1. 1. Mechanical and Electro-Mechanical Arcade Games (1870–1979)

2. Key Terms Automata Working Model Tester Viewer Trade Stimulator Parlor
Penny Arcade
Bagatelle

3. The Beginnings of Coin-Operated Amusement
The second industrial revolution in the 1800s
Early coin-operated entertainment devices (working models, testers, viewers)
Machines in a variety of locations with appeal to different socio-economic classes

4. The Penny Arcade Sport-themed games introduce new concepts
Driving games in the United States after World War II
Pinball’s development from a game of chance to a game of skill

5. 2. The Birth of Digital Games: Research and Hacking (1945–1975)

6. Key Terms Computer Mini-Computer The “Hacker Ethic” Batch Processing
Time-Sharing
Network
Wireframe 3D
Persistent Game World

7. Games for Research
Games for artificial intelligence research and scientific demonstration
William Higinbotham’s Tennis for Two

8. Games and the Hacker Ethic
Increased access to computers
The spread and modification of Spacewar!
PLATO and early networked gaming
The influence of Dungeons & Dragons

9. 3. Early Digital Arcade Games and Home Consoles (1971–1977)

10. Key Terms
Attract Mode
Ball and Paddle Game
Dedicated Console

11. Early Digital Arcade and Home Console Games
Relationship to electro-mechanical and early computer games
The Magnavox Odyssey and divided game spaces
The founding of Atari and influence of Pong
Dedicated consoles and the market flood of 1977

12. 4. The Golden Age Arcade (1978–1984)

13. Key Terms Transistor–Transistor Logic Microprocessor Shoot ‘em up
Climbing Game
Laserdisc
Vector Graphics
Raster Graphics
Multi-Genre Game

14. Golden Age Arcade Games
Space Invaders and shoot ‘em ups
The addition of narrative to arcade games
Donkey Kong and the “climbing game”
The range of control schemes

15. 5. Early Cartridge-Based Home Console Games (1976–1983)

16. Key Terms
Sprite
Venetian Blinds
Bank Switching
Easter Egg

17. Cartridge-Based Home Consoles
The first “console wars”
The emergence of third-party developers
Adapting arcade games to the home
New design concepts suited for the home (adventure and resource management)
The North American console market crash of 1983–1984

18. 6. Commercialized Home Computer Games (1977–1995)

19. Key Terms Microcomputer Assembly Language Open Architecture Design
Optical Color Mixing
Anti-Aliasing
Open World Gameplay
Rotoscoping
GUI

20. Early Home Computer Games
Adaption of games originating on PLATO and in university contexts to commercial software
The continued influence of Dungeons & Dragons
Flight and simulation games

21. Mice, GUIs, and Computer Games
Changes in home computer hardware
The effect of the mouse on interfaces and gameplay
Accelerated gameplay with real-time strategy games

22. 7. Japanese Arcade and Console Games (1983–1995)

23. Key Terms
Pseudo-3D
Pre-Rendered Visuals
Beat ‘em-up

24. Japanese Post-Golden Age Arcade Games
Greater emphasis on visuals and sound
Refinement and polish of existing forms
Beat ‘em up gameplay and Head-to-Head Fighting Games

25. Japanese Consoles and the Home
Nintendo transition and dominance of the home market
Nintendo’s franchise establishment
Sega’s transition to the home and the second “console war”
The proliferation of platforming gameplay

26. 8. Realism in Games (1989–1996)

27. Key Terms Multimedia Haptic Feedback Virtual Reality
First Person Shooter
Shareware
Raycasting
Game Engine
Mod/Total Conversion

28. CD-ROMs and Photorealism
Re-emergence of laser discs in arcades
Interactive film and puzzle games on CD-ROM

29. Real-Time 3D and Spatial Realism
Early efforts in commercialized virtual reality
Arcade-based vehicle simulators and 3D imagery
Add-ons and enhancements for 3D on home consoles
Combining 2D imagery with real-time 3D

30. 9. Contemporary Games and Game Design (1996–present)

31. Key Terms Graphics Accelerator Scripted Sequences Streaming
Texture Map/Color Map
Shaders
Bump Maps
Set Pieces

32. 3D Game Design in the Late 1990s
Technological shifts
New camera and control schemes across genres
Cinematic perspectives in 3D games

33. 3D Game Design in the 2000s Changes in the game industry
Open world gameplay in the 2000s
The emergence of casual and mobile games
Digital distribution in the 2000s
Realism in 3D surfaces
Film-like gameplay
The “retro revival”

34. 10. Contemporary Independent Games (1996–present)

35. Key Terms
Freeware
Doujin Soft
Creative Sandbox
Narrative Exploration

36. Independent Games in the Early 2000s
The Scratchware Manifesto
Shareware, Freeware, and Flash games
Alternative modes of funding and distribution
Blurred lines between games and art

37. Independent Games in the Contemporary
Online distribution of independent games
Console platforms and independent games
Reviving and reinterpreting earlier genres
Expanding audiences and niche appeal
Challenges in the independent games sector