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Game On!


In the early to mid 1980s, the electronics market was taken by storm when popular Arcade games were taken to the small screen and made available to play at home. Atari launched Space Invaders on its TV games console, and Nintendo created its iconic handheld game Mario Brothers in what we then thought was state of the art technology. Little did we realise what sophisticated play lay ahead as technology developed and the gaming market expanded.


Over the years, big names have come and gone as market leaders have fought it out to claim the top spot, so that supremacy in the games console market can now be claimed by just two brands – Sony with its PlayStation and Microsoft with its X-box, with the Nintendo Wii trailing in third place. The keenest users are as passionate about their choice of gaming equipment as fans are about the football team they support. It’s known as Console Wars – the battle to establish gaming supremacy.


To the unbiased onlooker, they each have their merits. With the new generation of consoles launched in November 2013, the X-box One sees a shift in direction to an all singing, all dancing media hub, off ering the ability to view live TV, watch DVDs and stream videos via the Internet (for a price). As well as the facility for live picture chat similar to Skype, it also boasts built in software (called Kinect)


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which allows you to issue voice commands, which it obeys.


In contrast, Sony has opted to keep it simple with the PlayStation One. First and foremost it is designed to play video games, although it does include free access to the Internet to watch videos, and it also comes with a handheld controller known as the Vita which allows you to continue with play whilst checking out what’s on TV.


Fought with equal passion is the battle between console users and computer gamers about which platform off ers the best gaming experience. PC enthusiasts claim membership of the PC Master Race, based primarily on their machines’ augmented graphical power brought about by upgrades or additions to the original hardware.


Though the wars and battles amongst console users and PC players continue in real life as well as on screen, the question about where it’s all heading remains. Mobile gaming on tablets and phones can be just as immersive and fun – and these units are much more portable. In addition, low-priced apps are more attractive than expensive games which become obsolete with the launch of each new generation.


Yes, the computer gaming market has come a long way since its explosion in the 1980s, and something tells me it has much further still to go!


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