9781422270981

1 Chapter

What Is Video Game Addiction? What Are Computer Games? Computer games are interactive forms of entertainment that are played on video game consoles, computers, arcade consoles, and smartphones and other mobile computing devices. Games can be played by connecting a cartridge to a game console, by downloading software onto a digital device, by playing on social media sites such as Facebook, by playing games that have been inserted into a game console at the factory, by using virtual reality or augmented reality devices, or by visiting gaming websites. Some games are free, while others require a fee to play (or to purchase special weapons, protective gear, or other resources that provide a benefit during game play). There are many game genres (or types) such as adventure, role playing, strategy, sports, and fighting. Hybrid games incorporate two or more game genres. There are games for single players, small groups of gamers, and many players. In fact, massively multiplayer online games feature up to hundreds of thousands of people playing the same game over the Internet at the same time. Video Game Statistics The first video games were developed in the 1960s and 1970s, but the format we know today became popular in the last two decades or so.

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