Virtual everyday real world

What is the phenomenon of the popularity of computer games? Maybe in their interaction? Watch your favorite movie or read an interesting book, we are unable to change their story and affect the course of events, for example, or to save the protagonist to help him achieve this goal. Moreover, neither the book nor the film can not be forced to continue as much as we would like. It is only a computer game is the play in which you are both a director and an actor, and the plot depends on your taste ...

Interesting story

Once somebody Edward Elmer 'Doc' Smith - American chemist, dabbled in the writer's trade in the first half of the twentieth century, he argued with his friend Carl Gharbi on how to measure the temperature of outer space. In the midst of heated argument Hokens Gharbi Lee, wife of Charles, suggested that they stop clapping and jointly write a fiction novel on the subject. Published in the 30's work waiting for success among fans of science fiction, as Ed "Doc" Smith, the first author of that time dared to move the action of the novel beyond the solar system. Inspired by the work of the chemist-fiction writer George Lucas later created a cult film "Star Wars" and not less ardent admirers of Edward "Doc" Smith - enthusiastic students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and member of the Tech Model Railroad Club, - designed graphical game called SpaceWar for the latest at the time the computer the PDP-1, the creation of the corporation DEC. Simulator space battle, who was only 9 KB of memory, so carried away by the creators that the first for improving the management of the game they gave up the keyboard and have developed a special game console (compact box with two handles), and then eagerly took advantage of the new operating system written in Assembler for the next generation of PDP-7 computer corporation DEC ...

Whimsical twists of history: pointless theoretical dispute between two scientists has led to the fact that mankind has at its disposal the world's first computer game, the first joystick and the first version of the operating system called Unix!

Game for all ages

According to IDC, today the number of fans of computer games on the planet crossed the mark of 300 million, and every second of them prefer to play with real opponents online. According to statistics, 9 out of every 10 computers in the world have set at least one game. 15 million gamers and enthusiasts believe computer games main occupation in life ... Games contribute to the expansion of the circle of communication and the development team skills. Psychologists conducted experiments prove: a quest to make decisions in the attention tests experienced gamers gaining significantly more points than ordinary people. It is a game for many children to begin acquaintance with the computer. This modern computer games designed for the youngest users, developed in collaboration with educators and successfully used in the education system, as recommended for the development of both general knowledge and specific qualities (logic, attention, speed of reaction).

As an example, a non-profit association "tyrnete - Children's Internet» (www.tirnet.ru), which is a creative team, which consists of child psychologists, methodologists, teachers, programmers, designers, animators and representatives of other professions. The group is developing games that are adapted for the youngest computer users. According to the management of the project, some parents mistakenly seeking to do to protect their children from the enthusiasm for computer games, while experts recommend just take this process under control and properly orient the child in a huge amount of information that surrounds it.

By the way, wrong are those who believe the lot of young game. According to research by the Australian Association of Interactive Entertainment (IEAA), in recent years the average age of gamers increased to 28 years, and experts predict that by 2014 it will reach 42 years. As a result of large-scale survey, about 73% of parents are confident that the games teach children modern technology, 68% - that help to develop logical thinking, and 64% - that are taught to plan their actions. In addition, it was found that more than a third of all gamers are themselves parents, with about 80% of them play games with their children. Sociologists believe that the joint hobby games to develop friendship and understanding between parents and children.

This real virtual sports!

Today, computer games - is not only a fun and a tool for self-development, it is also a real sports industry. With the advent of the first online games, gamers were able to withstand not only the computer opponents, but also each other. The first professional league kiberatlet (The Cyberathlet Professional League, CPL) was created June 27, 1997, and since then it has been organized 60 international competitions with a total prize pool exceeded 4 million. The first discipline to become competitive players competition game Quake, won the grand popularity among gamers. In 1999, the competition was a major hit her year - Half-Life, and since 1998 with the advent of StarCraft contests have been held in the genre of "shooters" and in the genre of "strategies". In 2001, Korea was the first international tournament series World Cyber ​​Games, in which hundreds of gamers from different countries and cities compete with each other in the mastery of "Action-shooter", "strategy" and sports simulation. Even then, the prize winners fees could be the envy of professional athletes from other sports, and last year China actively supports the development of e-sports at the state level, proposed to introduce it to the list of Olympic disciplines.

Russia has become one of the first countries in the world to recognize a variety of sports computer games - the decision was taken in March 2004. One of the largest gaming tournament in the CIS to date is a series of show matches Intel Challenge Cup, the total prize fund of over half a million rubles. In addition to the Intel Challenge Cup, Intel Corporation organizes and sponsors many computer gaming events around the world (eg, the tournament an Intel Core 2 Extreme Masters, held under the auspices of Electronic Sports League, ESL). Since 2003, Intel supports the international Game Developers Conference (GDC), held in Moscow. In addition, the Corporation is actively involved in the most popular Russian tournament by sponsoring a leading Russian kiberkomandu Virtus.pro, contributes to the development of the market game applications, develops hardware technology, cooperates with the developers of game software, as well as support the gaming community.

Mobile leitmotif

Today is actively changing not only the technology underlying the computer games, and their perception is changing. Computer games are no longer the destiny of individuals, on the night flight to sit in front of a flickering monitor - formed the whole gaming community, deploying in a virtual reality, new worlds (The Evolvers, Second Life, etc.). The notebook has reached the required level of performance for games and graphic quality, provides additional benefits due to the mobility, offering "mobile theme" as the main leitmotif of the gaming industry.

For example, an online space strategy "Galaxy Centrino», posted on the portal Centrino Galaxy (www.intel.ru/galaxy) and offers participants the eponymous social network, represented by several levels of difficulty - the planets corresponding to certain stages in the evolution of mobile communications: NoLAN, NetWare , WiFi, WiMAX. On each of the planets virtual character will create an ecosystem for the life support of a digital city, with a population of each stage is becoming more literate thanks to the development of modern technologies. To win, the player must create the city of the future, building on the last planet a WiMAX, which will provide wireless access and transmission of information to all its inhabitants.