Lectures 13 and 14 (31 October 07, 1 November 07)

Understanding Online Game Industry in the United States (Past-Present)

Abstract: This lecture focuses on overall trends in the U.S. game industry over the past 20 years. Emphasis is directed to identifying lessons learned and best practices that can help inform and guide how best to develop online games for the U.S. and other global markets. Topics include:

In addition, there is a separate document that lists citations to Reference materials used in preparing the materials below

Game Types

How many different types of computer/video game are there? This is a simple question, with a less than simple answer. 


A dozen different types of games are identified, with no significance to their order of presentation. Though this list of categories is not exhaustive, it is representative of the types of games that have been available in the market during the past 10-30+ years.

Observations across game types:


Game engines


Example Game Engines


Game systems

The type of game systems used to support game play can determine or constrain the possible modes of game play and player action.

On review of the capabilities for different types of games and game play for these game systems, a number of trends over the 40 or so year history of computer games can be observed and noted. These include transitions:

Game play experiences

Based on the types of games (i.e., the software that enacts game scenarios) and game systems identified above, it becomes possible to recognize a variety of visually observable modalities of game play expressed as player actions affected through the game system’s player control interface. These include: