Understand game platform types

Game Platform Timeline
As you can see the wide range of console development was around 1975-1995. Afterwards the productions start to narrow down until 2004 where only three companies remain moving forward with software instead of hardware.


Arcade
Arcade machines have always been innovative in some way. In the 1970s they were extremely popular because there was nothing like it at the time; everyone came to think of arcade as virtual simulators.
Features: since machines couldn’t be constantly monitored, it has to be coin operated. Before there was only vector based graphics arcade games. Some of the most memorable arcade games from the 1980s are the hardest to emulate with modern raster-scan monitors. Big successes like Asteroids, Tempest, Battlezone and Star Wars use vector graphics which consisted of straight lines and dots to generate futuristic images that scroll smoothly across arcade displays. The fact of the matter was that home consoles were moving in giving consumers no reason to play at the arcade.
Consoles
SEGA Mega Drive is a 16 bit fourth generation console. Its sleek design and featured games took home console gamming experiences to the next level. Graphics were crisp and visually stunning at the time. The option to save your game wasn’t present back then so the alternative method was to use password/activation codes. Most games were structured as an arcade game so the same rule still applied with being unable to save. The hardware used to play games was cartridges.
Sony Playstation is a 32 bit fifth generation console. The CD format is a CD-ROM add-on called SNES-ROM. Reason being is because Sony and Nintendo had signed a contract. These CD featured the necessary space to include CGI and Pre rendered cut scenes. It was unlike anything else on the market. It was the first console to have rumble included in the controller. It can also play music from a CD included with a visualization screen. External memory support was also a new feature introduced as Memory Cards. System link support and wired controller adapters made larger in-game battles possible.
Ports: memory card x2, controller x2
Microsoft XBOX is a 128 bit sixth generation console. It was the most powerful machine out of the rest. Containing the processing power of a hi en PC the XBXOX surprised people with its astonishing graphics from titles like Halo, Half Life and The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butch Bay. The biggest feature about the console was its X BOX Live feature. It did what previous consoles could not perfect which was playing with other people from all over the world. It also features huge internal memory for music, game saves and on top of that the console included DVD player. That being said, it wasn’t the most popular console because it didn’t have as many exclusives as other consoles like the Playstation 2.
Ports: memory card x2, controller x4
XBOX 360 is the second instalment in Microsoft’s console production. This is an example of one of the best multimedia devices today. Features include: an ongoing online system constantly evolving with new ways to play, party systems and broadcasting networks making XBOX Live the leading innovation for online gaming. Hi resolution games and fully supported sorrowed sound brings games a step closer to virtual reality.
Ports: USB x3, HDMI, memory card x2
Television
Modern television is unique. They were modified from bulky standard definition models to sleek HI definition introducing new features. From their sleek design to the new adjustments they have include; sharper screens with high resolution. This is possible because more pixels have been used to increase the visual quality. Audio has improved by being able to connect wireless speakers to the TV for surround sound. Settings can adjust the TV to suit your preferences like contrast, colour modes, sharpness, etc.
Previous standard TVs have included 2 extension sockets and given their own channel named AV along with 2 SCART sockets. Now instead of 2 extensions there are 4 the extra two included called HDMI ports which are specifically used for HD purposes. You can even plug in tour headphones. Another feature is being able to install a satellite dish via coaxial cable. Unfortunately even with their thin designs, it still isn’t portable. This obviously drastically restricts where you can use a TV.
Mobile device
Mobile devices are the answer to computers, television and other machines that cannot be transported easily. Laptops have everything you need for media entertainment, video, games, music, contacting people and online viewing. The GPS device can be used anywhere because it gets its signal from satellite. Handheld devices like the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP have been proven quite useful. Their good features include; local network connectivity, using WIFI both devices can wirelessly and receive data from further locations. In addition for the PSP, Bluetooth can be used to feed information from another device with Bluetooth. Though these devices include the features they do, they are merely scaled down machines only featuring a fraction of their larger counter parts.
Personal Computer
Early PCs were specifically used for scientific problem-solvers such as the classic IBM personal computers. Computers have evolved into the ultimate multimedia devices we know today. Its features include:
Internet explorer is a standard programme that comes with every PC connected to the internet via phone line, dongle, or broadband and introduces you to the World Wide Web. You can browse through the infinite content at your disposal and even download or upload content.
Music can be played by different programmes such as Windows media player. Unlike using an mp3 player that is designed for the purpose of playing music, a computer features thousands of tools that meet the requirements in their design to play music.
Movies can also be played by thousands of programmes but it isn’t as simple as playing music. Some movie files require extra Codecs. A codec is software that is used in this case to compress or decompress a video. Content creators use codecs because a compressed file takes up less storage space on your computer and can be transferred across the Internet more quickly and smoothly. A codec can consist of two components, an encoder and a decoder. The encoder compresses a file during creation, and the decoder decompresses the file so that it can be played. That’s why people use them to help transfer files over, and when needed in higher quality, just change it back.
This should only be needed when transferring/uploading larger video files like movies as a DVD to keep the quality.
While others files simply won’t play because the programme doesn’t reach the requirements of a format such as Blue-ray.
Games are playable online or from a CD-Rom. There are far fewer formats out there for playing games, which is why this is usually left to the professionals.
Photos can be viewed with default programmes such as Picture Viewer. For any reason should you choose to edit a picture, Microsoft Paint is there as a standard feature.