Media Sectors
Computer games
Computer games are a new media sector. They are interactive digital products designed to entertain, and you play them on a device that runs a computer program. They are new media because the sector could not exist before computers: without a processor, memory and software there would be no game to play.
Where games are played
| Platform | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Console | A device plugged into a television and controlled with a handset | A box under the living room television with two wireless controllers |
| PC | Played on a desktop or laptop, usually with a keyboard and mouse | A city-building game installed on a laptop at home |
| Handheld | A small, battery-powered handheld computer built for gaming that you hold in your hands | A pocket console taken on a long coach journey |
| Mobile | A smartphone or tablet, with games downloaded from an app store | A puzzle game played on a phone while waiting for a bus |
Handheld computers and mobile devices do the same job as a console but in a smaller package, which is why the same game is often released on several platforms.
Ways to play
- Single-player games are played by one person on their own, following a story or beating their own best score.
- Multiplayer games let more than one person take part. Players may share one screen in the same room or each use their own console in the same house.
- Online games are played over the internet, so the players can be anywhere in the world and may never meet in person. A connection is needed, and without one the online mode cannot be used.
Many games offer all three, so you could play a level alone, race a friend sitting next to you, then join strangers online. The players change, but the game itself is still a computer game: a single-player game with no internet connection belongs to this new media sector just as much as an online one.
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OCR Creative iMedia · Media Industry Sectors