Electronic
game, device or computer
program that provides entertainment by challenging a person's
eye-hand coordination or mental abilities. Made possible by the development of the
microprocessor, electronic games are marketed in various formats, such as
hand-held one-player models, cartridges or compact discs that
are inserted in modules attached to television sets, computer programs run on
personal, tablet, or network computers or on smart phones, and freestanding
arcade versions. Most of their appeal comes from the computer program that
synchronizes flashing lights and a variety of sounds with the movielike
animated action portrayed on a graphic display (see computer
graphics). As the technology has advanced from 8-bit microprocessors
to ever faster chips with greater graphic and sound capabilities, the
programming has kept pace. For example, the newest games have so many levels
and twists that they may take more than 100 hours to complete, and the graphic
capabilities allow the game player to alter the visual perspective from narrow
to panoramic. The games may be contested among several players, or an
individual may engage in a test of skill against the computer. Some
Internet-based games, known as massively multiplayer on-line games (MMOGs),
involve thousands of individuals interacting with each other in ongoing,
open-ended play. In MMOGs and other games, some businesses and individuals earn
income through transactions involving virtual products that are used in the
game, with such sales forming the bulk of the revenue of a number of game
software companies. Game subjects include sports (e.g., baseball and football);
action warfare, adventure, and role-playing; casino gambling (e.g., as
roulette, poker, and simulated slot machines); and such classics as solitaire,
contract bridge, chess, and backgammon.