Unit 36 Gaming platforms and technologies: The features,advantages and disadvantages of platforms

The features of gaming platforms

Arcade
Features:
arcade gaming is part of what started the era of gaming, mass popularity in games and the consumerism involved. In 1970's - 1980's the golden age of arcade gaming started and video games where features on arcade machines in almost every public place such as cafe's. It introduced fairly good graphics and sounds quality in games which was a massive leap and what caused it to become so popular, the catchy theme tunes and emphasis on gameplay is what continues to be a selling point for games even today. the best sellers of arcade gaming like Pac-man Mario and space invaders continue to be some of the highest selling games (but on different platforms) today.

has a coin slot that you must insert money into to play a the game.
typically use joysticks.
several different types of arcade games such as racing and shooter in arcade centres.
wide range of controllers, such as reloadable guns, foot pedals, and motorbikes you can climb on and steer
first type of mainstream gaming
typically 8 bit display in classic arcade games such as space invaders and pacman

advantages:

Cost effective to make, and eventually make the money it cost to buy/make them in the first place.
introduced some of the first types of technology and concepts in gaming still used today.

Disadvantages:

Takes money to play.
the longer you play the more money it costs.
not as popular as it used to be, and its business rises and falls with the seasons as apposed to being popular all year round, tends to be more popular in summer

Console
Features:
There are 8 generations to consoles, console gaming platforms were first introduced in the "Magnavox odyssey" which features the retro arcade game pong and 11 other games some which could be played with a laser gun controller, however the Magnavox was low in sales due to poor advertisement by Magnavox retailers , there was no pre-release shows or gaming conventions when the Magnavox was first introduced, however it is closely related to the golden age of arcade gaming as many over the games where copies of the arcade machine games.
console gaming is one of the biggest markets and cultures in gaming today, events like E3 and gamescon are hosted every year where gamers from all over the globe gather to celebrate console games old and new and to experience new releases and consoles. The market for 8th generation consoles (the most recent generation) is one of the most competitive markets there's been, launch parties are held for new consoles like the ps4 or xbox1 as to show off the new developments and try to dominate the gaming market. There are also new features on the wii U console, and the ps4

most mainstream consoles have an online marketplace to buy games.
usually backwards compatible with old disc formats from previous generations of consoles
new game releases are usually made in the most popular console format
wide range of games for all consoles
can play games from the comfort of your home

Advantages:

A lot of mainstream consoles have online marketplaces to buy games from if you cant get to a store
popular all year round as apposed to platforms such as arcade
for a reasonable fee most consoles have online play via internet servers.

Disadvantages:

mainstream consoles can be expensive, newly released consoles can cost up to or more a couple 100 pounds
as it is the most popular platform with the most features it can make people lazy in terms of other responsibilities.
can be costly to keep up with new game releases for each platform

PC
Features:
PC gaming is a very diverse platform, it was one of the first platforms to be introduced and because you can install drivers and emulators (normally through Torrenting) you can play a wide range of games from different formats/platforms depending on the power of your computer. Gamers can also buy a tower case and then buy gaming hardware from websites and build their own gaming computer, although gaming computers can be bought already built and specifically design for gaming like "alienware". There is also the feature of multitasking as with all computers, you can use task manager to browse the web, play music, watch a film and/or play games simultaneously (if you want to). This said, gaming computers normally have slightly different hardware to standard PC's with improved heat management, graphics cards, generally better RAM space and memory space for games that need more space to run.

free online gaming
streaming
compatible with various console controllers
emulators for old consoles like Nintendo 64 and Gameboys.
can be customised for gaming with graphics cards etc.

Advantages:

online marketplaces such as steam with accounts that can be accessed on consoles
can be played on indoors with commuting like consoles
compatible with many different game formats such as PS1, PS2, Nintendo 64, game cube, Nintendo ds, Gameboys etc.
can surf the web and do other things whilst gaming

Disadvtanges:

Performance of PC games depend on the PC itself, gameplay can be slow and laggy
streaming can lead to viruses for inexperienced people
gaming computers can be expensive
tend to break and have problems more than consoles

Mobile
Features
The earliest development in mobile gaming was the game "snake" which you could play on the earliest mobile phones which was a simple game with 8 bit graphics easy controls and high addictiveness. this lead to the mobile gaming industry based around the idea of gaming and playing simple addicting games in public places and on devices that can be carried around with you. Although mobile gaming has come a long way since the most popular amongst industries being apple products.
The most obvious feature of Mobile platforms in terms of games is that they are portable and can be carried around and played anywhere which can be useful when your on public transport or in a waiting room somewhere and have some time to kill. Also a lot of business and restaurant's offer free Wi-Fi so you can multitask browsing the web and playing games, whilst also staying connected to friends, also due to the fact a lot of apps and games are connected to the internet or require internet to play they feature servers where you can play with other people online.

can play games in public areas or whilst traveling
can surf the web whilst playing games and multitask
modern OS systems have features such as TV catch up
controls consist of touchscreen, certain buttons on the pad and tilting the device
can have apps active at the same time, multitasking

Advantages:

a lot of mobile platform games are free
can keep you occupied for hours and is usable of public transport.
games that need internet can be played in cafe's where there is normally free wifi

Disadvantages:

although a lot of mobile games are free there are is level progression and power ups for difficult levels that cost money that people can end up paying a lot of money on over time
modern phones can easily be broken and have cracked screens
games normally aren't as detailed an as in depth as console games

Features:
One of the first example of TV as a gaming platform is the red button choice for voting for a contestant on the TV show POP IDOL.
As television is watched and used by ages from around 3-90 and even over, it is the most age friendly platform there is, although most games are children's learning games from channels like BBC, TV also features puzzle games that are fun for all ages to play. in terms of advancing in technology, television also features rewinding live television, apps like Netflix that allow you to find any film or show for a certain amount of money a month, recording live television shows to watch later.