Only a decade ago we were all enjoying the simple pixel graphics and poorly animated visuals of PC games. This was back in a time where things such as DirectX were new technologies- and operating systems had little support for video games. It’s ironic to see that today you’ll be hard pressed to find any kind of PC without some type of game on it.

As we progress to newer technologies in virtual reality, perceptual realism, and bridge the gap to reality in video games- we can’t help but look back at the landmarks along the way that got us where we are today.

PC Games and Peripherals

PC games and peripherals go hand-in-hand for a better gaming experience. It all started with ideas such as the “Game Glove” or the much-loved gun peripheral for “Duck Hunt”- a popular Nintendo game in video game past. PC game peripherals have been lacking over the years, but this is not to say PC gamers haven’t had their fair share of the market.

But the most common PC game peripherals are gamepads- surely not the most advanced, but the most common. Gamepads are popular for making the playing experience easier- not necessarily more lifelike. A first person shooter player may, for instance, use a gamepad to use “hot keys” to do certain commands- such as talking to teammates or changing weapons.

PC Games and Graphics

Graphics in the 1990’s were limited to fairly crude visuals. Sure, cut-scenes were able to make stunning appearances to PC gamers, but actual in-game graphics were lacking. This was due mostly in part to the fact that the hardware at the time could not handle the extra work associated with better quality graphics.

But today, almost everything exists in a 3D realm. Models, characters, objects, and sprites are all created with complex 3D modeling programs. The result: more realistic PC games. But as time progresses, and processors can keep up with larger amounts of pixels, the gap between reality and virtual reality might just be bridged.

Society And PC Games

Each month, there is an estimated 5-6 million users playing World of Warcraft. That is a pretty stunning number, and indeed could account for an entire city of people- or cities! This just goes to show that society is addicted to PC games- and it isn’t something that is going to change any time soon.

PC games have become a part of most of who we are- the only thing left to do is to ponder what they could be like in the future!

The Future of PC Games

Products are now being tested that can actually react to patterns in brain activity- meaning you could one day control items in a video game from thought alone. Foundations of virtual reality in PC games such as this are already being created.

Furthermore, PC games are now starting to take advantage of holographic technology. Although currently the technology is far from being perfected, it is quite exciting to think that in another decade we might be able to react to virtual objects simply by touching them.