Games

Electronic Video Games involve interaction with a user interface or computer through devices such as joysticks, consoles, keyboards, or motion sensors. They create visual output on devices like TVs, monitors, touchscreens, or virtual reality headsets, and are enhanced by audio feedback from speakers or headphones. Additional feedback systems, including touch technology, may also be used. Video games are categorized by their platforms, which encompass arcade games, consoles, and computers.

Recently, the industry has expanded to include mobile gaming through smartphones, tablets, and remote cloud gaming. Video games are classified into a wide variety of genres based on gameplay styles and purposes. The origins of video games trace back to the 1950s and 1960s when simple electronic games used video-like output from large computers.

The first consumer video game, the Magnavox Odyssey, was released in 1972, following the arcade game Computer Space in 1971, and the iconic Pong the next year. Today, developing video games requires a diverse set of skills to successfully bring a game to market, involving developers, publishers, distributors, retailers, console makers, and other third-party manufacturers.

Since 2010, the commercial significance of the video game industry has surged, particularly driven by emerging Asian markets and mobile gaming. In 2018, video game sales reached $134.9 billion globally, making it the third-largest entertainment market in the United States, following broadcasting and cable television.