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A video game is an interactive digital entertainment medium where players engage with a virtual environment displayed on a screen. Originating in the 1940s and 1950s, video games have evolved through various platforms, including arcade machines, home consoles, personal computers (PCs), mobile devices, and virtual reality[2] systems. They constitute a significant sector in the global market, influencing electronics design and innovation. Video game development is a complex process involving teamwork across various disciplines and collaboration among developers, publishers, distributors, and retailers. These games span different genres and styles, catering to a diverse audience. They also play a role in education, offering a unique learning environment[1] and presenting historical content in an interactive manner. Despite their entertainment purpose, video games sometimes stir debates about their definition and boundaries.

Terms definitions
1. ↑ learning environment. A learning environment refers to the diverse physical locations, contexts, and cultures in which students learn. It can range from a traditional classroom setup to an online virtual space, and can be influenced by a variety of factors, including societal culture and pedagogical methods. The history of learning environments traces back to the ancient times, with concepts like the Japanese gakuen, or "learning garden," and the Greek scholē, initially meaning "leisure." Operational characteristics of learning environments include the types of schools, structure, staffing, and curriculum. Societal influences can shape educational support, facilities, and the attraction of high-quality educators. Pedagogy and learning styles in education, including progressive and constructivist models, are vital components of learning environments. Lastly, approaches to learning, such as active and passive learning, play a crucial role in the effectiveness and evolution of learning environments.
2. ↑ virtual reality. Virtual reality, often abbreviated as VR, is a technology that simulates a user's physical presence in a digital environment. Originating as a term in the mid-1400s, the concept of VR has evolved significantly, with notable milestones including the development of the first head-mounted display and the Sensorama. Technological advancements over time have allowed VR to expand from medical and military applications to consumer use. Today, VR is widely employed across multiple industries such as healthcare, architecture, education, and entertainment. Despite facing challenges such as the closure of research labs and hardware development struggles, the field has seen significant innovations. Key aspects in VR technology include display resolution, image latency, and field of view, all crucial in creating immersive experiences. Various tools and technologies, like Virtual Reality Modelling Language (VRML), WebVR, and photogrammetry, are used to develop VR experiences. Hardware considerations for VR production often involve high frame rates, smartphone-based displays, and omnidirectional cameras.
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Video game (Wikipedia)

"Video Games" redirects here. For other uses, see Video Games (disambiguation).
"Computer game" redirects here. For PC games, see PC game. For other uses, see Computer game (disambiguation).

A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual feedback from a display device, most commonly shown in a video format on a television set, computer monitor, flat-panel display or touchscreen on handheld devices, or a virtual reality headset. Most modern video games are audiovisual, with audio complement delivered through speakers or headphones, and sometimes also with other types of sensory feedback (e.g., haptic technology that provides tactile sensations). Some video games also allow microphone and webcam inputs for in-game chatting and livestreaming.

Two children playing Pong on a television set.
First-generation Pong console at the Computerspielemuseum Berlin

Video games are typically categorized according to their hardware platform, which traditionally includes arcade video games, console games, and computer (PC) games; the latter also encompasses LAN games, online games, and browser games. More recently, the video game industry has expanded onto mobile gaming through mobile devices (such as smartphones and tablet computers), virtual and augmented reality systems, and remote cloud gaming. Video games are also classified into a wide range of genres based on their style of gameplay and target audience.

The first video game prototypes in the 1950s and 1960s were simple extensions of electronic games using video-like output from large, room-sized mainframe computers. The first consumer video game was the arcade video game Computer Space in 1971. In 1972 came the iconic hit game Pong and the first home console, the Magnavox Odyssey. The industry grew quickly during the "golden age" of arcade video games from the late 1970s to early 1980s but suffered from the crash of the North American video game market in 1983 due to loss of publishing control and saturation of the market. Following the crash, the industry matured, was dominated by Japanese companies such as Nintendo, Sega, and Sony, and established practices and methods around the development and distribution of video games to prevent a similar crash in the future, many of which continue to be followed. In the 2000s, the core industry centered on "AAA" games, leaving little room for riskier experimental games. Coupled with the availability of the Internet and digital distribution, this gave room for independent video game development (or "indie games") to gain prominence into the 2010s. Since then, the commercial importance of the video game industry has been increasing. The emerging Asian markets and proliferation of smartphone games in particular are altering player demographics towards casual gaming and increasing monetization by incorporating games as a service.

Today, video game development requires numerous interdisciplinary skills, vision, teamwork, and liaisons between different parties, including developers, publishers, distributors, retailers, hardware manufacturers, and other marketers, to successfully bring a game to its consumers. As of 2020, the global video game market had estimated annual revenues of US$159 billion across hardware, software, and services, which is three times the size of the global music industry and four times that of the film industry in 2019, making it a formidable heavyweight across the modern entertainment industry. The video game market is also a major influence behind the electronics industry, where personal computer component, console, and peripheral sales, as well as consumer demands for better game performance, have been powerful driving factors for hardware design and innovation.


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