Editing Video game (section)

{{Short description|Electronic game with user interface and visual feedback}}
{{Hatnote group|{{Redirect|Video Games|other uses|Video Games (disambiguation)}}
{{Redirect|Computer game|games played on personal computers|PC game|other uses|Computer game (disambiguation)}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
[[File:Universum TV Multispiel 2006.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|[[First generation of video game consoles|First-generation]] ''[[Pong]]'' [[Video game console|console]] at the [[Computerspielemuseum Berlin]]|alt=Two children playing ''Pong'' on a television set.]]
{{Video Games|all}}

A '''video game'''{{efn|"Videogame" may also be used, though this is less frequent.}} or '''computer game'''<!--the term "computer game" to mean "video game" is common in many dialects of English, such as British--> is an [[electronic game]] that involves interaction with a [[user interface]] or [[input device]] (such as a [[joystick]], [[game controller|controller]], [[computer keyboard|keyboard]], or [[motion sensing]] device) to generate [[visual]] [[feedback]] from a [[display device]], most commonly shown in a [[video]] format on a [[television set]], [[computer monitor]], [[flat-panel display]] or [[touchscreen]] on [[handheld device]]s, or a [[virtual reality headset]]. Most modern video games are [[audiovisual]], with [[Sound|audio]] complement delivered through [[loudspeaker|speakers]] or [[headphones]], and sometimes also with other types of sensory feedback (e.g., [[haptic technology]] that provides [[Touch|tactile]] sensations). Some video games also allow [[microphone]] and [[webcam]] inputs for [[voice chat in online gaming|in-game chatting]] and [[video game livestreaming|livestreaming]].

Video games are typically categorized according to their [[hardware platform]], which traditionally includes [[arcade video game]]s, [[console game]]s, and [[PC game|computer games]] (which includes [[network game|LAN game]]s, [[online game]]s, and [[browser game]]s). More recently, the [[video game industry]] has expanded onto [[mobile gaming]] through [[mobile device]]s (such as [[smartphones]] and [[tablet computers]]), [[virtual reality|virtual]] and [[augmented reality]] systems, and remote [[cloud gaming]]. Video games are also classified into a wide range of [[video game genre|genres]] based on their style of [[gameplay]] and [[target audience]].

The first video game prototypes in the 1950s and 1960s were simple extensions of electronic games using video-like output from large, room-sized [[mainframe computers]]. The first consumer video game was the arcade video game ''[[Computer Space]]'' in 1971, which took inspiration from the earlier 1962 computer game ''[[Spacewar!]]''. In 1972 came the now-iconic video game ''[[Pong]]'' and the first [[home video game console|home console]], the [[Magnavox Odyssey]]. The industry grew quickly during the [[golden age of arcade video games|"golden age" of arcade video games]] from the late 1970s to early 1980s but suffered from the [[1983 video game crash|crash of the North American video game market in 1983]] due to loss of publishing control and saturation of the market. Following the crash, the industry matured, was dominated by Japanese companies such as [[Nintendo]], [[Sega]], and [[Sony Interactive Entertainment|Sony]], and established practices and methods around the development and distribution of video games to prevent a similar crash in the future, many of which continue to be followed. In the 2000s, the core industry centered on "[[AAA (video game industry)|AAA]]" games, leaving little room for riskier experimental games. Coupled with the availability of the [[Internet]] and [[digital distribution of video games|digital distribution]], this gave room for [[independent video game development]] (or "[[indie game]]s") to gain prominence into the 2010s. Since then, the commercial importance of the [[video game industry]] has been increasing. The emerging Asian markets and proliferation of smartphone games in particular are altering player demographics towards [[casual games|casual gaming]] and increasing [[video game monetization|monetization]] by incorporating [[games as a service]].

Today, [[video game development]] requires numerous skills, [[foresight (psychology)|vision]], [[teamwork]], and [[Collaboration|liaison]]s between different parties, including [[video game developers|developers]], [[video game publishers|publishers]], [[distribution (marketing)|distributors]], [[retailer]]s, [[Electronic hardware|hardware]] manufacturers, and other marketers, to successfully bring a game to its consumers. {{As of|2020}}, the global video game market had estimated annual revenues of {{USD|159 billion}} across hardware, software, and services, which is three times the size of the global [[music industry]] and four times that of the [[film industry]] in 2019,<ref name="vg industry size 2020">{{cite web | url = https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/05/covid-19-taking-gaming-and-esports-next-level/ | title = How COVID-19 is taking gaming and esports to the next level | publisher = [[World Economic Forum]] | date = 15 May 2020 | access-date = 5 May 2021 | first = Stefan | last = Hall | archive-date = 5 May 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210505214601/https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/05/covid-19-taking-gaming-and-esports-next-level/ | url-status = live }}</ref> making it a formidable heavyweight across the modern [[entertainment industry]]. The video game market is also a major influence behind the [[electronics industry]], where [[personal computer]] component, console, and peripheral sales, as well as consumer demands for better game performance, have been powerful driving factors for hardware design and innovation.