Task 2. Ahh so THATS how it started

Well here I am again. After consuming nearly and entire loaf of bread due to its sell by date and with the added mix of an energy drink keeping me alive, the fact I managed to sleep through two loud alarms still boggles my mind, I’ve decided to take my challenge on anyway!

Well the first creator of a computer game was A.S Douglas. He created his tic tac toe game as part of a human-computer interaction PHD. I believe that it wasn’t intended for the game to be a form of entertainment. It was more a testing device used to record and view human computer interaction. It just turned out that people began to enjoy the game and thus computer gaming was born through an interesting coincidence, or at least this is how I portray it in my mind.

I also believe that William Higinbotham's Tennis for Two was also not entirely a game I believe this was more of an experiment with physics, in this case gravity. I'm sure many people will disagree but something about it just doesn’t seem to scream computer game to me and it seems more like an experiment.

I think my opposition to the idea of the first computer game being tennis for two is due to my belief of computer games allowing humans to experience something they cannot currently experience in the particular day and age. That’s why I believe Spacewar! would be the first real computer game in my opinion. Of course these other two programs played a very valuable role but I believe they were of a stage that of a semi game or some sort of a cocoon state of what is now considered the meaning of a computer game.

However regardless of my own opinions all of these 'games' were produced by university students. I believe it is significant as university is a time where you receive much higher knowledge but you also get the opportunity to be creative and original. This varies from most jobs as you are either told exactly what to do or the creative side is split up into so many pieces that the level of creativity in itself is limited e.g. one person doing levels one person doing characters etc etc. This doesn’t allow a person’s entire plan to be fulfilled which could hinder progression as a species in the evolution of new technology and experiences that are just a little too out there to be taken seriously without being shown proof.

My own personal gaming history started off with my commodore 64 I cant remember what was my first game as I was too little to remember but using that console I know I played frogger and a ghostbusters game.

My gaming life really kicked off after getting a mega drive and playing sonic the hedgehog. I then moved onto the playstation where I played a game that changed my life. Final Fantasy VII not only bought what used to be one of my enemies into one of my best friends. It also hooked me to computer games for life. With its intriguing storyline, beautiful music, intense battles, decisive customisation and loveable characters Final Fantasy VII is a major pinnacle for not only my life but I have no doubt many others would agree.

I then dabbled in portable gaming with my gameboy colour and then gameboy advance, mainly playing unique games like pokemon and boktai I mainly used my portable gaming systems as an opportunity to experiment with new games ideas that were released with very mixed effects.

I now currently own a PS2 and Gamecube and I have also just begun to really get into my PC gaming. I also own a PSP and DS as it seems portable gaming is really beginning to evolve and I want front row tickets to this evolution. I'm currently playing Kingdom Hearts 2, Guild Wars and a various array of PSP games as I'm currently exploring its games available as I have only recently bought it.

I have noticed a dip in the market as new original games seem to be a bit thin on the ground, apart from Nintendo who seem to be firing out some new concept for its DS every 5 minutes. I think originality and storyline are the major factors that affect my choice in games and maybe some day in the future I will be able to make my own character and ideas into a real game and even develop my ideas more thoroughly while I'm here this is my reason for being here.