Joshua Hall Assignment 1 – Learning Aim A Unit 8 – 2023
Table of Contents
Unit 8 – Computer Games Development...............................................................................................4
Unit Introduction...................................................................................................................................4
Social Trends in Gaming.........................................................................................................................4
Genres...............................................................................................................................................4
How has gameplay has changed over time?..................................................................................5
Demographics....................................................................................................................................5
Age.................................................................................................................................................6
Gender...........................................................................................................................................7
Game Producers................................................................................................................................8
Mainstream Publishers..................................................................................................................8
Indie games....................................................................................................................................8
Crowdfunding................................................................................................................................9
Free to Play....................................................................................................................................9
Multiplayer....................................................................................................................................9
Emerging Technologies........................................................................................................................11
Virtual Reality..................................................................................................................................11
Augmented Reality..........................................................................................................................12
Evaluation........................................................................................................................................12
Security of Services..............................................................................................................................14
Why are young gamers being increasingly targeted by hackers?....................................................14
1|Page
,Joshua Hall Assignment 1 – Learning Aim A Unit 8 – 2023
Development Platforms.......................................................................................................................15
Personal Computer..........................................................................................................................15
Advantages of PC’s.......................................................................................................................15
Disadvantages of PC’s..................................................................................................................15
Advantages of Mac......................................................................................................................15
Disadvantages of Mac..................................................................................................................15
Consoles...........................................................................................................................................16
Advantages of PlayStation...........................................................................................................16
Disadvantages of PlayStation.......................................................................................................16
Advantages of Xbox.....................................................................................................................16
Disadvantages of Xbox.................................................................................................................16
Mobile Devices................................................................................................................................17
Apple IOS.....................................................................................................................................17
Android Devices...........................................................................................................................17
Evaluation........................................................................................................................................18
Hardware.............................................................................................................................................20
Central Processing Unit....................................................................................................................20
Graphical Processing Unit................................................................................................................20
Memory...........................................................................................................................................20
Output.............................................................................................................................................21
Input................................................................................................................................................21
2|Page
,Joshua Hall Assignment 1 – Learning Aim A Unit 8 – 2023
Connectivity.....................................................................................................................................21
Evaluation........................................................................................................................................23
Software..............................................................................................................................................24
Operating System............................................................................................................................24
Programming Language...................................................................................................................24
Device Drivers..................................................................................................................................25
Audio Options..................................................................................................................................25
Evaluation............................................................................................................................................25
References...........................................................................................................................................27
3|Page
, Joshua Hall Assignment 1 – Learning Aim A Unit 8 – 2023
Unit 8 – Computer Games Development
Unit Introduction
My job as a junior developer at a software company that specializes in gaming has been given the
assignment of writing a report for the company's website explaining and evaluating the impact that
existing and evolving technologies have upon the creation and fabrication of videogames in the long-
term.
Social Trends in Gaming
The social trends in gaming are impacted by the following:
Genres
The genre of computer games is determined by the type of interaction or gameplay they provide,
i.e., the games are categorised according to the type of challenges they offer, regardless of the
setting or world experience they provide. A shooter game, for example, will be a shooter game
regardless of the environment in which it is played. Despite this, there can also be a subjective
element as some games can cross multiple genres. Some of the more recent game types are as
follow:
Action/ Shooter or FPS: There are many types of games, but First-Person Shooter (FPS) is
one of the most prominent types. FPS games allow players to engage in weapon-based
combat in a first-person perspective, for example Call of Duty falls under the action and FPS
category.
MMO: Another genre that is quite popular in the gaming industry is the MMO, which is an
acronym for massively multiplayer online games. Multiplayer games allow players to play
4|Page
Table of Contents
Unit 8 – Computer Games Development...............................................................................................4
Unit Introduction...................................................................................................................................4
Social Trends in Gaming.........................................................................................................................4
Genres...............................................................................................................................................4
How has gameplay has changed over time?..................................................................................5
Demographics....................................................................................................................................5
Age.................................................................................................................................................6
Gender...........................................................................................................................................7
Game Producers................................................................................................................................8
Mainstream Publishers..................................................................................................................8
Indie games....................................................................................................................................8
Crowdfunding................................................................................................................................9
Free to Play....................................................................................................................................9
Multiplayer....................................................................................................................................9
Emerging Technologies........................................................................................................................11
Virtual Reality..................................................................................................................................11
Augmented Reality..........................................................................................................................12
Evaluation........................................................................................................................................12
Security of Services..............................................................................................................................14
Why are young gamers being increasingly targeted by hackers?....................................................14
1|Page
,Joshua Hall Assignment 1 – Learning Aim A Unit 8 – 2023
Development Platforms.......................................................................................................................15
Personal Computer..........................................................................................................................15
Advantages of PC’s.......................................................................................................................15
Disadvantages of PC’s..................................................................................................................15
Advantages of Mac......................................................................................................................15
Disadvantages of Mac..................................................................................................................15
Consoles...........................................................................................................................................16
Advantages of PlayStation...........................................................................................................16
Disadvantages of PlayStation.......................................................................................................16
Advantages of Xbox.....................................................................................................................16
Disadvantages of Xbox.................................................................................................................16
Mobile Devices................................................................................................................................17
Apple IOS.....................................................................................................................................17
Android Devices...........................................................................................................................17
Evaluation........................................................................................................................................18
Hardware.............................................................................................................................................20
Central Processing Unit....................................................................................................................20
Graphical Processing Unit................................................................................................................20
Memory...........................................................................................................................................20
Output.............................................................................................................................................21
Input................................................................................................................................................21
2|Page
,Joshua Hall Assignment 1 – Learning Aim A Unit 8 – 2023
Connectivity.....................................................................................................................................21
Evaluation........................................................................................................................................23
Software..............................................................................................................................................24
Operating System............................................................................................................................24
Programming Language...................................................................................................................24
Device Drivers..................................................................................................................................25
Audio Options..................................................................................................................................25
Evaluation............................................................................................................................................25
References...........................................................................................................................................27
3|Page
, Joshua Hall Assignment 1 – Learning Aim A Unit 8 – 2023
Unit 8 – Computer Games Development
Unit Introduction
My job as a junior developer at a software company that specializes in gaming has been given the
assignment of writing a report for the company's website explaining and evaluating the impact that
existing and evolving technologies have upon the creation and fabrication of videogames in the long-
term.
Social Trends in Gaming
The social trends in gaming are impacted by the following:
Genres
The genre of computer games is determined by the type of interaction or gameplay they provide,
i.e., the games are categorised according to the type of challenges they offer, regardless of the
setting or world experience they provide. A shooter game, for example, will be a shooter game
regardless of the environment in which it is played. Despite this, there can also be a subjective
element as some games can cross multiple genres. Some of the more recent game types are as
follow:
Action/ Shooter or FPS: There are many types of games, but First-Person Shooter (FPS) is
one of the most prominent types. FPS games allow players to engage in weapon-based
combat in a first-person perspective, for example Call of Duty falls under the action and FPS
category.
MMO: Another genre that is quite popular in the gaming industry is the MMO, which is an
acronym for massively multiplayer online games. Multiplayer games allow players to play
4|Page
