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Personal computers have gained popularity in the 1970's when IBM dominated the market. PCs were mostly for business work, such as authoring documents. By 1977, the personal computer market boomed and in the '80s, there were all sorts of PC manufacturers and models. Popular computer companies included IBM, Apple, Atari, Commodore, and Amiga . What helped increase the popularity of the personal computer was the growing popularity of video games. Using a computer, one could program your own games. In fact, Apple founder Steve Jobs helped Atari create Breakout. With both computers and electronic gaming growing in popularity, a new age in technology was born.
Before operating systems, one had to learn complex coding in order to get something to work. With the creation of operating systems, computers became more accessible to the public.
Windows was originally an extension to Microsoft's own coding system MS-DOS back in 1985. With Windows, people could easily browse through their files and do other simple functions much more quickly. Windows has grown in popularity and become the most popular OS in the world, having the support of PC makers like Dell, Gateway, and HP. Windows has gone through many iterations, starting with the MS-DOS days having Windows versions 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, and 3.11. Then came the Windows 9x operating systems including Windows 95, 98, and ME. Finally came the current Microsoft system, Windows NT, which lead to the creation of NT 3.0-4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista. Windows 7 is scheduled for release on October 22 of 2009.
The preferred platform for modern PC games is a Windows PC running either Windows XP or Vista. Windows XP does not support DirectX 10 but does not suffer from incompatibilities with older games like Vista may. Vista has the advantage of DirectX 10 and some exclusive games tied to the OS such as Halo 2.
Windows 7 will provide gamers with an improved games browser that notifes the user of patches and updates for the games as they become available. Because of boast of Windows 7's lack of resource hogging and its priority of being developed as a very light and resource independent version of Windows, Many expect Windows 7 to be the best gaming platform for the PC with high expectations for performance boost along with the awaited implementation of DirectX11 that is expected to add a new level of fidelity to games. Games that will support DirectX11 at launch will be Dirt2 and S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Call of Pripyat.
In 1977, Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs made the Apple 1, Apple's first computer. They later gained popularity with the Apple II. In 1984, Apple released the Macintosh, which was the first Apple computer to have an operating system. The Mac OS lineup was born. Later, Apple switched to Unix-like coding, creating the Mac OS X lineup, which is still used in the new Apple computer lineup today.
The main issue with gaming on a Mac OS is that almost all earlier Mac PCs were not compatible with Windows based video games. More recently however with the creation of applications such as boot camp and parallels more games are able to be run. The development of Intel based Macs also helps reduce this barrier by lifting some of the hardware restrictions.
Linux is a Unix-based OS. Unlike Windows and Mac OS, which require specific hardware for the OS to work properly, Linux is a software-based OS, which can be installed on a variety of devices. Linux comes in various distributions, or "distros", such as Ubuntu or Gentoo. Being an open source OS, the Linux community actively develops open source software, including games, for the Linux platform. You can get many Windows applications to work on Linux using specific Windows coding software for Linux (such as WINE) but it is generally not a preferable way of playing Windows games. Furthermore, WINE is not compatible with PowerPC's including PS3s with Linux installed. A popular option for overcoming Windows compatibility issues is to multi-boot the Linux distro with a version of Windows so that both operating systems are installed on the same PC at once and the user can switch between them.
Components of a PC
There are many replaceable parts in a PC, which is a main aspect separating them from consoles. PCs must be upgraded and maintained as time passes to keep up with the latest games, and a user's configuration will affect which games they can play. The main parts of a computer are as follows:
A primary issue with PC gaming is the barrier to entry due to cost. A modern computer can cost upwards of a $1,000 which is many times what a game console may cost, and if one is having a PC built by a company it can cost much more. Computer components in general need to be upgraded roughly every 2-3 years to keep up with the modern demands of games. The cost of maintaining a high-end system is comparable to owning the popular consoles of a generation of gaming.
Unlike their console equivalents most PC games have the ability to vary the graphical settings. This feature is inherent to PCs as few systems bear the same hardware and so the user must tailor the game's settings for optimal performance and visual quality. With modern hardware PC's can often surpass their console counterparts in terms of technical graphics. Recent titles offer the option to set the ideal configuration of a game automatically. Such settings include:
Computers first featured simple titles similar to SpaceWar! or simple text-input games such as Adventure but have since evolved to become the leading platform for cutting-edge game development due to their seemingly limitless potential. Old computers such as the Commodore 64 featured a built-in controller port for C64 controllers as well as Atari 2600 and other controllers. Many games supported both keyboard and joystick input. Since mice have become standard, they have become the preferable method of input for many games, with various manufacturers branding mice specifically for gaming. Joysticks are still widely used via USB. Early games were simply saved onto discs by a publisher or even the programmer themselves. These discs were sold in Ziploc bags and Vinyl slips; they generally had a bland manual and had no where near the shelf-presentation of a modern game. Modern games are distributed mainly on optical discs in hard plastic cases or cardboard boxes. There has been a large surge in digital distribution as well.
In the early days of computer gaming, most games were developed by a single programmer and were simple clones of arcade games or text adventures. PC gaming has since evolved to encompass a wide variety of genres, some faring better than others. The most popular genres that have evolved on the platform are the cRPG (Computer Role Playing Game), RTS (Real Time Strategy), and FPS ( First Person Shooter). CRPGs were largely inspired by pen and paper role playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons. The genre spans early, ASCII adventures such as Rouge, action RPGs such as Diablo, and Massively Multiplayer RPGs such as World of Warcraft. Freedom is a main element that has evolved with cRPGs. The earlier games were more linear in their approach, sometimes even approaching level design from a distinct "stages" standpoint. CRPGs evolved to have 3D dungeons, real time combat, and huge multiplayer, non-linear worlds. Real Time Strategy games, such as Starcraft and Command & Conquer, is a genre firmly rooted at the heart of PC gaming. The genre requires fast-paced clicking using a mouse, making implementation on consoles very difficult. The genre has certainly seen evolution, but the premise of collecting resources, spawning an army, and sending it into battle has remained relatively constant throughout RTS history. The third, and arguabley most popular PC genre is the FPS. Starting with iD Software's Wolfenstein 3D, the genre exploded into popularity (First using the mouse to look in Duke Nukem 3D). It's a genre that has been ported to consoles, but still controls better on PC due to quick, precise aiming with mice. Landmark FPS games include Doom, Quake, Counter-Strike, and Half-Life.
The PC game industry has seen a steady push towards consoles for many years now, due to low sales numbers. These sales are likely due to rampant piracy as well as the cost of upgrading one's system. The PC industry is largely kept alive by the convenience of having many games at ones fingertips on a PC as well as the superiority of certain genres on the platform.
The PC is a high-end, upgradable gaming platform that sports the widest variety of control methods, the largest library of games, and cutting edge graphics.
The personal computer is a machine that billions of people around the world use. The PC is the oldest gaming platform still in use today, having an established library of thousands of games.History
Personal computers have gained popularity in the 1970's when IBM dominated the market. PCs were mostly for business work, such as authoring documents. By 1977, the personal computer market boomed and in the '80s, there were all sorts of PC manufacturers and models. Popular computer companies included IBM, Apple, Atari, Commodore, and Amiga . What helped increase the popularity of the personal computer was the growing popularity of video games. Using a computer, one could program your own games. In fact, Apple founder Steve Jobs helped Atari create Breakout. With both computers and electronic gaming growing in popularity, a new age in technology was born.
Operating systems
Before operating systems, one had to learn complex coding in order to get something to work. With the creation of operating systems, computers became more accessible to the public.
Microsoft Windows
Windows was originally an extension to Microsoft's own coding system MS-DOS back in 1985. With Windows, people could easily browse through their files and do other simple functions much more quickly. Windows has grown in popularity and become the most popular OS in the world, having the support of PC makers like Dell, Gateway, and HP. Windows has gone through many iterations, starting with the MS-DOS days having Windows versions 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, and 3.11. Then came the Windows 9x operating systems including Windows 95, 98, and ME. Finally came the current Microsoft system, Windows NT, which lead to the creation of NT 3.0-4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista. Windows 7 is scheduled for release on October 22 of 2009.
The preferred platform for modern PC games is a Windows PC running either Windows XP or Vista. Windows XP does not support DirectX 10 but does not suffer from incompatibilities with older games like Vista may. Vista has the advantage of DirectX 10 and some exclusive games tied to the OS such as Halo 2.
Windows 7 will provide gamers with an improved games browser that notifes the user of patches and updates for the games as they become available. Because of boast of Windows 7's lack of resource hogging and its priority of being developed as a very light and resource independent version of Windows, Many expect Windows 7 to be the best gaming platform for the PC with high expectations for performance boost along with the awaited implementation of DirectX11 that is expected to add a new level of fidelity to games. Games that will support DirectX11 at launch will be Dirt2 and S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Call of Pripyat.
Mac OS
In 1977, Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs made the Apple 1, Apple's first computer. They later gained popularity with the Apple II. In 1984, Apple released the Macintosh, which was the first Apple computer to have an operating system. The Mac OS lineup was born. Later, Apple switched to Unix-like coding, creating the Mac OS X lineup, which is still used in the new Apple computer lineup today.
The main issue with gaming on a Mac OS is that almost all earlier Mac PCs were not compatible with Windows based video games. More recently however with the creation of applications such as boot camp and parallels more games are able to be run. The development of Intel based Macs also helps reduce this barrier by lifting some of the hardware restrictions.
Linux
Linux is a Unix-based OS. Unlike Windows and Mac OS, which require specific hardware for the OS to work properly, Linux is a software-based OS, which can be installed on a variety of devices. Linux comes in various distributions, or "distros", such as Ubuntu or Gentoo. Being an open source OS, the Linux community actively develops open source software, including games, for the Linux platform. You can get many Windows applications to work on Linux using specific Windows coding software for Linux (such as WINE) but it is generally not a preferable way of playing Windows games. Furthermore, WINE is not compatible with PowerPC's including PS3s with Linux installed. A popular option for overcoming Windows compatibility issues is to multi-boot the Linux distro with a version of Windows so that both operating systems are installed on the same PC at once and the user can switch between them.
Components of a PC
There are many replaceable parts in a PC, which is a main aspect separating them from consoles. PCs must be upgraded and maintained as time passes to keep up with the latest games, and a user's configuration will affect which games they can play. The main parts of a computer are as follows:
- CPU (Central Processing Unit) - The processing unit that executes operations in a computer. It consists of an integrated circuit built of many transistors that runs on binary code. The CPU communicates with the rest of the computer through the Northbridge via a front side bus. Most high end processors are 64-bit and have several cores which is known as parallel processing. The CPU creates a lot of heat and as a result requires its own dedicated heatsink or waterblock even on a low end computer.
- GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) - The dedicated graphics rendering device. Very important for games. The GPU generally has its own circuit board which is slotted into the motherboard, the processing unit its self is also made up of many transistors and is heavily based on parallel processing. The GPU also uses its own dedicated RAM for storing texture data to be processed. Current generation GPUs are capable of rendering shader model 4.1 processes as part of the DirectX 11 package.
- Motherboard - The main circuit board in a PC that all the components connect to. Its through this board that all other components may communicate between each other and is run by a set of North and South bridge chipsets.
- RAM (Random Access Memory) - Volatile dynamic memory of a system. Data can be temporarily loaded here to be accessed much faster than from the hard drive or even a solid state drive so not to slow the calculations made by the CPU. Current standard is DDR3 and DDR2
- PSU (Power Supply Unit) - Supplies power to the PC. Needs to have a high enough wattage to power the system under high load.
- HDD (Hard Disk Drive) - The main storage device of a PC.
- Sound Card - An expansion card that processes audio on a separate chip.
- ODD (Optical Disk Drive) - The peripheral device that reads optical discs such as DVDs, BDs, and CDs.
- Case - Houses the components.
- Monitor - The visual display unit of a computer.
- Input Devices - Mouse, keyboard, microphone, etc.
- Cooling - Commonly either water or air based. With standard cooling devices the lowest possible temperature is the ambient temperature, that of the room the system resides in. To further lower the temperature elaborate devices such as Peltier coolers, liquid gases or phase cooling need to be installed, though this is best left to the extreme enthusiast due to the risk of most of these options.
A primary issue with PC gaming is the barrier to entry due to cost. A modern computer can cost upwards of a $1,000 which is many times what a game console may cost, and if one is having a PC built by a company it can cost much more. Computer components in general need to be upgraded roughly every 2-3 years to keep up with the modern demands of games. The cost of maintaining a high-end system is comparable to owning the popular consoles of a generation of gaming.
Graphic Settings
Unlike their console equivalents most PC games have the ability to vary the graphical settings. This feature is inherent to PCs as few systems bear the same hardware and so the user must tailor the game's settings for optimal performance and visual quality. With modern hardware PC's can often surpass their console counterparts in terms of technical graphics. Recent titles offer the option to set the ideal configuration of a game automatically. Such settings include:
- Resolution - The number of pixels along the x and y axes to which the game will render.
- Anti-Aliasing - Raises the quality of the edges of polygon based models using smoothing algorithms.
- Anisotropic Filtering - Raises the quality of textures viewed from obtuse angles.
- Texture Quality - General resolution of the paint scheme of each model.
- Model Quality - General number of polygons used for each model.
- High Dynamic Range lighting - Allows for dynamic tone mapping in games.
- Shader Model - Technology a game can use to render advanced visual effects.
- Vsync - Reduces an artifact known as tearing by synchronising the frame rate and refresh rate of the monitor.
Game lineup
Computers first featured simple titles similar to SpaceWar! or simple text-input games such as Adventure but have since evolved to become the leading platform for cutting-edge game development due to their seemingly limitless potential. Old computers such as the Commodore 64 featured a built-in controller port for C64 controllers as well as Atari 2600 and other controllers. Many games supported both keyboard and joystick input. Since mice have become standard, they have become the preferable method of input for many games, with various manufacturers branding mice specifically for gaming. Joysticks are still widely used via USB. Early games were simply saved onto discs by a publisher or even the programmer themselves. These discs were sold in Ziploc bags and Vinyl slips; they generally had a bland manual and had no where near the shelf-presentation of a modern game. Modern games are distributed mainly on optical discs in hard plastic cases or cardboard boxes. There has been a large surge in digital distribution as well.
In the early days of computer gaming, most games were developed by a single programmer and were simple clones of arcade games or text adventures. PC gaming has since evolved to encompass a wide variety of genres, some faring better than others. The most popular genres that have evolved on the platform are the cRPG (Computer Role Playing Game), RTS (Real Time Strategy), and FPS ( First Person Shooter). CRPGs were largely inspired by pen and paper role playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons. The genre spans early, ASCII adventures such as Rouge, action RPGs such as Diablo, and Massively Multiplayer RPGs such as World of Warcraft. Freedom is a main element that has evolved with cRPGs. The earlier games were more linear in their approach, sometimes even approaching level design from a distinct "stages" standpoint. CRPGs evolved to have 3D dungeons, real time combat, and huge multiplayer, non-linear worlds. Real Time Strategy games, such as Starcraft and Command & Conquer, is a genre firmly rooted at the heart of PC gaming. The genre requires fast-paced clicking using a mouse, making implementation on consoles very difficult. The genre has certainly seen evolution, but the premise of collecting resources, spawning an army, and sending it into battle has remained relatively constant throughout RTS history. The third, and arguabley most popular PC genre is the FPS. Starting with iD Software's Wolfenstein 3D, the genre exploded into popularity (First using the mouse to look in Duke Nukem 3D). It's a genre that has been ported to consoles, but still controls better on PC due to quick, precise aiming with mice. Landmark FPS games include Doom, Quake, Counter-Strike, and Half-Life.
The PC game industry has seen a steady push towards consoles for many years now, due to low sales numbers. These sales are likely due to rampant piracy as well as the cost of upgrading one's system. The PC industry is largely kept alive by the convenience of having many games at ones fingertips on a PC as well as the superiority of certain genres on the platform.
PC games
Edit
| Platform Name: | PC |
| Release Date: | June 8, 1977 |
| Online Support: | True |
| Install Base: | 76,000,000 |
| Original Price: | $0 |
| Producing Company: | |
| Total Games: | games |
My gaming platforms.
a list of 7 items by Aaron
a list of 7 items by Aaron
Consoles
a list of 8 items by G0rd0nFr33m4n
a list of 8 items by G0rd0nFr33m4n
My Video Game Hardware
a list of 14 items by n1Nj4d00m
a list of 14 items by n1Nj4d00m
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