The PC games market was worth approximately $ 28 billion in 2018. It is estimated that there are about 2.5 billion players all over the world. Only Fortnite, the popular Battle Royale game, has more than 250 million registered users. We have been playing games on our computers for almost 70 years, and PC gamers represent one of the largest consumer communities in the world. So how did we get to this point? How did computer games come about? And when did innovative technologies to play free slots online appear? Let's take a trip to the past and take a look at the history of computer games, then return to the present time step by step.
It All Started in 1961
There is no consensus on what the first video game was. Some researchers think this is “Bertie the Brain”, published in 1959 by Josef Kates. However, most historians say that the 1961 game “Spacewar” was the first computer game in history. In this game developed by MIT students, there were two spaceships, and two players were trying to destroy each other's ships. Therefore, we can say that the first computer game in history was also a multiplayer game.
Widely used at that time, PDP 11 mini computers were devices on which many text-based games were developed. So they didn't have graphics and looked more like an interactive novel. Simple graphics appeared in the 80s and were first used in role-playing games such as “The Bard's Tale” and “Pool of Radiance”. The Atari console, which emerged during this period, made it possible for the games to both increase in number and offer different features. This is how platform games like “Frogger” and arcade games like “Space Invaders” came about. In other words, computer games ceased to be role-playing simulations that only appeal to geeks, and turned into products that can be used for family fun.
The Introduction of Personal Computers
Until the first IBM personal computer was released in 1981, games were limited to consoles only. This was natural because computers were huge things that were only used by companies at that time. However, IBM managed to market them as a “home device” and made them very simple to use with an operating system called “Windows”. (Yes, that Windows.) IBM also understood that games would play an important role in the proliferation of these devices, so that same year Microsoft offered a game called “Flight Simulator”. Suddenly, anyone using IBM personal computers started playing this game, and the device hit incredible sales figures.
During this period, VGA color graphics were also used in computer games, and this was a revolution at that time. “King’s Quest” reached huge sales figures as one of the first games to use VGA color graphics and played using a mouse. Since it was the device that could provide the highest quality graphics at that time, players started to leave the Amiga platform and switch to the PC platform. In 1989, Creative Labs developed the "Sound Blaster" sound card, allowing games to offer more than simple sound effects. In 1991, a company called ID Software developed a game called “Wolfenstein 3D” using 3D polygonal graphics, making personal computers the most popular gaming device in the world. If you are an old-timer, you can easily remember the times where literally everybody played the “shareware” version of this game.
The Success of 3D Graphics
3D graphics, once used, have become an industry standard. Microsoft developed a graphics library called “DirectX” to support them, and the graphics quality started to improve with every game released. In the late 90s, graphics engines such as Unreal and idTech were used in dozens of games, and GPU technologies were evolving to adapt to them. Even GPU manufacturers such as NVIDIA used games in their advertisements and claimed higher-quality graphics would be obtained with their cards. Not only the games but also the hardware were improving, and the quality of the resulting graphics became more and more realistic. You can enjoy the graphics as well in free Golden Goddess slot.
Since the 2000s, additional hardware such as PPUs (physics processing units) has been used, which has increased the quality and realism of the animations. NVIDIA has surpassed its closest competitor ATI by incorporating this technology (PhysX) into its cards and achieved leadership in the GPU market. You know the rest of the story: Today, computer games are extremely realistic thanks to innovative technologies and continue to evolve with each new game. There is no doubt that the PC gaming industry will continue to grow and use innovative technologies.
