say that the age of the "one-man shop" is gone, as this is still sometimes found in the casual gaming and handheld markets,<ref name="numberofdevs">{{cite web |last=Parkin |first=Simon |date=3 August 2009 |title=The Edge of Reason? |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/the-edge-of-reason |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091119022451/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/the-edge-of-reason |archive-date=19 November 2009 |access-date=16 November 2009 |publisher=[[Eurogamer]] |df=dmy-all}}</ref> where smaller games are prevalent due to technical limitations such as limited [[random-access memory|RAM]] or lack of dedicated 3D graphics rendering capabilities on the target platform (e.g., some [[personal digital assistant|PDAs]]).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Reimer|first=Jeremy|date=2005-11-08|title=Cross-platform game development and the next generation of consoles|url=https://arstechnica.com/features/2005/11/crossplatform/|access-date=2020-06-03|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us|archive-date=3 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603073211/https://arstechnica.com/features/2005/11/crossplatform/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Video games are [[Computer programming|programmed]] like any other piece of computer software. Prior to the mid-1970s, arcade and home consoles were programmed by assembling discrete electro-mechanical components on circuit boards, which limited games to relatively simple logic. By 1975, low-cost [[microprocessor]]s were available at volume to be used for video game hardware, which allowed game developers to program more detailed games, widening the scope of what was possible.<ref>[[Steve L. Kent|Kent, Steve L.]] (2001), ''[[The Ultimate History of Video Games]]'', p. 64, Prima, {{ISBN|0-7615-3643-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theverge.com/2013/1/16/3740422/the-life-and-death-of-the-american-arcade-for-amusement-only | title = For Amusement Only: The Life and Death of the American Arcade | first = Laura | last = June | date = 16 January 2013 | access-date = 8 March 2021 | work = [[The Verge]] | archive-date = 6 October 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141006081005/http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/16/3740422/the-life-and-death-of-the-american-arcade-for-amusement-only | url-status = live }}</ref> Ongoing improvements in computer hardware technology has expanded what has become possible to create in video games, coupled with convergence of common hardware between console, computer, and arcade platforms to simplify the development process.<ref>{{cite magazine | url = https://www.pcmag.com/news/son-of-pc-the-history-of-x86-game-consoles | title = Son of PC: The History of x86 Game Consoles | first = Benj | last = Edwards | date = 26 August 2016 | access-date = 31 July 2020 | magazine = [[PC Magazine]] | archive-date = 5 December 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201205092602/https://www.pcmag.com/news/son-of-pc-the-history-of-x86-game-consoles | url-status = live }}</ref> Today, game developers have a number of commercial and [[open source]] tools available for use to make games, often which are across multiple platforms to support portability, or may still opt to create their own for more specialized features and direct control of the game. Today, many games are built around a [[game engine]] that handles the bulk of the game's logic, gameplay, and rendering. These engines can be augmented with specialized engines for specific features, such as a [[physics engine]] that simulates the physics of objects in real-time. A variety of [[middleware]] exists to help developers to access other features, such as for playback of videos within games, [[Netcode|network-oriented code]] for games that communicate via online services, [[Matchmaking (video games)|matchmaking]] for online games, and similar features. These features can be used from a developers' programming language of choice, or they may opt to also use [[game development kit]]s that minimize the amount of direct programming they have to do but can also limit the amount of customization they can add into a game. Like all software, video games usually undergo [[Software testing|quality testing]] before release to assure there are no [[Software bug|bugs]] or [[glitch]]es in the product, though frequently developers will release [[Patch (computing)|patches and updates]].

With the growth of the size of development teams in the industry, the problem of cost has increased. Development studios need the best talent, while publishers reduce costs to maintain profitability on their investment. Typically, a video game console development team ranges from 5 to 50 people, and some exceed 100. In May 2009, ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' was reported to have a development staff of 450.<ref>[http://www.nowgamer.com/news/513/assassins-creed-ii-triples-size-of-dev-team "Assassin's Creed II dev team triples in size"], Christopher Reynolds, 18 May 2009, NOW Gamer. {{webarchive |url=https://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160515200949/http://www.nowgamer.com/assassins-creed-ii-dev-team-triples-in-size/ |date=15 May 2016 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> The growth of team size combined with greater pressure to get completed projects into the market to begin recouping production costs has led to a greater occurrence of missed deadlines, rushed games and the release of unfinished products.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://kotaku.com/the-messy-true-story-behind-the-making-of-destiny-1737556731|title=The Messy, True Story Behind The Making of Destiny|last=Schreier|first=Jason|newspaper=Kotaku|language=en-US|access-date=15 November 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161115203558/http://kotaku.com/the-messy-true-story-behind-the-making-of-destiny-1737556731|archive-date=15 November 2016}}</ref>

While amateur and hobbyist game programming had existed since the late 1970s with the introduction of home computers, a newer trend since the mid-2000s is [[indie game development]]. Indie games are made by small teams outside any direct publisher control, their games being smaller in scope than those from the larger "[[AAA (video game industry)|AAA]]" game studios, and are often experiment in gameplay and art style. Indie game development are aided by larger availability of digital distribution, including the newer mobile gaming market, and readily-available and low-cost development tools for these platforms.<ref name="indie dreams">{{cite journal | title = Indie Dreams: Video Games, Creative Economy, and the Hyperindustrial Epoch | first = Patrick | last = Crogan | journal = [[Games and Culture]] | volume = 13 | issue = 7 | date = 2018 | pages = 671–689 | doi = 10.1177/1555412018756708 | s2cid = 148890661 | url = http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/34123/3/Crogan%20for%20Ludic%20Economies%20special%20issue%20v2.pdf | access-date = 27 April 2021 | archive-date = 30 January 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220130011803/https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/857444 | url-status = live }}</ref>

===Game theory and studies===
{{more citations needed section|date=June 2023}}
{{Main|Game studies}}
Although departments of computer science have been studying the technical aspects of video games for years, theories that examine games as an artistic medium are a relatively recent development in the humanities. The two most visible schools in this emerging field are [[ludology]] and [[narratology]]. Narrativists approach video games in the context of what [[Janet Murray]] calls "Cyberdrama". That is to say, their major concern is with video games as a storytelling medium, one that arises out of [[interactive fiction]]. Murray puts video games in the context of the [[Holodeck]], a fictional piece of technology from ''[[Star Trek]]'', arguing for the video game as a medium in which the player is allowed to become another person, and to act out in another world.<ref>{{cite book |last=Murray |first=Janet |author-link=Janet Murray |date=1998 |title=Hamlet on the Holodeck |url=https://archive.org/details/hamletonholodeck00murr |url-access=registration |publisher=[[MIT Press]] |page={{Page needed|date=January 2024}} |isbn=978-0-262-63187-7}}</ref> This image of video games received early widespread popular support, and forms the basis of films such as ''[[Tron]]'', ''[[eXistenZ]]'' and ''[[The Last Starfighter]]''.

Ludologists break sharply and radically from this idea. They argue that a video game is first and foremost a game, which must be understood in terms of its rules, interface, and the concept of play that it deploys. [[Espen J. Aarseth]] argues that, although games certainly have plots, characters, and aspects of traditional narratives, these aspects are incidental to gameplay. For example, Aarseth is critical of the widespread attention that narrativists have given to the heroine of the game ''[[Tomb Raider]]'', saying that "the dimensions of [[Lara Croft]]'s body, already analyzed to death by [[film theory|film theorists]], are irrelevant to me as a player, because a different-looking body would not make me play differently... When I play, I don't even see her body, but see through it and past it."<ref>{{cite web| last = Aarseth| first = Espen J.| author-link = Espen J. Aarseth| date = 21 May 2004| url = http://www.electronicbookreview.com/thread/firstperson/vigilant| title = Genre Trouble| publisher = Electronic Book Review| access-date = 14 June 2006| url-status=live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060619063237/http://www.electronicbookreview.com/thread/firstperson/vigilant| archive-date = 19 June 2006| df = dmy-all}}</ref> Simply put, ludologists reject traditional theories of art because they claim that the artistic and socially relevant qualities of a video game are primarily determined by the underlying set of rules, demands, and expectations imposed on the player.

While many games rely on [[Emergence|emergent principles]], video games commonly present simulated story worlds where emergent behavior occurs within the context of the game. The term "emergent narrative" has been used to describe how, in a simulated environment, storyline can be created simply by "what happens to the player."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://xbox.ign.com/articles/502/502409p1.html |title=IGN: GDC 2004: Warren Spector Talks Games Narrative |publisher=Xbox.ign.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411094042/http://xbox.ign.com/articles/502/502409p1.html |archive-date=11 April 2009 }}</ref> However, emergent behavior is not limited to sophisticated games. In general, any place where event-driven instructions occur for [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] in a game, emergent behavior will exist. For instance, take a racing game in which cars are programmed to avoid crashing, and they encounter an obstacle in the track: the cars might then maneuver to avoid the obstacle causing the cars behind them to slow or maneuver to accommodate the cars in front of them and the obstacle. The programmer never wrote code to specifically create a traffic jam, yet one now exists in the game.

===Intellectual property for video games===
{{Main|Intellectual property protection of video games|Video game clone}}
Most commonly, video games are protected by [[copyright]], though both [[patent]]s and [[trademark]]s have been used as well.

Though local copyright regulations vary to the degree of protection, video games qualify as copyrighted visual-audio works, and enjoy cross-country protection under the [[Berne Convention]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/berne/|title=Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works|website=www.wipo.int|language=en|access-date=2017-05-04|archive-date=1 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211101035910/https://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/berne/|url-status=live}}</ref> This typically only applies to the underlying code, as well as to the artistic aspects of the game such as its writing, art assets, and music. Gameplay itself is generally not considered copyrightable; in the United States among other countries, video games are considered to fall into the [[idea–expression distinction]] in that it is how the game is presented and expressed to the player that can be copyrighted, but not the underlying principles of the game.<ref>{{cite journal | title = Leveling Pains: Clone Gaming and the Changing Dynamics of an Industry | first = Nicholas M. | last = Lampros | journal = [[Berkeley Technology Law Journal]] | volume = 28 | date =2013 | page = 743 }}</ref>

Because gameplay is normally ineligible for copyright, gameplay ideas in popular games are often replicated and built upon in other games. At times, this repurposing of gameplay can be seen as beneficial and a fundamental part of how the industry has grown by building on the ideas of others.<ref name="nytimes clone"/><ref name="ars clone"/> For example ''[[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]]'' (1993) and ''[[Grand Theft Auto III]]'' (2001) introduced gameplay that created popular new game genres, the [[first-person shooter]] and the [[Grand Theft Auto clone|''Grand Theft Auto'' clone]], respectively, in the few years after their release.<ref name="clones">Turner, Benjamin & Bowen, Kevin, [https://web.archive.org/web/20120712042757/http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/december03/doom/clones/index.shtml Bringin' in the DOOM Clones], ''GameSpy,'' 11 December 2003, Accessed 19 February 2009</ref><ref name="bbc gta clone">{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3762350.stm |work=[[BBC News]] |title=Hunt for Grand Theft Auto pirates |date=2004-10-21 |access-date=2008-08-26 |archive-date=29 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429070441/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3762350.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> However, at times and more frequently at the onset of the industry, developers would intentionally create video game clones of successful games and game hardware with few changes, which led to the flooded arcade and dedicated home console market around 1978.<ref name="nytimes clone">{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/12/technology/for-creators-of-video-games-a-faint-line-on-cloning.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all | title = For Creators of Games, a Faint Line on Cloning | first = Brian X. | last = Chen | date = 11 March 2012 | access-date = 6 September 2019 | newspaper = [[The New York Times]] | archive-date = 1 November 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211101063430/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/12/technology/for-creators-of-video-games-a-faint-line-on-cloning.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url = https://techcrunch.com/2014/01/05/why-all-the-clones/ | title = Why all the Clones | publisher = [[TechCrunch]] | first = Tadhg | last = Kelly | date = 2014-01-05 | access-date = 2015-10-20 | archive-date = 5 March 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210305174532/https://techcrunch.com/2014/01/05/why-all-the-clones/ | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="ars clone">{{Cite web | url = https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2009/12/cloning-or-theft-ars-explores-game-design-with-jenova-chen/ | title = Cloning or theft? Ars explores game design with Jenova Chen | first = Andrew | last = Webster | date = 2009-12-06 | access-date = 2015-10-20 | publisher = [[Ars Technica]] | archive-date = 7 May 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210507202648/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2009/12/cloning-or-theft-ars-explores-game-design-with-jenova-chen/ | url-status = live }}</ref> Cloning is also a major issue with countries that do not have strong intellectual property protection laws, such as [[Intellectual property in China|within China]]. The lax oversight by China's government and the difficulty for foreign companies to take Chinese entities to court had enabled China to support a large [[grey market]] of cloned hardware and software systems.<ref>{{cite report | url = https://www.uscc.gov/sites/default/files/Research/China%27s%20Digital%20Game%20Sector.pdf | title = China's Digital Game Sector | first1 = Matt | last1 = Snyder | date = 17 May 2018 | access-date = 25 September 2019 | publisher = [[United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission]] | archive-date = 21 March 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210321230756/https://www.uscc.gov/sites/default/files/Research/China%27s%20Digital%20Game%20Sector.pdf | url-status = live }}</ref> The industry remains challenged to distinguish between creating new games based on refinements of past successful games to create a new type of gameplay, and intentionally creating a clone of a game that may simply swap out art assets.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2011/dec/21/clone-wars-games-industry-plagiarism | title = Clone Wars: is plagiarism killing creativity in the games industry? | work = [[The Guardian]] | date = 2011-12-23 | access-date = 2012-08-07 | first = Simon | last = Parkin | archive-date = 1 November 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211101224913/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2011/dec/21/clone-wars-games-industry-plagiarism | url-status = live }}</ref>

==Industry==
{{main|Video game industry}}
[[File:Los Angeles -7 (7356846176).jpg|thumb|right|[[E3]] was one of the typical trade show events of the video game industry.]]

===History===
The early history of the video game industry, following the first game hardware releases and through 1983, had little structure. Video games quickly took off during the [[golden age of arcade video games]] from the late 1970s to early 1980s, but the newfound industry was mainly composed of game developers with little business experience. This led to numerous companies forming simply to create [[video game clone|clones]] of popular games to try to capitalize on the market.<ref name="down many times"/> Due to loss of publishing control and oversaturation of the market, the North American home video game market [[1983 video game crash|crashed in 1983]], dropping from revenues of around {{USD|3 billion|long=no}} in 1983 to {{USD|100 million|long=no}} by 1985. Many of the North American companies created in the prior years closed down. Japan's growing game industry was briefly shocked by this crash but had sufficient longevity to withstand the short-term effects, and [[Nintendo]] helped to revitalize the industry with the release of the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] in North America in 1985.<ref name="down many times">{{cite book | last = Ernkvist | first = Mirko | chapter = Down many times, but still playing the game: Creative destruction and industry crashes in the early video game industry 1971–1986 | year = 2008 | pages = 161–191 | title = History of Insolvancy and Bankruptcy | publisher = Södertörns högskola | editor-first= Karl | editor-last=Gratzer | editor-first2=Dieter | editor-last2=Stiefel | isbn = 978-91-89315-94-5 }}</ref> Along with it, Nintendo established a number of core industrial practices to prevent unlicensed game development and control game distribution on their platform, methods that continue to be used by console manufacturers today.<ref name="down many times"/>

The industry remained more conservative following the 1983 crash, forming around the concept of publisher-developer dichotomies, and by the 2000s, leading to the industry centralizing around low-risk, [[AAA (video game industry)|triple-A]] games and studios with large development budgets of at least {{USD|10 million|long=no}} or more.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Demaria |first1=Rusel |last2=Wilson |first2=John |title=High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games |date=2002 |edition=1st |publisher=McGraw-Hill Osborne Media |isbn=0-07-222428-2}}</ref> The advent of the Internet brought digital distribution as a viable means to distribute games, and contributed to the growth of more riskier, experimental [[independent game development]] as an alternative to triple-A games in the late 2000s and which has continued to grow as a significant portion of the video game industry.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.pcgamer.com/from-shareware-superstars-to-the-steam-gold-rush-how-indie-conquered-the-pc/ | title = From shareware superstars to the Steam gold rush: How indie conquered the PC | first = Richard | last = Cobbett | date = 22 September 2017 | access-date = 25 September 2017 | work = [[PC Gamer]] | archive-date = 9 September 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210909121952/https://www.pcgamer.com/from-shareware-superstars-to-the-steam-gold-rush-how-indie-conquered-the-pc/ | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="indie dreams"/>

===Industry roles===
Video games have a large [[network effect]] that draw on many different sectors that tie into the larger video game industry. While video game developers are a significant portion of the industry, other key participants in the market include:<ref>{{cite journal | title = Value Creation in the Video Game Industry: Industry Economics, Consumer Benefits, and Research Opportunities | first1 = André | last1 = Marchand | first2 = Thorsten | last2 = Hennig-Thurau | journal =[[Journal of Interactive Marketing]] | volume = 27 | issue = 3 | pages = 141–157 | date = August 2013 | doi = 10.1016/j.intmar.2013.05.001}}</ref>
* [[Video game publisher|Publishers]]: Companies generally that oversee bringing the game from the developer to market. This often includes performing the [[marketing]], public relations, and advertising of the game. Publishers frequently pay the developers ahead of time to make their games and will be involved in critical decisions about the direction of the game's progress, and then pay the developers additional royalties or bonuses based on sales performances. Other smaller, boutique publishers may simply offer to perform the publishing of a game for a small fee and a portion of the sales, and otherwise leave the developer with the creative freedom to proceed. A range of other publisher-developer relationships exist between these points. 
* [[Distribution (marketing)|Distributors]]: Publishers often are able to produce their own game media and take the role of distributor, but there are also third-party distributors that can mass-produce game media and distribute to retailers. Digital storefronts like [[Steam (service)|Steam]] and the [[App Store (iOS)|iOS App Store]] also serve as distributors and retailers in the digital space.
* Retailers: Physical storefronts, which include large online retailers, department and electronic stores, and specialty video game stores, sell games, consoles, and other accessories to consumers. This has also including a trade-in market in certain regions, allowing players to turn in used games for partial refunds or credit towards other games. However, with the uprising of digital marketplaces and [[E-commerce|e-commerce revolution]], retailers have been performing worse than in the past.
* Hardware manufacturers: The [[video game console]] manufacturers produce console hardware, often through a value chain system that include numerous component suppliers and [[contract manufacturer]] that assemble the consoles. Further, these console manufacturers typically require a license to develop for their platform and may control the production of some games, such as Nintendo does with the use of game cartridges for its systems. In exchange, the manufacturers may help promote games for their system and may seek console exclusivity for certain games. For games on personal computers, a number of manufacturers are devoted to high-performance "[[gaming computer]]" hardware, particularly in the graphics card area; several of the same companies overlap with component supplies for consoles. A range of third-party manufacturers also exist to provide equipment and gear for consoles post-sale, such as additional controllers for console or carrying cases and gear for handheld devices.
* [[Video game journalism|Journalism]]: While journalism around video games used to be primarily print-based, and focused more on post-release reviews and gameplay strategy, the Internet has brought a more proactive press that use web journalism, covering games in the months prior to release as well as beyond, helping to build excitement for games ahead of release.
* [[Internet celebrity|Influencers]]: With the rising importance of [[social media]], video game companies have found that the opinions of influencers using [[streaming media]] to play through their games has had a significant impact on game sales, and have turned to use influencers alongside traditional journalism as a means to build up attention to their game before release.
* [[Esports]]: Esports is a major function of several multiplayer games with numerous professional leagues established since the 2000s, with large viewership numbers, particularly out of southeast Asia since the 2010s.
* Trade and advocacy groups: Trade groups like the [[Entertainment Software Association]] were established to provide a common voice for the industry in response to governmental and other advocacy concerns. They frequently set up the [[List of gaming conventions|major trade events and conventions]] for the industry such as [[E3]].
* [[Gamer]]s: Proactive hobbyists who are players and consumers of video games. While their representation in the industry is primarily seen through game sales, many companies follow gamers' comments on social media or on user reviews and engage with them to work to improve their products in addition to other feedback from other parts of the industry. Demographics of the larger player community also impact parts of the market; while once dominated by younger men, the market shifted in the mid-2010s towards women and older players who generally preferred mobile and causal games, leading to further growth in those sectors.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/female-adults-oust-teenage-boys-largest-gaming-demographic | title = Women significantly outnumber teenage boys in gamer demographics | first = Charles | last = Pulliam-Moore | date = 21 August 2014 | access-date = 2 April 2021 | work = [[PBS News Hour]] | archive-date = 12 March 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210312225703/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/female-adults-oust-teenage-boys-largest-gaming-demographic | url-status = live }}</ref>

===Major regional markets===
{{see also|Video game industry#International practices}}
The industry itself grew out from both the United States and Japan in the 1970s and 1980s before having a larger worldwide contribution. Today, the video game industry is predominantly led by major companies in North America (primarily the United States and Canada), Europe, and southeast Asia including Japan, South Korea, and China. Hardware production remains an area dominated by Asian companies either directly involved in hardware design or part of the production process, but digital distribution and indie game development of the late 2000s has allowed game developers to flourish nearly anywhere and diversify the field.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Sotamaa | first = Olli | title = Studying Game Development Cultures | journal = Games and Culture | date = 2009 | volume =4 | pages = 276 | doi = 10.1177/1555412009339732 | s2cid = 8568117 }}</ref>

===Game sales===
{{See also|List of best-selling video games|Golden age of arcade video games}}
[[File:Videogameretaildisplay.jpg|thumb|A retail display in Switzerland with a large selection of games for platforms popular in the early 2000s]]
According to the market research firm Newzoo, the global video game industry drew estimated revenues of over {{USD|159 billion|long=no}} in 2020. Mobile games accounted for the bulk of this, with a 48% share of the market, followed by console games at 28% and personal computer games at 23%.<ref name="vg industry size 2020"/>

Sales of different types of games vary widely between countries due to local preferences. Japanese consumers tend to purchase much more [[handheld game]]s than [[console game]]s and especially [[PC game]]s, with a strong preference for games catering to local tastes.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ashcraft |first1=Brian |title=Why PC Gaming Is Still Niche in Japan |url=https://kotaku.com/5977001/why-pc-gaming-is-still-niche-in-japan |website=[[Kotaku]] |access-date=23 June 2018 |date=18 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623222027/https://kotaku.com/5977001/why-pc-gaming-is-still-niche-in-japan |archive-date=23 June 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Byford |first1=Sam |title=Japan used to rule video games, so what happened? |url=https://www.theverge.com/2014/3/20/5522320/final-fight-can-japans-gaming-industry-be-saved |website=[[The Verge]] |access-date=23 June 2018 |date=20 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623222003/https://www.theverge.com/2014/3/20/5522320/final-fight-can-japans-gaming-industry-be-saved |archive-date=23 June 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> Another key difference is that, though having [[Golden age of video arcade games|declined in the West]], [[arcade game]]s remain an important sector of the [[Video gaming in Japan|Japanese gaming industry]].<ref>{{cite news | last=Lewis | first=Leo | date=9 February 2017 | title=Game on: why Japan's arcades are still winning | work=[[Financial Times]] | url=https://www.ft.com/japanarcades | access-date=26 December 2017 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227122301/https://www.ft.com/japanarcades | archive-date=27 December 2017 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> [[Video gaming in South Korea|In South Korea]], computer games are generally preferred over console games, especially [[Massively multiplayer online role-playing game|MMORPG]] games and [[real-time strategy]] games. Computer games are also popular in China.<ref>{{cite web|last=Usher|first=William|title=PC Game Sales Top $18.6 Billion In 2011|url=http://www.cinemablend.com/games/PC-Game-Sales-Top-18-6-Billion-2011-40337.html|work=Gaming Blend|publisher=Cinema Blend|access-date=17 March 2012|date=11 March 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609070958/http://www.cinemablend.com/games/PC-Game-Sales-Top-18-6-Billion-2011-40337.html|archive-date=9 June 2012}}</ref>

==Effects on society==
===Culture===
{{main|Video game culture|Gamer}}
[[File:The Art of Video Games 2012 (6848246182).jpg|thumb|right|''[[The Art of Video Games]]'' exhibit at the [[Smithsonian American Art Museum]] in 2012]]
Video game culture is a worldwide [[new media]] subculture formed around video games and game playing. As computer and video games have increased in popularity over time, they have had a significant influence on popular culture. Video game culture has also evolved over time hand in hand with [[internet culture]] as well as the increasing popularity of mobile games. Many people who play video games identify as gamers, which can mean anything from someone who enjoys games to someone who is passionate about it. As video games become more social with [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]] and [[Online game|online capability]], gamers find themselves in growing [[social network]]s. Gaming can both be entertainment as well as competition, as a new trend known as [[Esports|electronic sports]] is becoming more widely accepted. In the 2010s, video games and discussions of video game trends and topics can be seen in [[social media]], politics, television, film and music. The [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the video game industry|COVID-19 pandemic]] during 2020–2021 gave further visibility to video games as a pastime to enjoy with friends and family online as a means of [[social distancing]].<ref>{{cite magazine | url = https://ew.com/gaming/coronavirus-videogames-industry-impact/ | title = Game (still) on: How coronavirus is impacting the gaming industry | first = Nick | last = Romero | date = 19 March 2020 | access-date = 27 March 2020 | magazine = [[Entertainment Weekly]] | archive-date = 8 April 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200408220631/https://ew.com/gaming/coronavirus-videogames-industry-impact/ | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://finance.yahoo.com/news/coronavirus-world-turning-to-video-games-150704969.html | title = The world is turning to video games amid coronavirus outbreak | first = Daniel | last = Howley | date = 18 March 2020 | access-date = 27 March 2020 | work = [[Yahoo!]] | archive-date = 8 April 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200408220632/https://finance.yahoo.com/news/coronavirus-world-turning-to-video-games-150704969.html | url-status = live }}</ref>

{{main|Video games as an art form}}
Since the mid-2000s there has been debate whether video games qualify as art, primarily as the form's interactivity interfered with the artistic intent of the work and that they are designed for commercial appeal. A significant debate on the matter came after film critic [[Roger Ebert]] published an essay "Video Games can never be art",<ref name="ebert gamesart">{{Cite web | url = http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2010/04/video_games_can_never_be_art.html | title = Video games can never be art | work = [[Chicago Sun-Times]] | first = Roger | last = Ebert | date = 2010-04-16 | access-date = 2010-08-31 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111010001841/http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2010/04/video_games_can_never_be_art.html | archive-date = 2011-10-10 | url-status = dead }}</ref> which challenged the industry to prove him and other critics wrong.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://reason.com/2013/04/04/the-time-roger-ebert-dismissed-video-gam/ | title = The Time Roger Ebert Dismissed Video Games and What Happened Next | first = Scott | last = Shackford | date = 4 April 2013 | access-date = 13 August 2020 | work = [[Reason (magazine)|Reason]] | archive-date = 14 September 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200914234541/https://reason.com/2013/04/04/the-time-roger-ebert-dismissed-video-gam/ | url-status = live }}</ref> The view that video games were an art form was cemented in 2011 when the [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]] ruled in the landmark case ''[[Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association]]'' that video games were a protected form of speech with artistic merit.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2011/06/us-supreme-court-strikes-down-video-game-law-on-first-amendment-grounds/ | title = Supreme Court strikes down video game law on first amendment grounds | first = Ben | last = Kuchera | date = 27 June 2011 | access-date = 13 August 2020 | work = [[Ars Technica]] | archive-date = 15 September 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200915001410/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2011/06/us-supreme-court-strikes-down-video-game-law-on-first-amendment-grounds/ | url-status = live }}</ref> Since then, video game developers have come to use the form more for artistic expression, including the development of [[art game]]s,<ref>{{cite news | url =http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/gaming.gadgets/08/31/video.games.art.steinberg/ | title = Who says video games aren't art? | first = Scott | last = Steinberg | publisher = CNN | date =2010-08-31 | access-date = 2010-08-31 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100903031954/http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/gaming.gadgets/08/31/video.games.art.steinberg/| archive-date= 3 September 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref> and the cultural heritage of video games as works of arts, beyond their technical capabilities, have been part of major museum exhibits, including ''[[The Art of Video Games]]'' at the [[Smithsonian American Art Museum]] and toured at other museums from 2012 to 2016.

{{main|Film adaptation#Video game adaptation|Hollywood and the video game industry}}
Video games will inspire sequels and other video games within the same franchise, but also have influenced works outside of the video game medium. Numerous [[List of television series based on video games|television shows]] (both animated and live-action), [[List of films based on video games|films]], [[List of comics based on video games|comics]] and [[List of novels based on video games|novels]] have been created based on existing video game franchises. Because video games are an interactive medium there has been trouble in converting them to these passive forms of media, and typically such works have been critically panned or treated as children's media. For example, until 2019, no video game film had ever been received a "Fresh" rating on [[Rotten Tomatoes]], but the releases of ''[[Detective Pikachu (film)|Detective Pikachu]]'' (2019) and ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (film)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' (2020), both receiving "Fresh" ratings, shows signs of the film industry having found an approach to adapt video games for the large screen.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/14/sonic-the-hedgehog-faces-video-game-adaptation-box-office-curse.html | title = 'Sonic the Hedgehog' is up against the stigma of video game flops at the box office | first = Sarah | last = Whitten | date = 14 February 2020 | access-date = 16 February 2020 | work = [[CNBC]] | archive-date = 26 July 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210726194546/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/14/sonic-the-hedgehog-faces-video-game-adaptation-box-office-curse.html | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/sonic-the-hedgehog-sequel-1234619356/|title='Sonic the Hedgehog' Sequel in the Works|first=Justin|last=Kroll|date=28 May 2020|website=Variety |access-date=28 May 2020|archive-date=29 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200529030235/https://variety.com/2020/film/news/sonic-the-hedgehog-sequel-1234619356/|url-status=live}}</ref> That said, some early video game-based films have been highly successful at the box office, such as 1995's ''[[Mortal Kombat (1995 film)|Mortal Kombat]]'' and 2001's ''[[Lara Croft: Tomb Raider]]''.<ref name="understanding media">{{cite book |title=Understanding Media and Culture |date=2010 |publisher=[[University of Minnesota Press]] |chapter=10.4 The Impact of Video Games on Culture}}</ref>

More recently since the 2000s, there has also become a larger appreciation of [[video game music]], which ranges from [[chiptunes]] composed for limited sound-output devices on early computers and consoles, to fully-scored compositions for most modern games. Such music has frequently served as a platform for covers and remixes, and concerts featuring video game soundtracks performed by bands or orchestras, such as ''[[Video Games Live]]'', have also become popular.<ref name="understanding media"/> Video games also frequently incorporate licensed music, particularly in the area of [[rhythm game]]s, furthering the depth of which video games and music can work together.<ref name="understanding media"/>

Further, video games can serve as a virtual environment under full control of a producer to create new works. With the capability to render 3D actors and settings in real-time, a new type of work [[machinima]] (short for "machine cinema") grew out from using video game engines to craft narratives.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Lowood|first=Henry|year=2005|title=Real-Time Performance: Machinima and Game Studies|url=http://www.idmaa.org/journal/pdf/iDMAa_Journal_Vol_2_No_1_screen.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060101161233/http://www.idmaa.org/journal/pdf/iDMAa_Journal_Vol_2_No_1_screen.pdf|archive-date=1 January 2006|journal=The International Digital Media & Arts Association Journal|volume=2|issue=1|pages=10–17|issn=1554-0405|access-date=2013-03-22}}</ref> As video game engines gain higher fidelity, they have also become part of the tools used in more traditional filmmaking. [[Unreal Engine]] has been used as a backbone by [[Industrial Light & Magic]] for their [[StageCraft]] technology for shows like ''[[The Mandalorian]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/tv/2020/2/20/21146152/the-mandalorian-making-of-video-unreal-engine-projection-screen | title = How Lucasfilm used Unreal Engine to make The Mandalorian | first = Owen | last = Good | date = 20 February 2020 | access-date = 1 August 2020 | work = [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] | archive-date = 13 November 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201113105740/https://www.polygon.com/tv/2020/2/20/21146152/the-mandalorian-making-of-video-unreal-engine-projection-screen | url-status = live }}</ref>

Separately, video games are also frequently used as part of the promotion and marketing for other media, such as for [[List of video games based on films|films]], [[List of video games based on anime or manga|anime]], and [[List of video games based on comics|comics]]. However, these licensed games in the 1990s and 2000s often had a reputation for poor quality, developed without any input from the intellectual property rights owners, and several of them are considered among [[List of video games notable for negative reception|lists of games with notably negative reception]], such as ''[[Superman 64]]''. More recently, with these licensed games being developed by triple-A studios or through studios directly connected to the licensed property owner, there has been a significant improvement in the quality of these games, with an early trendsetting example of ''[[Batman: Arkham Asylum]]''.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2021/03/05/star-wars-indiana-jones-marvel-007-licensed-games/ | title = From Star Wars to Marvel, licensed video games are becoming more ambitious. Here's why. | first = Elise | last = Favis | date = 5 March 2021 | accessdate = 26 July 2021 | newspaper = [[The Washington Post]] | archive-date = 1 November 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211101055942/https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2021/03/05/star-wars-indiana-jones-marvel-007-licensed-games/ | url-status = live }}</ref>

===Beneficial uses===
{{Tone|section|date=June 2023}}
{{main|Video games in education|Video game behavioral effects}}

Besides their entertainment value, appropriately-designed video games have been seen to provide value in education across several ages and comprehension levels. Learning principles found in video games have been identified as possible techniques with which to reform the U.S. education system.<ref>{{cite book | last = Gee | first = James Paul | title = What Video Games Have to Teach us About Literacy and Learning | publisher = Palgrave Macmillan | year = 2003 | isbn = 978-1-4039-6169-3 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/whatvideogamesha0000geej }}</ref> It has been noticed that gamers adopt an attitude while playing that is of such high concentration, they do not realize they are learning, and that if the same attitude could be adopted at school, education would enjoy significant benefits.<ref>{{cite news | author = James Paul Gee | year = 2007 | url = https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.05/view.html | title = Wired 11.05: View | publisher = Codenet, Inc. | access-date = 4 December 2007 | display-authors = etal | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080517033243/http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.05/view.html | archive-date = 17 May 2008 | df = dmy-all }}</ref>{{Dubious|date=June 2023}} Students are found to be "learning by doing" while playing video games while fostering creative thinking.<ref>{{cite journal | title = Video games | journal = CQ Researcher | volume = 16 | pages = 937–960 | year = 2006 | id = cqresrre2006111000 | author = Glazer, S.}}</ref>

Video games are also believed to be beneficial to the mind and body. It has been shown that action video game players have better [[hand–eye coordination]] and [[Motor coordination|visuo-motor skills]], such as their resistance to [[distraction]], their sensitivity to information in the [[peripheral vision]] and their ability to count briefly presented objects, than nonplayers.<ref>{{cite journal| author-link = Shawn Green (game designer)| title = Action video game modifies visual selective attention| journal = Nature| volume = 423| pages = 534–537| year = 2003| id = Green & Bavelier| doi = 10.1038/nature01647| author = Green, C. Shawn| pmid = 12774121| last2 = Bavelier| first2 = Daphne| issue = 6939| bibcode = 2003Natur.423..534G| s2cid = 1521273| url = https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:103890| doi-access = free| access-date = 13 September 2020| archive-date = 6 June 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200606033158/https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:103890| url-status = live}}</ref> Researchers found that such enhanced abilities could be acquired by training with action games, involving challenges that switch attention between different locations, but not with games requiring concentration on single objects.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} A 2018 systematic review found evidence that video gaming training had positive effects on cognitive and emotional skills in the adult population, especially with young adults.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Pallavicini|first1=Federica|last2=Ferrari|first2=Ambra|last3=Mantovani|first3=Fabrizia|date=2018-11-07|title=Video Games for Well-Being: A Systematic Review on the Application of Computer Games for Cognitive and Emotional Training in the Adult Population|journal=Frontiers in Psychology|volume=9|page=2127|doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02127|issn=1664-1078|pmc=6234876|pmid=30464753|doi-access=free}}</ref> A 2019 systematic review also added support for the claim that video games are beneficial to the brain, although the beneficial effects of video gaming on the brain differed by video games types.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Brilliant T.|first1=Denilson|last2=Nouchi|first2=Rui|last3=Kawashima|first3=Ryuta|date=2019-09-25|title=Does Video Gaming Have Impacts on the Brain: Evidence from a Systematic Review|journal=Brain Sciences|volume=9|issue=10|page=251|doi=10.3390/brainsci9100251|issn=2076-3425|pmc=6826942|pmid=31557907|doi-access=free}}</ref>

[[File:How video games can boost your mental health.webm|thumb|start=4.8|How can video games boost your mental health? – Max Birk ([[Eindhoven University of Technology]])]]

Organisers of video gaming events, such as the organisers of the ''D-Lux'' video game festival in [[Dumfries]], Scotland, have emphasised the positive aspects video games can have on [[mental health]]. Organisers, mental health workers and mental health nurses at the event emphasised the relationships and friendships that can be built around video games and how playing games can help people learn about others as a precursor to discussing the person's mental health.<ref>{{cite news |date= 11 February 2020 |title= D-Lux: The video game festival talking about mental health |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-scotland-south-scotland-51402936 |work= BBC News |access-date= 27 June 2021 |archive-date= 27 July 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210727161310/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-scotland-south-scotland-51402936 |url-status= live }}</ref> A study in 2020 from [[Oxford University]] also suggested that playing video games can be a benefit to a person's mental health. The report of 3,274 gamers, all over the age of 18, focused on the games [[Animal Crossing: New Horizons]] and [[Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville]] and used actual play-time data. The report found that those that played more games tended to report greater "wellbeing".<ref>{{cite news |last=Hern |first=Alex |date=16 November 2020 |title=Video gaming can benefit mental health, find Oxford academics |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/nov/16/video-gaming-can-benefit-mental-health-find-oxford-academics |url-status=live |access-date=27 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210623054448/https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/nov/16/video-gaming-can-benefit-mental-health-find-oxford-academics |archive-date=23 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last= Chilton |first= Louis |date= 16 November 2020 |title= Video games can provide benefits to mental health, suggests new Oxford University study |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/games/video-games-mental-health-study-oxford-b1723729.html |work= The Independent |access-date= 27 June 2021 |archive-date= 2 November 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211102181814/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/games/video-games-mental-health-study-oxford-b1723729.html |url-status= live }}</ref> Also in 2020, [[computer science]] professor [[Regan Mandryk]] of the [[University of Saskatchewan]] said her research also showed that video games can have health benefits such as reducing [[Psychological stress|stress]] and improving mental health. The university's research studied all age groups – "from pre-literate children through to older adults living in long term care homes" – with a main focus on 18 to 55-year-olds.<ref>{{cite news |date= 10 May 2020 |title= U of S research finds video games can relieve stress, improve mental health |url= https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/u-of-s-research-finds-video-games-can-relieve-stress-improve-mental-health-1.5563824 |work= [[CBC News]] |access-date= 5 August 2021 |archive-date= 4 August 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210804232447/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/u-of-s-research-finds-video-games-can-relieve-stress-improve-mental-health-1.5563824 |url-status= live }}</ref>

A study of gamers attitudes towards gaming which was reported about in 2018 found that [[millennials]] use video games as a key strategy for coping with stress. In the study of 1,000 gamers, 55% said that it "helps them to unwind and relieve stress ... and half said they see the value in gaming as a method of escapism to help them deal with daily work pressures".<ref>{{cite news |last= Bailey |first= Grant |date= 9 February 2018 |title= Playing video games is a key strategy for coping with stress, study finds |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/video-games-stress-playing-strategy-key-gamers-study-a8202541.html |work= The Independent |access-date= 5 August 2021 |archive-date= 4 August 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210804232444/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/video-games-stress-playing-strategy-key-gamers-study-a8202541.html |url-status= live }}</ref>

===Controversies===
{{more citations needed|section|date=June 2023}}
{{main|Video game controversies}}
{{see also|Digital media use and mental health#Autism}}

[[File:Compulsion loop for video games.svg|thumb|right|The [[compulsion loop]] for video games is believed to trigger [[dopamine]] release that can encourage [[addictive behavior]].]]
Video games have caused controversy since the 1970s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Timeline of Video Game Controversies |url=https://ncac.org/resource/a-timeline-of-video-game-controversies |access-date=2023-06-28 |website=National Coalition Against Censorship |language=en-US}}</ref> Parents and children's advocates regularly raise concerns that [[Violence and video games|violent video games]] can influence young players into performing those violent acts in real life, and events such as the [[Columbine High School massacre]] in 1999 in which some claimed the perpetrators specifically alluded to using video games to plot out their attack, raised further fears.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} Medical experts and mental health professionals have also raised concerned that [[Video game addiction|video games may be addictive]], and the [[World Health Organization]] has included "gaming disorder" in the 11th revision of its [[International Statistical Classification of Diseases]]. Other health experts, including the [[American Psychiatric Association]], have stated that there is insufficient evidence that video games can create violent tendencies or lead to addictive behavior,<ref name="nytimes 20190805">{{cite web |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/05/sports/trump-violent-video-games-studies.html |title = Video Games Aren't Why Shootings Happen. Politicians Still Blame Them. |first = Kevin |last = Draper |date = 5 August 2019 |access-date = 22 August 2019 |work = [[The New York Times]] |archive-date = 26 April 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200426031749/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/05/sports/trump-violent-video-games-studies.html |url-status = live }}</ref> though agree that video games typically use a [[compulsion loop]] in their core design that can create [[dopamine]] that can help reinforce the desire to continue to play through that compulsion loop and potentially lead into violent or addictive behavior.<ref>{{cite journal | title = Dopamine D3 Receptors Modulate the Ability of Win-Paired Cues to Increase Risky Choice in a Rat Gambling Task | first1 = Michael M. | last1 = Barrus | first2= Catharine A. |last2= Winstanley | date = 20 January 2016 | volume = 36 | issue = 3 | journal = [[The Journal of Neuroscience]] | pages = 785–794 | doi = 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2225-15.2016 | pmid = 26791209 | pmc = 6602008 | s2cid = 23617462 | url = }}</ref><ref name="gamasutra kim">{{cite web | url = http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/JosephKim/20140323/213728/The_Compulsion_Loop_Explained.php | title = The Compulsion Loop Explained | first = Joseph | last = Kim | date = 23 March 2014 | access-date = 3 February 2020 | work = [[Gamasutra]] | archive-date = 14 August 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200814040040/https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/JosephKim/20140323/213728/The_Compulsion_Loop_Explained.php | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine | url = https://time.com/5647659/no-video-games-dont-cause-mass-shootings-but-the-conversation-shouldnt-end-there/ | title = No, Video Games Don't Cause Mass Shootings. But The Conversation Shouldn't End There | first = Simon | last = Parkin | date = 8 August 2019 | access-date = 3 February 2020 | magazine = [[Time (magazine)|Time]] | archive-date = 3 September 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200903005730/https://time.com/5647659/no-video-games-dont-cause-mass-shootings-but-the-conversation-shouldnt-end-there/ | url-status = live }}</ref> Even with case law establishing that video games qualify as a protected art form, there has been pressure on the video game industry to keep their products in check to avoid over-excessive violence particularly for games aimed at younger children. The potential addictive behavior around games, coupled with increased used of post-sale monetization of video games, has also raised concern among parents, advocates, and government officials about [[gambling]] tendencies that may come from video games, such as controversy around the use of [[loot box]]es in many high-profile games.

Numerous other controversies around video games and its industry have arisen over the years, among the more notable incidents include the [[1993 congressional hearings on video games|1993 United States Congressional hearings]] on violent games like ''[[Mortal Kombat]]'' which lead to the formation of the ESRB ratings system, numerous legal actions taken by attorney [[Jack Thompson (activist)|Jack Thompson]] over violent games such as ''[[Grand Theft Auto III]]'' and ''[[Manhunt (video game)|Manhunt]]'' from 2003 to 2007, the outrage over the "[[No Russian]]" level from ''[[Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2]]'' in 2009 which allowed the player to shoot a number of innocent non-player characters at an airport, and the [[Gamergate (harassment campaign)|Gamergate harassment campaign]] in 2014 that highlighted misogyny from a portion of the player demographic. The industry as a whole has also dealt with issues related to gender, racial, and [[LGBT|LGBTQ+]] discrimination and mischaracterization of these minority groups in video games. A further issue in the industry is related to working conditions, as development studios and publishers frequently use "[[crunch time (video gaming)|crunch time]]", required extended working hours, in the weeks and months ahead of a game's release to assure on-time delivery.

==Collecting and preservation==
{{main|Video game collecting|Video game preservation}}
{{see also|List of video game museums}}
Players of video games often maintain collections of games. More recently there has been interest in [[retrogaming]], focusing on games from the first decades. Games in retail packaging in good shape have become collectors items for the early days of the industry, with some rare publications having gone for over {{USD|100,000}} {{As of|2020|lc=y}}. Separately, there is also concern about the preservation of video games, as both game media and the hardware to play them degrade over time. Further, many of the game developers and publishers from the first decades no longer exist, so records of their games have disappeared. Archivists and preservations have worked within the scope of copyright law to save these games as part of the cultural history of the industry.

There are many video game museums around the world, including the [[National Videogame Museum (United States)|National Videogame Museum]] in [[Frisco, Texas]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nvmusa.org |title=National Videogame Museum |publisher=nvmusa.org |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202165057/http://www.nvmusa.org/ |archive-date=2 December 2017 }}</ref> which serves as the largest museum wholly dedicated to the display and preservation of the industry's most important artifacts.<ref>{{cite web |date=12 April 2016 |title=National Videogame Museum opens in Frisco |url=http://www.fox4news.com/good-day/national-videogame-museum-opens-in-frisco |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107015007/http://www.fox4news.com/good-day/national-videogame-museum-opens-in-frisco |archive-date=7 November 2017 |website=Fox4news.com}}</ref> Europe hosts video game museums such as the [[Computerspielemuseum Berlin|Computer Games Museum]] in Berlin<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.computerspielemuseum.de/index.php?lg=en |title=Computerspielemuseum – Berlin |publisher=Computerspielemuseum.de |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501141756/http://www.computerspielemuseum.de/index.php?lg=en |archive-date=1 May 2011 }}</ref> and the [[Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines]] in Moscow and Saint-Petersburg.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.15kop.ru/en/ |title=Museum of Soviet arcade machines |publisher=15kop.ru |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100128025438/http://15kop.ru/en/ |archive-date=28 January 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.redpenguin.net/trans-siberian-part-7-the-museum-of-soviet-arcade-machines.php |title=Red Penguin: Review of the Museum of Soviet arcade machines |publisher=redpenguin.net |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921225512/http://www.redpenguin.net/trans-siberian-part-7-the-museum-of-soviet-arcade-machines.php |archive-date=21 September 2013 |access-date=1 June 2013 }}</ref> The [[Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment]] in [[Oakland, California]] is a dedicated video game museum focusing on playable exhibits of console and computer games.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.themade.org/content/what-are-we |title=About The MADE |publisher=themade.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530145047/http://www.themade.org/content/what-are-we |archive-date=30 May 2013 }}</ref> The [[Video Game Museum of Rome]] is also dedicated to preserving video games and their history.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vigamus.com/en/ |title=ViGaMus |publisher=vigamus.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121213050653/http://www.vigamus.com/en/ |archive-date=13 December 2012 }}</ref> The [[International Center for the History of Electronic Games]] at [[The Strong]] in [[Rochester, New York]] contains one of the largest collections of electronic games and game-related historical materials in the world, including a {{convert|5000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} exhibit which allows guests to play their way through the history of video games.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia| title=International Center for the History of Electronic Games (ICHEG) | encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Video Games: The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming | editor=Wolf, Mark J.P. | year=2012 | pages=329}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/31666/Strongs_eGameRevolution_Exhibit_Gives_Game_History_Its_First_Permanent_Home.php | title=Strong's eGameRevolution Exhibit Gives Game History Its First Permanent Home | website=Gamasutra | date=22 November 2010 | access-date=26 May 2013 | author=Jacobs, Stephen | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512142656/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/31666/Strongs_eGameRevolution_Exhibit_Gives_Game_History_Its_First_Permanent_Home.php | archive-date=12 May 2013 | df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.icheg.org/see-do/egamerevolution | title=eGameRevolution | publisher=International Center for the History of Electronic Games | access-date=26 May 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130527093827/http://www.icheg.org/see-do/egamerevolution | archive-date=27 May 2013 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> The [[Smithsonian Institution]] in Washington, DC has three video games on permanent display: ''Pac-Man'', ''Dragon's Lair'', and ''Pong''.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Computing: Video games – Golden Age |url=http://www.thocp.net/software/games/golden_age.htm#PacMan |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111226002728/http://www.thocp.net/software/games/golden_age.htm#PacMan |archive-date=26 December 2011 |work=thocp.net}}</ref>

The [[Museum of Modern Art]] has added a total of [[List of video games in the Museum of Modern Art|20 video games and one video game console]] to its permanent Architecture and Design Collection since 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2012/11/29/video-games-14-in-the-collection-for-starters/ |last1=Anttonelli|first1=Paola|title=Video Games: 14 in the Collection, for Starters |date=29 November 2012 |publisher=[[MoMA]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908154513/http://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2012/11/29/video-games-14-in-the-collection-for-starters/|archive-date=8 September 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2013/06/28/video-games-seven-more-building-blocks-in-momas-collection | title= Video Games: Seven More Building Blocks in MoMA's Collection | first = Paul | last = Galloway | date = 23 June 2013 | publisher = [[MoMA]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908155158/http://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2013/06/28/video-games-seven-more-building-blocks-in-momas-collection|archive-date=8 September 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2012, the [[Smithsonian American Art Museum]] ran an exhibition on "[[The Art of Video Games]]".<ref>{{cite web |title=Exhibitions: The Art of Video Games |url=http://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/archive/2012/games/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110110015838/http://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/archive/2012/games/ |archive-date=10 January 2011 |access-date=8 July 2012 |publisher=Americanart.si.edu}}</ref> However, the reviews of the exhibit were mixed, including questioning whether video games belong in an art museum.<ref>{{cite news |last=Barron |first=Christina |date=29 April 2012 |title=Museum exhibit asks: Is it art if you push 'start'? |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/exhibits/the-art-of-video-games,1215143/critic-review.html |url-status=dead |access-date=12 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604201354/http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/exhibits/the-art-of-video-games,1215143/critic-review.html |archive-date=4 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Kennicott |first=Philip |date=18 March 2012 |title=The Art of Video Games |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/exhibits/the-art-of-video-games,1215143/critic-review.html |url-status=dead |access-date=12 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604201354/http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/exhibits/the-art-of-video-games,1215143/critic-review.html |archive-date=4 June 2013}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Video games}}
<!-- Please add related links to [[Outline of video games]] -->
* [[Lists of video games]]
* [[List of accessories to video games by system]]
* [[Outline of video games]]
{{clear}}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{Refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite web | last = Blodget | first = Henry | date = 12 April 2005 | url = http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/go_east_young_man/2005/04/how_to_solve_chinas_piracy_problem.html | title = How to Solve China's Piracy Problem | publisher = Slate.com | access-date = 12 February 2006 | archive-date = 8 November 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111108033525/http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/go_east_young_man/2005/04/how_to_solve_chinas_piracy_problem.html | url-status = live }}
* {{cite web |last=Costikyan |first=Greg |year=1994 |url=http://www.costik.com/nowords.html |title=I Have No Words & I Must Design |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080812015347/http://www.costik.com/nowords.html |archive-date=12 August 2008 }}
* {{Cite book | author = Crawford, Chris | year = 1982 | url = http://library.vancouver.wsu.edu/art-computer-game-design | title = The Art of Computer Game Design | access-date = 2 February 2011 | archive-date = 2 July 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150702204947/http://library.vancouver.wsu.edu/art-computer-game-design | url-status = dead }}
* {{cite web | author = Lieu, Tina | date = August 1997 | url = http://www.cjmag.co.jp/magazine/issues/1997/aug97/0897pcgames.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/19980112155115/http://www.cjmag.co.jp/magazine/issues/1997/aug97/0897pcgames.html | archive-date = 12 January 1998 | title = Where have all the PC games gone? | publisher = Computing Japan }}
* {{cite book |author=Pursell, Carroll |date=2015 |title=From Playgrounds to PlayStation: The Interaction of Technology and Play |place=Baltimore, MD |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press}}
* {{cite book |first=Katie|last=Salen | title=The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology|author2=Eric Zimmerman | year=2005 | publisher=[[The MIT Press]] | isbn=978-0-262-19536-2}}
* {{cite web | author = Smuts, Aaron | year = 2005 | url = http://www.contempaesthetics.org/newvolume/pages/article.php?articleID=299 | title = Are Video Games Art? | access-date = 17 August 2006 | archive-date = 14 December 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101214025334/http://contempaesthetics.org/newvolume/pages/article.php?articleID=299 | url-status = live }}
* {{cite magazine | author = Winegarner, Beth | date = 28 January 2005 | url = http://www.gamespot.com/news/game-sales-hit-record-highs-6117438 | title = Game sales hit record highs | publisher = Gamespot | magazine=[[GameSpot]]|access-date = 12 February 2006 | archive-date = 6 January 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120106224517/http://www.gamespot.com/news/game-sales-hit-record-highs-6117438 | url-status = live }}
* {{cite journal | volume = 6 | issue = 4 | date = 1 October 2002 | pages = 395–417 | doi = 10.1080/1362517022000047334 | title = Digital Dinosaurs and Artificial Life: Exploring the Culture of Nature in Computer and Video Games | author = John Wills | journal = Cultural Values (Journal for Cultural Research)| s2cid = 144132612 }}
* {{cite book |editor1=Williams, J.P. |editor2=Smith, J.H. |date=2007 |title=The players' realm: studies on the culture of video games and gaming |location=Jefferson, NC |publisher=McFarland & Co}}
* ''The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 2: Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and the Billion-Dollar Battle to Shape Modern Gaming'' by Steven L. Kent, Crown, 2021, {{ISBN|1984825437}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Library resources box |by=no |onlinebooks=no |others=yes |lcheading=Video games}}
* [http://www.ludoscience.com/EN/ressources/bibliographie/index.html?sort=files%20ASC Video games bibliography] by the French video game research association ''Ludoscience''
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20141010105238/http://archives.icom.museum/vlmp/computing.html The Virtual Museum of Computing (VMoC)] (archived 10 October 2014)

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