gaming platforms (p1/m2/d3)

 

A gaming platforms is a form of technology that allows you to play games, each gaming platforms come with unique advantages and disadvantages. Gaming platforms come in a wide variety of sizes and appearances, some platforms use size and appearance as a unique selling point, such as handheld and mobile gaming platforms.

PC

The PC| gaming platform is one of the most versatile platforms available, this is due to the ability of being able to easily change components such as the GPU to keep up with advancing gaming technology, the performance of a GPU can be judged with the amount of CDU cores it supports, the CDU cores are the processing engines of the GPU, meaning the higher number of CDU cores the better the GPUs performance will be, another factor of a GPUs quality would be the amount of on-board memory.  On-board memory allows games to run at higher resolutions, so this is a crucial attribute if the GPU will need to be able to display HD games. an example of a higher end GPU would be the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN, this GPU has 2699 CDU cores and 6144mb of on-board memory, all this means it is a extremely high end graphics card and this is proven with the £800-900 price tag.
Although this can be an expensive act it does allow this platform to be at the cutting edge of gaming technology, this is why the pc platform is often considered to provide the highest graphics.

Another popular feature of the PC platform is the wide range of controllers that can be supported such as joysticks, this allows player to achieve the most enjoyable experience by using the controller they prefer. These features allow the PC as a gaming Platform  to be extremely future proof.


Most people consider PC gaming to have the best future due to how advanced the hardware is and due to this fact many people are changing from platforms such as Xbox 360 and PS3s too gaming PCs
The pc as a gaming console can be very aesthetically pleasing, this is because of the wide range of cases that can be bought online. On top of being aesthetically pleasing these case can also provide some practicality by integrating  hardware, such as fans and PSUs into the case, the case could even have built in USB 3.0 ports.
One major disadvantage of PC gaming is how unfriendly the controls can be to somebody who is inexperienced with a pc.
Another large disadvantage is the fact that, most games made to run on a specific OS such as windows, this means you are generally limited to using one OS

Home Gaming Platform

Home gaming consoles are now one of the most popular forms of gaming platform and in turn one of the most iconic. the reason for the home gaming platform became so popular is because it supported a feature that allowed it to display the game on to a standard TV, this made home gaming consoles very attractive for gamers because it allowed them to use this gaming platform in the house on a standard TV. As the home gaming console evolved to consoles such as the PS2 and Xbox, they became drastically more popular, this was because of the increased quality of the games and the increasing support of co-op and online gameplay. These two features built upon a social dynamic, and you can now see how important multiplayer gameplay has become with games such GTA 5 and the Call Of Duty series, that supports large amounts of  players that can all seamlessly communicate via a headset.

A big plus side to home gaming consoles is that they have a relatively long life span, this can be around 6 years, and that is relatively good considering the price that they are sold for. Another big advantage of the home gaming platform is the wide variety of games that are available and the majority of them are of a high standard.

The home gaming platform seems to have a promising future with next generation consoles, such as the Play Station 4 and Xbox One. Both of these consoles offer a graphical improvement over the previous generations. The new generation also supports much higher spec hardware, this allows game developers to worry less about the consoles hardware restrictions, this in turn allows them to make more unique and fun games for customers.

Handheld Platform

The first handheld game console the was capable of using interchangeable cartridges, was called the Microvision. The Microvison was released in November 1979, although this gaming console did not achieve a huge amount of success, it did open the path for future handheld gaming platforms. The most notable was the Nintendo Gameboy, this device was released 1989 and achieved world wide success selling 64.42 million units worldwide by 1998. Nintendo still dominate the handheld console market with consoles such as the Nintendo DS, 2DS and 3DS. although Nintendo do have a major rival with Sony's PSP and PS Vita series.

The PSP was the first handheld console to use universal media disks (UMD) for the distribution of games. The PSP was a success and sold 76.3 million (as of March 31, 2012 (2012-03-31)^[update]).

The PS Vita was the next major release from Sony, and it was released on the 22nd February 2012. the PS Vita improved on the PSP by adding a second anolg stick for an improved gaming experience, the PS Vita also included a touch sensitive screen.

The main advantage of the handheld platform is the portability, this allows gamers to play on the move although this can be limited by the need to charge the device regularly, due to how much power the technology uses. The technology handheld devices use are generally around 2 generations behind the current home gaming platforms and this is due to the battery life of the console. Another disadvantage of handheld consoles can be the controls, that are often uncomfortable and unnatural for gamers.


The future of handheld console is bright as they are being able to use increasingly powerful hardware, due to the advances in battery life. This could lead to handheld devices becoming the main gaming console.

Arcade

Arcade machine hit its peak in terms of popularity during the late 70s all the way through to the mid 90s, and although they are not as popular as the once were they can be still be found relatively commonly in places such a bowling ally's too provide extra income from people looking for nostalgic experience. Although arcade machines are declining in popularity, they could be around in the near future purely for the retro and  nostalgic fell they give to players.
The demise of the arcade machine came about from the move from 2D graphics to 3D graphics, this meant players moving on to move advanced consoles, with hardware capable of supporting 3D games.


The arcade machine is known for attracting games using art on the cabinet that are generally in the theme that the game holds. This is a good marketing technique and makes the arcade cabinet standout from the crowed. Another distinct feature that is often associated with arcade machines is the unique controllers layouts, these layouts can change depending on the machine, but one of the most common is the joystick. The bezel is the term given to the screen that arcade machines use to display games, and are well known for the retro feel that they give to games. Another method that arcade machines attract players is a method called attract mode. Attract mode is when the machine has been left for an extended period of time, and then displays a demo of the game on the bezel.


One of the main advantages of the arcade machine is it is a cheap games console to play, because you generally you are just paying to play, instead of buying the machine itself.
one of the main disadvantages of an arcade machine can be that the commonly only contain one game, meaning and arcade has to buy multiple machines to stop customers becoming bored.

Television

Interactive TVs can be used as a gaming platform, although they are relatively unpopular in comparison to other gaming platforms. This is mainly due to the poor quality of games that are provided for the user to play. The games that are often made for interactive TVs could be compared to the quality of most mobile phone games. This means that as a gaming console interactive TVs are extremely over priced for the quality of games that are provided. This in turn means most people who own an interactive TV use it mainly for its main function, as a television.
Interactive TVs could have future if game developers improved on the quality of games they are producing.














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