Essay_Eng102_EvolutionofGamingConsoles - Foster 1 Kira...

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Kira Foster
Jennifer Preus
English 120
9/24/2012
The Evolution of Videogames and Effects on the People Who Play Them
I grew up in the 90s and my life was filled with video game, but not with kind we see in
most of our homes today. Matter of fact, my brother and I spent most of our time begging our
parents to rent or borrow game consoles and games for us to play. We usually rented the consoles
from Blockbuster or a different local video rental shop. I remember we would rent a Sega for the
weekend, and barely leave the TV, my dad hated it! But the point is, we spent a bulk of our
childhood playing these games, sitting about three feet away from the tv, totally immersed in the
two-dimensional word in front of us. A few years later my parents ended up buying us our very
own Playstation, and ever since then we have owned our own console and upgraded it every time
a new one came out. Since then, most the people I know have also had at least one, if not
numerous different brands, of game consoles in their homes. This memory got me to thinking of
the vast difference of gaming today. Not only are the platforms we use to play games on, beyond
advanced from when I played as a youth, but the games themselves are way more detailed. Better
stories, better graphics, even interactive. The possibilities to play games are almost endless. I am
talking, handheld devices, 3D games, motion sensor games, even gaming on our phones, and
computers! The youth of today are no longer limited to violet, stationary, or single player games.
With all this in mind I really wanted to dive deeper and see exactly where this gaming rampage
has started and where it will go. Today most kids are born into homes with numerous electronic
devices to entertain them on many different levels, and I want to know how this is effecting

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them. How does it affect parenting, schooling, and friendship? What about online gaming, a
brand new style of gaming that has allowed millions of people from all over the world to connect
in ways they have never been able to before. I believe with the advanced technology of today and
the fast growth at which we develop this technology, these devices that give us so much
entertainment will really change our futures, not just in gaming but in everything, and for the
better if used properly.
My first step in researching this material was to start from the beginning of video games,
and I really mean the beginning. As it turns out the very first video game was developed in 1958,