electronic game

Introduction
From chess to Spacewar! to Pong
Early home video consoles
Interactive fiction
Personal computer games
The return of video consoles
Networked games and virtual worlds

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

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The New Final Fantasy XV with PS4 Joystick on November 30,2016. in Bangkok Thailand.

Final Fantasy Games Quiz

Related Questions

How can excessive gaming affect sleep patterns and social interaction?
How did Call of Duty: Black Ops demonstrate the commercial importance of electronic games?
How did Half-Life and BioShock add story lines to first-person shooter games?
How did Halo help make the Xbox successful?
How did LittleBigPlanet allow players to create puzzle levels?
How did Spacewar! influence later electronic shooter games?
How did games such as Doom and Quake affect demand for more powerful personal computers?
How did massive multiplayer online games use avatars and persistent virtual worlds?
How did more powerful computers make first-person shooter games possible?
How did player-created mods change games such as Myth and Myth II?
How did serious games apply electronic game features to education and training?
How did social-network games such as FarmVille expand the audience for electronic games?
How did television inspire the first home video game consoles?
How do electronic sports games simulate real and imagined sports?
How do management games differ from arcade-style electronic games?
How do players build and manage cities in SimCity?
How do puzzles help move the story forward in Myst?
How does gamification apply game mechanics outside of entertainment?
How does the World Health Organization describe gaming disorder?
How is the term video game used differently for all electronic games and for games with video displays?
What caused the decline of the home console industry in 1983?
What kinds of decisions do players make in Railroad Tycoon?
What privacy concerns are connected to location-based games such as Pokémon GO?
Which devices can be used to play electronic games?
Which skills do electronic puzzle games usually require?
Why are electronic strategy games connected to traditional board war games?
Why did programmable cartridges separate game development from console hardware design?
Why was Pong important to the growth of home video games?

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External Websites

Smithsonian - National Museum of American History - Video Game History
Public Broadcasting Service - The Video Game Revolution

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Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

electronic games - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
electronic games - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Mario The fictional character Mario from Nintendo's *Super Mario Bros.* video game franchise. Mario debuted as Jumpman in *Donkey Kong* (1981) before appearing in *Mario Bros.* (1983).

electronic game

Also known as: computer game, video game

Written by

Henry E. Lowood

Curator for History of Science & Technology Collections at Stanford University.

Henry E. Lowood

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

History

electronic game, any interactive game operated by computer circuitry. The machines, or “platforms,” on which electronic games are played include general-purpose shared and personal computers, arcade consoles, video consoles connected to home television sets, handheld game machines, mobile devices such as cellular phones, and server-based networks. The term video game can be used to represent the totality of these formats, or it can refer more specifically only to games played on devices with video displays:...

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