8 bit Processor: Refers to computers or consoles having central processors with 8 bit integers and memory registers. The Apple II and Commodore 64 are examples of 8-bit computers.
10 bit Processor: Refers to computers having central processors with 10 bit integers and memory registers. Very few devices were made with this processor type. The MSX is one example.
16 bit Processor: Refers to computers or consoles having central processors with 16 bit integers and memory registers. The Sega Mega Drive and the TurboGrafx-16 are examples of consoles with 16-bit processors.
32 bit Processor: Refers to computers or consoles having central processors with 32 bit integers and memory registers. The Atari ST and Amiga are examples of computers with 32-bit processors. However, their data pathways are only 16-bits wide. Therefore, they are commonly referred to as 16-bit computers.
Adventure Games: Video games characterised by exploration, investigation, puzzle solving and interaction with game characters.
Arcade: A place where people would go to play coin-operated video games. Aracde games is a term given to games that were released to coin-operated machines.
Boss: A challenging video game character that is usually place at the end of a level, stage or some other significant part of a video game. The are very common in shoot-em up and fighting games.
Cartridge: video games that come on printed circuit boards encased in plastic. Games of this form were very popular in the 1980s.
Cheat Codes: Refers to secret codes within video games allowing extra lives, skipping levels, unlimited ammo as an example. These were used by game developers as a way to play test their games.
Chipped: Refers to video game consoles that have a chip modified to allow it to play international video games. Synonymous with modded.
Console: Refers to any interactive entertainment device for playing video games and other media formats.
Controller: A term used to any video game input device. This term is commonly used to describe input devices for consoles.
Copy protection: any technical device, imprinting or coding that prevent unauthorised duplication or piracy of video games or computer software in general. This was a bigger problem for consoles and computers that used floppies or cds.
Demo: refers to a stripped down version of a game used for marketing purposes.
Easter Egg: refers to hidden messages in video games. The first easter eggs started appearing with the Atari 2600.
First-person: Refers to games characterised by the view-point that simulates the game character's point of view.
Gamer ID: Refers to a call sign, nickname or alter ego used in online gaming.
High Score: The highest score reach when playing a video game. The game often keeps track of player's scores.
Joystick: An input device used for playing video games. It was characterised by having a single fire button and stick for moving up. Down, left and right.
Leader board: Keeps track the top players scores and statistics.
Level up: refers to completing one level and progressing to the next.
Memory Stick: A memory device used for storing game scores, game check point and other gaming related information.
Modded: Refers to video game consoles that have a chip modified to allow it to play international video games. Synonymous with chipped.
Online Gaming: Multiplayer gaming involving the internet, private networks or modem to connect to another computer. Early games utilised dial up modems while modern online gaming has been popularised by Microsoft and Sony with their respective game consoles.
Paddle Controller: Refers to an input device that features a circular wheel or ball and more than one fire button.
Trackball: Refers to an input device that is similar to an upside mouse in design. However, it has a much larger ball and is upside down.
Piracy: refers to the illegal duplication of software. Piracy has been blamed for the death of many game software houses. Game developers try to offset this by adding copy protection.
Ported: Refers to the process of migrating a game from one console or computer and modifying it to run on another.
Rumble Pack: Refers to a device attached to a controller or built in to a controller that causes the controller to shake.
Power ups: refers to graphical images that once touched, it provides extra abilities, firepower, armaments or some other benefit to the character.
Role Playing: refers to a game type where the gamer takes n the role of a character in a simulated world.
Shoot em up: Refers to games where the gamer controls a shooting platform that shots away at hordes of attacking enemies.
Virtual: refers to the simulation of an environment, character or some other real world element inside a computer environment. |
