The evolution of video games

For kids who've grown up with game consoles equipped with cutting-edge motion-sensing technology, it's difficult to imagine that only a generation ago, playing video games meant popping a quarter in an Arcade parts in the corner of a restaurant.

Game On 2.0, an exhibition that opened on March 9 at the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto, aims to chronicle the dramatic changes in the video game industry since 1962. It features more than 150 playable titles, from arcade games like Tron and Pac-Man to the massively multiplayer online game World of Warcraft.

"In the '80s and '90s, there was a big push for graphics … to basically have games catch up with our imagination. But now we've gone past that point — what we can think of, we can put in a game," said Mathieu Ranger, an educator at the Ontario Science Centre and spokesperson for the exhibition.

With the transition to social gaming and mature story lines, video games have evolved beyond the stereotype of mindless, "shoot-'em-up" entertainment. Instead, they help bring people — hardcore gamers and casual players alike — together by replicating an authentic human experience.

The game was not commercially successful, largely because of how complicated it was, but Ranger said making the game fun for players wasn't the focus of early developers.

"It was just like, 'Hey, we're pretty smart guys and we have this tech and I think we can make some game out of it, so let's just try playing around with it.' You know, it was kind of the sense of exploration with the technology," Ranger said.

But this focus on technological advancement over enjoyment left an opening for other developers, such as Atari.

Ranger, although more of a "Nintendo-and-after guy," reminded us about the time when Atari released the arcade version of the tennis sports game Pong in the early 1970s. It became so popular that machines at arcades often became unplayable, because they were jammed full with quarters.

Ranger said Pong owed its success to its simplicity and recognizability. Players could easily relate to the tennis- and ping pong-like game and understand the simple goal of scoring 15 points to win.

"It just hit on something that people had never quite experienced before, and it was a very simple experience that people love," said Ranger.

The latest version of the urban planning game SimCity, for example, requires all users to have an internet connection to play. Many speculate that this controversial move by its developer Electronic Arts is to combat piracy, but Ranger said the change has made waves in the gaming world.

He explained that this online dependency forces players to work with other online players as they build their cities. For example, when one person needs electricity to power their city's grid, they might ask another person who has a city elsewhere on the web for power. Or, if another player needs space to get rid of garbage, they might ask you to help out.

This shared online interaction is the future of video games, said Ranger.

Games on non-traditional gaming platforms, such as Zynga's farming simulation game FarmVille on Facebook, also capitalize on these social networks.

Independent video games, titles made by individuals or smaller teams, are also shifting the makeup of the video game industry. Commonly known as indie games, they are resetting the boundaries of what games can achieve by exploring different artistic styles and mature themes that mimic real-life situations.