Editing Video game (section)

==Components==
[[File:Arcade Sugoi Malmi Helsinki.jpg|right|thumb|[[Arcade video game]] machines at the Sugoi arcade game hall in [[Malmi, Helsinki]], Finland]]
To distinguish from electronic games, a video game is generally considered to require a platform, the hardware which contains computing elements, to process player interaction from some type of input device and displays the results to a video output display.<ref name="eu game industry"/>

===Platform===
{{More citations needed|section|date=November 2022}}[[File:Consoles-computerspielemuseum.jpg|right|thumb|Various gaming consoles at the [[Computerspielemuseum Berlin|Computer Games Museum]] in Berlin]]
Video games require a platform, a specific combination of [[electronic component]]s or [[computer hardware]] and associated [[operating system|software]], to operate.<ref name="platformdef">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Platform |dictionary=[[Dictionary.com]] |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/platform |access-date=3 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071107070648/http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/platform |archive-date=7 November 2007 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref> The term system is also commonly used. These platforms may include multiple brandsheld by [[platform holder]]s, such as Nintendo or Sony, seeking to gain larger market shares.<ref>{{cite web |title=The future for platform holders is cooperation, not just competition / Opinion |date=23 August 2019 |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/the-future-for-platform-holders-is-cooperation-not-just-competition-opinion |access-date=18 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Platform holders and indies: Handy tips from the developers |date=25 July 2013 |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/platform-holders-and-indies-handy-tips-from-developers |access-date=18 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Platform Holders |url=https://flylib.com/books/en/2.594.1.28/1/ |access-date=18 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Game development for console platforms |url=https://unity.com/solutions/console |quote=New to console video game development? Start with resources to help you gain approval with platform holders and get started on developing your game.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Technical Requirements Checklist |url=https://research.ncl.ac.uk/game/mastersdegree/workshops/technicalrequirementschecklists/Technical%20Requirements%20Checklist%20Workshop.pdf |access-date=18 March 2024}}</ref> Games are typically designed to be played on one or a limited number of platforms, and exclusivity to a platform or brand is used by platform holders as a competitive edge in the video game market.<ref>{{cite book | title = Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage: Concepts and Cases | editor-first1=Arthur | editor-last1= Thompson |editor-first2=A. J. | editor-last2 = Strickland III | editor-first3 = John | editor-last3 = Gamble | chapter = Competition in Video Game Consoles: Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo Battle for Supremacy | first = John |last =Gamble | pages = C-198-C211 | isbn = 978-0073381244 |year = 2007 | publisher = [[McGraw-Hill]] }}</ref> However, games may be developed for alternative platforms than intended, which are described as [[Port (video gaming)|ports]] or conversions. These also may be remasters - where most of the original game's source code is reused and art assets, models, and game levels are updated for modern systems – and remakes, where in addition to asset improvements, significant reworking of the original game and possibly from scratch is performed.<ref name="port vs conversion">{{cite conference | title = Proceedings of the 2019 DiGRA International Conference: Game, Play and the Emerging Ludo-Mix | last1 = Grabarczyk | first1 = Pawel | first2 = Espen | last2 = Aarseth | chapter-url = http://www.digra.org/digital-library/publications/port-or-conversion-an-ontological-framework-for-classifying-game-versions/ | chapter = Port or conversion? An ontological framework for classifying game versions | conference = DiGRA Conference 2019 | date = August 2019 | access-date = 5 May 2021 | archive-date = 29 July 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200729142448/http://www.digra.org/digital-library/publications/port-or-conversion-an-ontological-framework-for-classifying-game-versions/ | url-status = live }}</ref>

The list below is not exhaustive and excludes other electronic devices capable of playing video games such as [[Personal digital assistant|PDA]]s and [[graphing calculator]]s.

;PC games
:[[PC game]]s involve a player interacting with a [[personal computer]] (PC) connected to a [[video monitor]].<ref>{{cite book |first1=David |last1=Olle |first2=Jean Riescher |last2=Westcott |title=Video Game Addiction |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w-pJDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT16 |publisher=Stylus Publishing, LLC |year=2018 |page=16 |isbn=978-1-937585-84-6 |access-date=9 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809090716/https://books.google.es/books?id=w-pJDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT16 |archive-date=9 August 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> Personal computers are not dedicated game platforms, so there may be differences running the same game on different hardware. Also, the openness allows some features to developers like reduced software cost,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2011/12/13/is-pc-gaming-really-more-expensive-than-consoles|title=Is PC Gaming Really More Expensive Than Consoles?|first=Rick|last=Lane|date=13 December 2011|access-date=9 August 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160813150831/http://www.ign.com/articles/2011/12/13/is-pc-gaming-really-more-expensive-than-consoles|archive-date=13 August 2016}}</ref> increased flexibility, increased innovation, emulation, creation of modifications or [[mod (video gaming)|mods]], open hosting for [[online game|online gaming]] (in which a person plays a video game with people who are in a different household) and others. A [[gaming computer]] is a PC or laptop intended specifically for gaming, typically using high-performance, high-cost components. In addition to personal computer gaming, there also exist games that work on [[mainframe computer]]s and other similarly shared systems, with users logging in remotely to use the computer.
;Home console
:[[File:PS2-Fat-Console-Set.jpg|thumb|The [[PlayStation 2]] is the [[List of best-selling game consoles|best-selling video game console]], with over 155 million units sold.<ref>{{cite news| title= Xbox 360 beats Wii as the UK's best-selling console| date= June 27, 2013| newspaper= [[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]]| url= http://metro.co.uk/2013/06/27/xbox-360-beats-wii-as-the-uks-best-selling-console-3858990/| access-date= October 31, 2013| author= GameCentral staff| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190419064841/https://metro.co.uk/2013/06/27/xbox-360-beats-wii-as-the-uks-best-selling-console-3858990/| archive-date= April 19, 2019| url-status= live}}</ref>]]A [[console game]] is played on a [[home video game console|home console]], a specialized electronic device that connects to a common [[television set]] or [[Composite monitor|composite video monitor]]. Home consoles are specifically designed to play games using a dedicated hardware environment, giving developers a concrete hardware target for development and assurances of what features will be available, simplifying development compared to PC game development. Usually consoles only run games developed for it, or games from other platform made by the same company, but never games developed by its direct competitor, even if the same game is available on different platforms. It often comes with a specific [[game controller]]. Major console platforms include [[Xbox]], [[PlayStation]] and [[Nintendo video game consoles|Nintendo]].
;Handheld console
:A [[handheld game console]] is a small, self-contained electronic device that is portable and can be held in a user's hands. It features the console, a small screen, speakers and buttons, [[joystick]] or other [[game controller]]s in a single unit. Like consoles, handhelds are dedicated platforms, and share almost the same characteristics. Handheld hardware usually is less powerful than PC or console hardware. Some handheld games from the late 1970s and early 1980s could only play one game. In the 1990s and 2000s, a number of handheld games used cartridges, which enabled them to be used to play many different games. The handheld console has waned in the 2010s as mobile device gaming has become a more dominant factor.
;Arcade video game
:[[File:Light gun survival horror arcade game.jpg|thumb|right|A police-themed arcade game in which players use a [[light gun]]]] An [[arcade video game]] generally refers to a game played on an even more specialized type of electronic device that is typically designed to play only one game and is encased in a special, large coin-operated [[arcade cabinet|cabinet]] which has one built-in console, controllers (joystick, buttons, etc.), a [[CRT screen]], and audio amplifier and speakers. Arcade games often have brightly painted logos and images relating to the theme of the game. While most arcade games are housed in a vertical cabinet, which the user typically stands in front of to play, some arcade games use a tabletop approach, in which the display screen is housed in a table-style cabinet with a see-through table top. With table-top games, the users typically sit to play. In the 1990s and 2000s, some arcade games offered players a choice of multiple games. In the 1980s, [[video arcade]]s were businesses in which game players could use a number of arcade video games. In the 2010s, there are far fewer video arcades, but some movie theaters and family entertainment centers still have them.
;Browser game
:A [[browser game]] takes advantages of standardizations of technologies for the functionality of [[web browser]]s across multiple devices providing a [[cross-platform]] environment. These games may be identified based on the website that they appear, such as with [[Miniclip]] games. Others are named based on the programming platform used to develop them, such as [[Java (programming language)|Java]] and [[Adobe Flash|Flash]] games.
;Mobile game
:With the introduction of [[smartphone]]s and [[tablet computer]]s standardized on the [[iOS]] and [[Android (operating system)|Android]] operating systems, [[mobile gaming]] has become a significant platform. These games may use unique features of mobile devices that are not necessary present on other platforms, such as [[accelerometer]]s, [[GPS|global positioning information]] and camera devices to support [[augmented reality]] gameplay.
;Cloud gaming
:[[Cloud gaming]] requires a minimal hardware device, such as a basic computer, console, laptop, mobile phone or even a dedicated hardware device connected to a display with good Internet connectivity that connects to hardware systems by the cloud gaming provider. The game is computed and rendered on the remote hardware, using a number of predictive methods to reduce the [[network latency]] between player input and output on their display device. For example, the [[Xbox Cloud Gaming]] and [[PlayStation Now]] platforms use dedicated custom [[server blade]] hardware in [[cloud computing]] centers.
;Virtual reality
:[[File:Gamescom Playstation VR Playseat (36454815300).jpg|thumb|right|Players using the [[PlayStation VR]] headsets in 2017]] [[Virtual reality]] (VR) games generally require players to use a special [[Head-mounted display|head-mounted unit]] that provides [[Stereoscopy|stereoscopic screens]] and [[positional tracking|motion tracking]] to immerse a player within virtual environment that responds to their head movements. Some VR systems include control units for the player's hands as to provide a direct way to interact with the virtual world. VR systems generally require a separate computer, console, or other processing device that couples with the head-mounted unit.
;Emulation
:An [[Video game console emulator|emulator]] enables games from a console or otherwise different system to be run in a type of [[virtual machine]] on a modern system, simulating the hardware of the original and allows old games to be played. While emulators themselves have been found to be legal in United States case law, the act of obtaining the game software that one does not already own may violate copyrights. However, there are some official releases of emulated software from game manufacturers, such as Nintendo with its [[Virtual Console]] or [[Nintendo Switch Online]] offerings.
;Backward compatibility
:[[Backward compatibility]] is similar in nature to emulation in that older games can be played on newer platforms, but typically directly though hardware and built-in software within the platform. The [[PlayStation 2]] popularized the trend by having the capability of playing past generation games from the [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] via inserting the original game media into the newer console, while Nintendo's [[Wii]] could play [[GameCube]] titles as well in the same manner.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bashir|first=Dale|title=10 Gaming Innovations That The PlayStation 2 Brought to Us 20 Years Ago
|url=https://sea.ign.com/god-of-war/165395/news/10-gaming-innovations-that-the-playstation-2-brought-to-us-20-years-ago|date=October 26, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Gelbart|first=Bryn|title=PlayStation's Long, Complicated History with Backward Compatibility|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/sony-playstation-history-with-backward-compatibility|date=May 13, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=History of Backwards Compatibility|url=https://huguesjohnson.com/features/backwards/|date=2024}}</ref>

===Game media===
[[File:NES-Cartridge.jpg|thumb|right|An unlabeled game cartridge for the Nintendo Entertainment System]]
Early arcade games, home consoles, and handheld games were dedicated hardware units with the game's logic built into the electronic componentry of the hardware. Since then, most video game platforms are considered programmable, having means to read and play multiple games distributed on different types of media or formats. Physical formats include [[ROM cartridge]]s, [[magnetic storage]] including [[magnetic-tape data storage]] and [[floppy disc]]s, [[optical media]] formats including [[CD-ROM]] and [[DVD]]s, and [[flash memory]] cards. Furthermore [[digital distribution]] over the Internet or other communication methods as well as [[cloud gaming]] alleviate the need for any physical media. In some cases, the media serves as the direct read-only memory for the game, or it may be the form of [[Installation (computer programs)|installation media]] that is used to write the main assets to the player's platform's local storage for faster loading periods and later updates.

Games can be extended with new content and [[Patch (computing)|software patches]] through either [[expansion pack]]s which are typically available as physical media, or as [[downloadable content]] nominally available via digital distribution. These can be offered freely or can be used to [[Video game monetization|monetize]] a game following its initial release. Several games offer players the ability to create [[user-generated content]] to share with others to play. Other games, mostly those on personal computers, can be extended with [[mod (video games)|user-created modifications]] or mods that alter or add onto the game; these often are unofficial and were developed by players from [[reverse engineering]] of the game, but other games provide official support for modding the game.<ref name="lombardi">{{cite web |last=Hyman |first=Paul |date=9 April 2004 |title=Hollywood Reporter interviewing Doug Lombardi, Quote: "Mods absolutely helped us drive huge sales to 'Half-Life'" |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000484956 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080506004712/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000484956 |archive-date=6 May 2008 |access-date=10 August 2009 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}.</ref>

===Input device===
{{Main|Game controller}}
[[File:Nintendo-Super-NES-Controller.jpg|thumb|A North American [[Super NES]] game controller from the early 1990s]]
Video game can use several types of input devices to translate human actions to a game. Most common are the use of game controllers like [[gamepad]]s and [[joystick]]s for most consoles, and as accessories for personal computer systems along keyboard and mouse controls. Common controls on the most recent controllers include face buttons, shoulder triggers, [[analog stick]]s, and [[d-pad|directional pads ("d-pads")]]. Consoles typically include standard controllers which are shipped or bundled with the console itself, while peripheral controllers are available as a separate purchase from the console manufacturer or third-party vendors.<ref>{{cite book | title = The Videogame Style Guide and Reference Manual | first1 = David | last1 = Thomas | first2 = Kyle | last2 = Orland | first3 = Scott | last3 = Steinberg | page = 21 | publisher = Power Play Publishing | date = 2007 | isbn = 9781430313052 | url = http://www.gamestyleguide.com/VideoGameStyleGuideeBook.pdf | accessdate = 13 September 2021 | archive-date = 11 July 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110711072136/http://www.gamestyleguide.com/VideoGameStyleGuideeBook.pdf | url-status = live }}</ref> Similar control sets are built into handheld consoles and onto arcade cabinets. Newer technology improvements have incorporated additional technology into the controller or the game platform, such as [[touchscreen]]s and [[motion detection]] sensors that give more options for how the player interacts with the game. Specialized controllers may be used for certain genres of games, including [[racing wheel]]s, [[light gun]]s and [[dance pad]]s. [[Digital camera]]s and motion detection can capture movements of the player as input into the game, which can, in some cases, effectively eliminate the control, and on other systems such as virtual reality, are used to enhance immersion into the game.

===Display and output===
{{main|Video game graphics}}
[[File:Game-Boy-FL.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Handheld units, like the Game Boy, include built-in output screens and sound speakers.]]
By definition, all video games are intended to output graphics to an external video display, such as [[cathode-ray tube]] televisions, newer [[liquid-crystal display]] (LCD) televisions and built-in screens, [[projector]]s or [[computer monitor]]s, depending on the type of platform the game is played on. Features such as [[color depth]], [[refresh rate]], [[frame rate]], and [[screen resolution]] are a combination of the limitations of the game platform and display device and the program efficiency of the game itself. The game's output can range from fixed displays using LED or LCD elements, [[text-based game]]s, [[2D computer graphics|two-dimensional]] and [[3D computer graphics|three-dimensional]] graphics, and [[augmented reality]] displays.

The game's graphics are often accompanied by sound produced by internal speakers on the game platform or external speakers attached to the platform, as directed by the game's programming. This often will include sound effects tied to the player's actions to provide audio feedback, as well as background music for the game.

Some platforms support additional feedback mechanics to the player that a game can take advantage of. This is most commonly [[haptic technology]] built into the game controller, such as causing the controller to shake in the player's hands to simulate a shaking earthquake occurring in game.