#videogameshistory

[l-1-z-a]

🎉8️⃣🖥️DirectX 8 turns 25 years old!

And to celebrate this occasion, here is information from Andrew Willmott’s presentation (audio) about the role of DirectX 8 (DX8) in the development of The Sims 2:

DX8 as a Target Platform and Technical Configuration

DirectX 8 was one of the target platforms for The Sims 2’s graphics system.

However, the main target hardware for the developers was still machines with DX7-level graphics cards.

The technical features planned for DX8 included:

• Hardware Vertex Processing (HWVP)

• Software skinning

• Vertex/Pixel Shader lighting (VS/PS lighting)

For comparison, the DX9 path included HWVP, hardware skinning, VS/PS lighting, and framebuffer effects.

Development Investment and Final Decisions

The shader path planned for DX8 consumed most of the graphics development time, but was ultimately dropped in the final weeks of the project.

The system was too inefficient to handle the large number of different shaders required for that path.

DX8 development was significant: during the final year, one engineer was almost fully dedicated to material scripting, which included working on DX8, writing code in Azim, and handling many different edge cases.

Associated Technical Challenges

Older drivers (DX8-level) did not support depth buffer copies. This caused compatibility issues, especially due to the “dirty rect” rendering system.

The FX series graphics card line was treated as a DX8 component because its performance was too low to fully utilize the features of DX9.

Extracted from the presentation using NotebookLM.

Read more about the historical impact of DirectX 8 here:

25 Years Ago Today, Microsoft Released DirectX 8 and Changed PC Graphics Forever

[lockylab-blog]

History and Research

History as a general subject i love and learning about the history of the industry that i love most, now i couldn’t think of anything better.

This session at AIE was a big one with a lot of writing and watching. We started by watching a movie titled ‘How video games changed the world’. This movie was great, filled with a lot of specific information regarding the first video game Pong in 1972, through to influential games like Pac-man, Tetris and DOOM, moving onto more controversial titles such as Grand Theft Auto III and Mortal Kombat before closing with modern hits like Minecraft and The Last of Us. The film looks at specific titles like these and many more as they represent specific changes in the industry which shifted how games were made at those points in time but also how games have leaked their way into everyday life, bit by bit, year by year. 

There was a few titles i was not aware of which was interesting but more to my surprise was to see in a more broad way how video games since the 80′s have been such a massive medium that has played a role in the affect of day to day culture. It gave me so much inspiration and excitement to be part of the next generation of game creators who get to the set the tone for the future of gaming and who will play a large role in shaping the way everyday culture could look down the track. 

After this we looked into market research for games, how to do it, where to find it and how valuable it is. This exercise gave me such a great insight into a whole different side of the gaming that was originally foreign to me. Shortly following the completion of our research task into a genre, (Management games) i realised that games production or being a games producer is a job i am going to strive for and to be honest one that i think i would be good at. (keeping in mind that i still have so much to learn and always will, after all we are always learning) 

Everyday i spend here at AIE i feel my knowledge growing, my desire to be in this industry rise and my drive get stronger and stronger. This was the best decision i ever made.

[vkdante]

New video is live! The Fall and Rise of Videogames Part 1. Join me into this fascinating journey of where it all begin and where it almost didn't happen... The videogames industry was saved by one plumber... Watch to find out. Link in Bio #videogames #gaming #gamingchannel #videogameshistory #documentary #nintendo #sony #playstation #microsoft #xbox #vkdante https://www.instagram.com/p/CHYDPj2ja5q/?igshid=1dto2z6izgd1g

[astoldbythelamb-blog]

Two ladies playing in Nimrod, 1951.

“It may appear that, in trying to make machines play games, we are wasting our time. This is not true as the theory of games is extremely complex and a machine that can play a complex game can also be programmed to carry out very complex practical problems.”

http://www.wired.com/2010/06/replay/

[astoldbythelamb-blog]

The Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator, also known as EDSAC. 

http://www.tnmoc.org/special-projects/edsac/edsac-history

[japanesevg]

Tohou Project (1996)

In 1998, Team Shanghai Alice, a one-man developer, released Touhou Project also known as Project Shrine Maiden, a fan-made shooter series, for the Japanese PC-98, a 16-bit microcomputer.  The first game of the series, Highly Responsive to Prayers, released in 1996 was similar to Arkanoid, an arcade game developed by Taito in 1986 which expanded upon Atari’s Breakout games.

The first characteristic that differentiates Touhou from shooter games like Arkanoid is its “bullet hell”, or “manic shooters” element. This means that the player does not only need to be aware of targets that come in their direction, but they require the ability to dodge a high number of projectiles coming from all directions. This adds a layer of difficulty to the game and makes it more challenging from other shooters.

Gameplay Video

Touhou is also unique for its character depth. The player controls a human character instead of a spaceship (Space Invaders) or a ball (Arkanoid). The main protagonists of the series, Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame are given their own personality and traits, which I believe might create a connection between the player and character. For instance, Reimu is known to be optimistic and a bit curious, where Marisa is described as being straightforward and has a mania for collecting things (might be a hoarder).  

Another aspect that makes Tohou different from other shooter games, is that it was the first bullet hell in introducing a storyline. The plot is introduced to the player through conversations between characters during action interludes throughout the game. Usually at the end of every level, bosses and the player character would engage in conversation, presenting a conflict between them and the reason for which the player needs to defeat them. I believe that this adds a different goal to the game, where the player does not only go through levels in order to obtain as many points as possible, but to also get deeper into the game’s story.

Story Presentation in game - Remilia Scarlet’s Story Video

Up until now there have been multiple releases of the game, the last being Impossible Spell Card (May 2014). In each of these players can choose to play as Reimu, Marisa or some of the bosses that had been presented in previous games.

I believe that Touhou changed the concept of bullet hell games by introducing a set of original characters and compelling stories told in every game. It proved that shooting games could not only be about taking down aliens, but also they are capable of presenting a story of their own along with the gameplay. The game also possesses one of the biggest fandoms in Japan, which shows how much influence the game has had throughout the years.

Sources: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touhou_Project#PC-98_predecessor_games

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoot_%27em_up#cite_note-lecture-7

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkanoid

http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Characters

[japanesevg]

Resident Evil (1996)

In 1996, Capcom released another game that would define a new genre of gaming. Resident Evil defined a new type of survival horror games. They played on most typical horror clichés and emulated it exceptionally well through rich character development, deep story, and atmospheric level design. Resident Evil for the original Playstation sold over a million copies within a few months which put it on the same commercial level as Street Fighter.

Resident Evil’s graphics were cutting edge at the time. They used pre-rendered backgrounds and 3D characters. Resident Evil’s plot focuses on multiple characters and their roles in a fictitious alternate Earth where zombie outbreaks and other monsters are wreaking havoc upon humans due to a fictional corporation known as Umbrella Corporation.

The gameplay consists of solving puzzles, action, and collecting items to survive. The player can defend themselves using either weapons such as guns and melee attacks such as knives. The player had to micromanage a limited health but can be replenished with very rare health items. Each level is cleverly designed to force the player to feel trapped, weak, and helpless in the worst situations. The background music is subtle and doesn’t interfere with the atmosphere that the game creates.

Resident Evil helped define the Playstation. It changed the tone of horror games. Just like Street Fighter, Resident Evil has spawned several spinoffs such as comic books, cartoons, movies, toys, etc. Their movies have been huge blockbusters bringing in millions more in revenue. Even an energy drink called T-Virus Antidote was released. There is even a Resident Evil themed restaurant and horror theme park based from the games.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_Evil

http://ca.ign.com/articles/2009/03/11/ign-presents-the-history-of-resident-evil

[japanesevg]

Fire Emblem (1990)

After the success of Nintendo in the early 1980s, the company released the Family Computer (Famicom), later known as the Nintendo Entertainment System. The console released in 1983 as the Famicom with successful arcade games such as Donkey Kong. By the beginning of the 1990’s Nintendo had released other unique titles such as Super Mario Bros. (’85) and The Legend of Zelda (’86). In 1990, Nintendo released Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light for the Famicom console.

Fire Emblem borrowed the strategic engine features from Famicom Wars, a turn-based tactics military game that was released two years prior. However, the inclusion of RPG elements into the strategy engine made Fire Emblem the first RPG turn-based strategy game.

Fire Emblem’s story is presented through multiple chapters just as a book. At the beginning of every chapter a cut scene presents the main character and the plot surrounding the game. I believe this was one of the elements that drew its attention to the game, since it would be just as reading a fantasy story but with the player being able to have its part in the story.

Link to Prologue Cut scene video                                    

The navigation mechanics of the game kind of resemble the ones from chess. Characters are set in a side of the map, and the destination is to reach the other side where the enemy is located. At the same time, every character moves differently on the map.  For example: A knight can move at a big distance but only inflict damage to enemies in from of him, where a mage can move within a smaller radius but inflict damage to enemies that are two or three blocks away from him. I believe this feature is what adds a more strategic sense to the game, since the player has to analyze the camp field before he decides to move a character. One can also visit towns or houses and obtain items while navigating through the map.

Link to Gameplay Video

Fire emblem was also the first game that added a permanent death feature. If the player made the wrong move and lost a character there is no way to bring the character back, except for special items that are found in some of the games. I believe this added a more realistic and dangerous feeling to the game, because if a character dies in a fight there is no way to bring it back.

Another element that makes Fire Emblem a remarkable game is its character depth and size. Although characters would not have that much dialog during the game, the player would be able to see their own traits and personality. Further into the game, one might be able to find a connection with some of these characters which would make it a more personal and realistic experience. While playing some games from the series, I found myself very unhappy if one of my favorite characters died to the point where I would restart the stage in order to secure their survival. Which, I believe makes permanent death feature even more effective.

Character Class Video

I believe that Fire Emblem should be marked in the history of video games because of the remarkable experience that it provides. Although the strategic element of the game existed prior to its release, it still managed to incorporate other elements that made the gameplay unique and enjoyable. Along with its character depth, it is one of my favorite RPG strategy games.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Entertainment_System

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famicom_Wars

Let’s play Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon – How it all started

http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/48555/features/fire-emblem-through-the-ages/