Games are software designed for entertainment purposes, allowing users to interact with them.

What is a Game?

The term "game" is quite broad. Historically, the word "game" was used for physical activities conducted for entertainment and competition. In the field of technology, when we talk about games, we primarily mean digital games, also known as video games.

Games are digital content created for entertainment, allowing players to interact through a screen and various hardware. Games are also software and have development processes similar to other software.

Today, games are accessible on different platforms such as computers, consoles, and mobile devices. Besides this variety of platforms, games also have a wide range of genres. Games, now an integral part of popular culture, are entertainment mediums like movies and TV shows. The gaming industry has become an indispensable part of the entertainment industry, encompassing stakeholders like developers, publishers, and hardware manufacturers, creating a multi-billion-dollar industry.

Game Platforms

There are various platforms where games can be played. These platforms include consoles, handheld consoles, PCs, and mobile devices. Regarding game consoles, the options are Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox, and Nintendo's handheld console Switch. On the PC side, devices with Windows operating systems are primarily preferred, while Steam's Linux-based handheld computer Steam Deck has started to make Linux a strong option. On the mobile side, there are Android and iOS platform options.

Game Genres

While games are categorized into specific genres, the transitions between these genres are quite flexible. Developers often combine several genres, showcasing their creativity. Popular game genres include action, adventure, role-playing, strategy, and simulation.

The History of Games

The emergence of games dates back to the 1940s. One of the earliest video games, an analog device called the Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device, was developed by Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle Ray Mann in 1947. In the following years, various game experiments were conducted.

In 1966, Ralph H. Baer developed the prototype of "Brown Box," a table tennis game considered the first video game in the modern sense. This led to the first home video game console, Magnavox Odyssey, being released in 1972. At the same time, Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney began working on a coin-operated video game, releasing the first arcade video game, Computer Space, in 1971. The duo later founded Atari Inc. and released their second arcade game, Pong. The rise of both Atari and consoles continued in subsequent years.

In the early 1980s, the first third-party game developer, Activision, was founded. Nintendo released the first game featuring the Mario character, Donkey Kong, and Microsoft released Flight Simulator. The gaming industry continued to develop with the console wars, including Sony's entry with PlayStation.

While this was happening with consoles, computer games started to develop from the 1970s, as home computers became more widespread. In 1980, game publishing companies like Electronic Arts were established. In 1989, Maxis released the first SimCity game. In the 1990s, the gaming industry advanced with new genres such as real-time strategy, first-person shooter, and MMO.

From the 2000s to the present, the gaming console options have remained Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox, while PC gaming has significantly developed. Additionally, the rise of the mobile gaming sector emerged with the advent of smart devices.