Digital Games: Computers At Play (the Digital World)

Digital games ComPuteRs at Play The Digital World Digital Communications Digital Games Digital Music Digital Research Digital Security Digital Video Digital games ComPuteRs at Play ANANDA MITRA, PH.D. DIGITAL GAMES: Computers at Play Copyright © 2010 by Infobase Publishing All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, contact: Chelsea House An imprint of Infobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Mitra, Ananda. â•… Digital games : computers at play / Ananda Mitra. â•…â•… p. cm. — (The digital world) â•… Includes bibliographical references and index. â•… ISBN 978-0-8160-6786-2 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-4381-3362-1 (e-book) â•… 1.╇ Computer games.â•… I.╇ Title.â•… II.╇ Series. â•… GV1469.15.M57â•… 2010 â•… 794.8—dc22  2009052513 Chelsea House books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755. You can find Chelsea House on the World Wide Web at http://www.chelseahouse.com Text design by Annie O’Connell Cover design by Keith Trego Composition by Newgen Cover printed by Bang Printing, Brainerd, MN Book printed and bound by Bang Printing, Brainerd, MN Date printed: June 2010 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on acid-free paper. All links and Web addresses were checked and verified to be correct at the time of publication. Because of the dynamic nature of the Web, some addresses and links may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. Digital_Games_FNL.indd 4 6/25/10 10:02:44 AM Contents Preface 7 Acknowledgments 9 1 Making Computer Games 2 Single-player Games 3 Multiplayer Games 4 Gaming Computers 5 Marketing Games 6 Games and Society 7 The Future of Digital Games 11 27 40 53 70 85 96 Chronology 100 Glossary 107 Bibliography 113 Further Resources 117 Picture Credits 121 Index 122 About the Author 126 Preface T hese days, it is not unusual for 10- to 12-year-olds to be publishing their own Web sites or for second and third graders to begin computer classes. At the same time, computer games are becoming increasingly popular as major publishing houses continue to churn out educational computer programs for children in preschool. At the other end of the spectrum, technological knowhow has become a requirement for most jobs in an increasingly digital world, as the computer has become a common tool in most professions. Even the often-mentioned “digital divide” between those who have access to computers and those who do not is being bridged with the development of tools such as the XD computer designed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Laboratory and the availability of computers at libraries and schools. As people become more reliant on digital devices to perform everyday tasks, these modern conveniences become commonplace. Even though there are many different kinds of computers available for everyday use—ranging from gadgets like the BlackBerry to specially made computers for playing computer games—all the machines operate on the fundamental system of ones and zeros called binary, invented in the seventeeth century. Although it might appear th