The Mass Impact of Videogame Technology

Publisher Summary This chapter focus on the hardware, software, marketing, legal aspects, and future of coin-operated arcade videogames (“coin-op” or “arcade” games). The chapter presents the history and recent development of videogames. There are many ways to differentiate one videogame from another. The discussion in this chapter attempts to set forth the currently important distinctions of videogame. One way to categorize coin-op games is by the number of players. One and two-player games exist, and although all games allow players to take turns, two-player games allow both to play at the same time: against the machine, against each other, or both. Videogame hardware is examined, starting with the cabinet and proceeding inward to the circuits and logic. The coin-operated videogame is currently available in four physical configurations: full-size upright, mini upright, sit-in, and cocktail table. Animation techniques are rather dependent on the hardware. They can be divided into two types: vector and raster. Vector graphics are drawn random scan and are easily geometrically transformed as wire-frame objects in real time. Raster images can be moved only in x and y directions and possibly rotated by 90°; animation is done as in cartoons by flipping different images at least 12 times a second.