Emulator

Personal computer game - Hardware. Most setups will include a keyboard and mouse. Other common gaming peripherals are headset and microphone for faster communication with teammates or opponents in online games, joysticks for flight simulators and steering wheels for driving games. PC games have to deal with the constantly-improving PC hardware market that makes it potentially confusing for game buyers to tell if a new game is compatible with their machine. New CPUs and graphics cards are coming out all the ...

See also:

Personal computer game, Personal computer game - Overview, Personal computer game - History, Personal computer game - PC game development, Personal computer game - Game engines, Personal computer game - Notable developers, Personal computer game - Distribution media and marketing, Personal computer game - Traditional, Personal computer game - Shareware, Personal computer game - Web-based delivery, Personal computer game - Service-based delivery platform, Personal computer game - Piracy and warez, Personal computer game - Expansion packs, Personal computer game - Popular and notable genres of PC gaming, Personal computer game - Characteristics unique to PC gaming, Personal computer game - Moddability and user-created content, Personal computer game - Rich user experience, Personal computer game - More players in online gaming, Personal computer game - Preferences, Personal computer game - Computer gaming hardware, Personal computer game - Hardware, Personal computer game - Operating systems, Personal computer game - Multiplayer, Personal computer game - Cultural impact, Personal computer game - Japan, Personal computer game - UK and US, Personal computer game - Southeast Asia, Personal computer game - Screenshots

Read more here: » Personal computer game: Encyclopedia II - Personal computer game - Computer gaming hardware

Personal computer game - Moddability and user-created content. Main article: Mod (computer gaming) Computer games have a large and active following of mod communities. This may be attributed to easier access to the games' coding and perimeters using editing tools, courtesy of the personal computer's capability to run non-gaming programs. Also, easier access to the Internet using a personal computer m ...

See also:

Personal computer game, Personal computer game - Overview, Personal computer game - History, Personal computer game - PC game development, Personal computer game - Game engines, Personal computer game - Notable developers, Personal computer game - Distribution media and marketing, Personal computer game - Traditional, Personal computer game - Shareware, Personal computer game - Web-based delivery, Personal computer game - Service-based delivery platform, Personal computer game - Piracy and warez, Personal computer game - Expansion packs, Personal computer game - Popular and notable genres of PC gaming, Personal computer game - Characteristics unique to PC gaming, Personal computer game - Moddability and user-created content, Personal computer game - Rich user experience, Personal computer game - More players in online gaming, Personal computer game - Preferences, Personal computer game - Computer gaming hardware, Personal computer game - Hardware, Personal computer game - Operating systems, Personal computer game - Multiplayer, Personal computer game - Cultural impact, Personal computer game - Japan, Personal computer game - UK and US, Personal computer game - Southeast Asia, Personal computer game - Screenshots

Read more here: » Personal computer game: Encyclopedia II - Personal computer game - Characteristics unique to PC gaming

Personal computers, due mostly to input available from the keyboard, mouse, and third-party joystick peripherals, have been the home genres of games that have never proved popular on video game consoles. The PC, due to its relative advanced hardware compared to video game consoles, has seen the development of new genres of gaming not possible on other systems at the time. The most notable example of this is the first-person shooter. Some games, such as SimCity and Wing Commander have been ported to console, but to lessened, if ...

See also:

Personal computer game, Personal computer game - Overview, Personal computer game - History, Personal computer game - PC game development, Personal computer game - Game engines, Personal computer game - Notable developers, Personal computer game - Distribution media and marketing, Personal computer game - Traditional, Personal computer game - Shareware, Personal computer game - Web-based delivery, Personal computer game - Service-based delivery platform, Personal computer game - Piracy and warez, Personal computer game - Expansion packs, Personal computer game - Popular and notable genres of PC gaming, Personal computer game - Characteristics unique to PC gaming, Personal computer game - Moddability and user-created content, Personal computer game - Rich user experience, Personal computer game - More players in online gaming, Personal computer game - Preferences, Personal computer game - Computer gaming hardware, Personal computer game - Hardware, Personal computer game - Operating systems, Personal computer game - Multiplayer, Personal computer game - Cultural impact, Personal computer game - Japan, Personal computer game - UK and US, Personal computer game - Southeast Asia, Personal computer game - Screenshots

Read more here: » Personal computer game: Encyclopedia II - Personal computer game - Popular and notable genres of PC gaming

Personal computer game - Japan. Many Japanese gamers view personal computers as a business tool, and that games are best played on dedicated hardware. However, some genres like bishōjo games are popular. The MSX Computer series also impacted the future of games for computers and consoles alike. Personal computer game - UK and US. Gamers in the UK and US have embraced PC games from their inception and most PC games are developed in these countries. Among hardcore gamers there h ...

See also:

Personal computer game, Personal computer game - Overview, Personal computer game - History, Personal computer game - PC game development, Personal computer game - Game engines, Personal computer game - Notable developers, Personal computer game - Distribution media and marketing, Personal computer game - Traditional, Personal computer game - Shareware, Personal computer game - Web-based delivery, Personal computer game - Service-based delivery platform, Personal computer game - Piracy and warez, Personal computer game - Expansion packs, Personal computer game - Popular and notable genres of PC gaming, Personal computer game - Characteristics unique to PC gaming, Personal computer game - Moddability and user-created content, Personal computer game - Rich user experience, Personal computer game - More players in online gaming, Personal computer game - Preferences, Personal computer game - Computer gaming hardware, Personal computer game - Hardware, Personal computer game - Operating systems, Personal computer game - Multiplayer, Personal computer game - Cultural impact, Personal computer game - Japan, Personal computer game - UK and US, Personal computer game - Southeast Asia, Personal computer game - Screenshots

Read more here: » Personal computer game: Encyclopedia II - Personal computer game - Cultural impact

Zork I (pictured running on a modern emulator) Infocom (1980) Elite David Braben and Ian Bell (1984) Minesweeper Robert Donner (1989) Secret of Monkey Island LucasArts(1990) Stunts Brøderbund (1990) Dune II Westwood (1992) DooM id Software (1993) Ultima Online Origin Systems (1997) Grand Theft Auto DMA Design (1997) The Sims Maxis (2000) Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 Microsoft (2003)

Personal computer game, Personal computer game - Overview, Personal computer game - History, Personal computer game - PC game development, Personal computer game - Game engines, Personal computer game - Notable developers, Personal computer game - Distribution media and marketing, Personal computer game - Traditional, Personal computer game - Shareware, Personal computer game - Web-based delivery, Personal computer game - Service-based delivery platform, Personal computer game - Piracy and warez, Personal computer game - Expansion packs, Personal computer game - Popular and notable genres of PC gaming, Personal computer game - Characteristics unique to PC gaming, Personal computer game - Moddability and user-created content, Personal computer game - Rich user experience, Personal computer game - More players in online gaming, Personal computer game - Preferences, Personal computer game - Computer gaming hardware, Personal computer game - Hardware, Personal computer game - Operating systems, Personal computer game - Multiplayer, Personal computer game - Cultural impact, Personal computer game - Japan, Personal computer game - UK and US, Personal computer game - Southeast Asia, Personal computer game - Screenshots

Read more here: » Personal computer game: Encyclopedia II - Personal computer game - Screenshots

Once games have been made available in ROM format, it is often trivial for users to make modifications to the games. This may take the form of modifying graphics, changing the levels or even translating the game into a language in which it was not originally made available. Hacks can often take the form of humorous modifications to games, as is the case with a hack of the NES version of Mario Brothers, entitled “Afro Mario Brothers” ...

See also:

ROM image, ROM image - Usage of ROMs, ROM image - Changing Meaning, ROM image - Dumping ROMs, ROM image - Copy prevention mechanisms, ROM image - ROMs and Preservation, ROM image - Collecting ROMs, ROM image - Internet Distribution of ROMs, ROM image - Hacks & Fan Translations, ROM image - Legal Status of ROMs, ROM image - Games owned by the user, ROM image - Officially Licensed ROMs, ROM image - Freely Licensed ROMs, ROM image - Unlicensed ROMs, ROM image - Abandonware, ROM image - Commercial Distribution, ROM image - Enforcement

Read more here: » ROM image: Encyclopedia II - ROM image - Hacks & Fan Translations

The trading of ROMs over the internet is extremely widespread. Many methods are used for such distribution, including: http (normal web sites) and FTP (File Transfer Protocol) BitTorrent Direct Connect hubs eMule IRC DCC Usenet binaries Although the large size of newer games makes the distribution of more than one game at a time impractical, it is often the case for older games that many thousands of games may be distributed together as a collection. For example, the entire Good2600 set of 2,687 Atari 2600 games could be do ...

See also:

ROM image, ROM image - Usage of ROMs, ROM image - Changing Meaning, ROM image - Dumping ROMs, ROM image - Copy prevention mechanisms, ROM image - ROMs and Preservation, ROM image - Collecting ROMs, ROM image - Internet Distribution of ROMs, ROM image - Hacks & Fan Translations, ROM image - Legal Status of ROMs, ROM image - Games owned by the user, ROM image - Officially Licensed ROMs, ROM image - Freely Licensed ROMs, ROM image - Unlicensed ROMs, ROM image - Abandonware, ROM image - Commercial Distribution, ROM image - Enforcement

Read more here: » ROM image: Encyclopedia II - ROM image - Internet Distribution of ROMs

Personal computer game - Traditional. Typically, games are distributed via storage media that would be standard to personal computers, and distributed to local retailers. Different formats of floppy disks were initially the staple storage media of the 1980s and early 1990s, but has largely fallen back in practical use as the increasing sophistication of computer games also increased the overall size of the game's data and program files. Compact discs have largely replaced the role of floppy disks, supporti ...

See also:

Personal computer game, Personal computer game - Overview, Personal computer game - History, Personal computer game - PC game development, Personal computer game - Game engines, Personal computer game - Notable developers, Personal computer game - Distribution media and marketing, Personal computer game - Traditional, Personal computer game - Shareware, Personal computer game - Web-based delivery, Personal computer game - Service-based delivery platform, Personal computer game - Piracy and warez, Personal computer game - Expansion packs, Personal computer game - Popular and notable genres of PC gaming, Personal computer game - Characteristics unique to PC gaming, Personal computer game - Moddability and user-created content, Personal computer game - Rich user experience, Personal computer game - More players in online gaming, Personal computer game - Preferences, Personal computer game - Computer gaming hardware, Personal computer game - Hardware, Personal computer game - Operating systems, Personal computer game - Multiplayer, Personal computer game - Cultural impact, Personal computer game - Japan, Personal computer game - UK and US, Personal computer game - Southeast Asia, Personal computer game - Screenshots

Read more here: » Personal computer game: Encyclopedia II - Personal computer game - Distribution media and marketing

Personal computer game - Game engines. Main article: Game engine The term "game engine" arose in the mid-1990s, especially in connection with 3D games such as first-person shooters (FPS). Such was the popularity of id Software's Doom and Quake games that rather than work from scratch, other developers licensed the core portions of the software and designed their own graphics, character ...

See also:

Personal computer game, Personal computer game - Overview, Personal computer game - History, Personal computer game - PC game development, Personal computer game - Game engines, Personal computer game - Notable developers, Personal computer game - Distribution media and marketing, Personal computer game - Traditional, Personal computer game - Shareware, Personal computer game - Web-based delivery, Personal computer game - Service-based delivery platform, Personal computer game - Piracy and warez, Personal computer game - Expansion packs, Personal computer game - Popular and notable genres of PC gaming, Personal computer game - Characteristics unique to PC gaming, Personal computer game - Moddability and user-created content, Personal computer game - Rich user experience, Personal computer game - More players in online gaming, Personal computer game - Preferences, Personal computer game - Computer gaming hardware, Personal computer game - Hardware, Personal computer game - Operating systems, Personal computer game - Multiplayer, Personal computer game - Cultural impact, Personal computer game - Japan, Personal computer game - UK and US, Personal computer game - Southeast Asia, Personal computer game - Screenshots

Read more here: » Personal computer game: Encyclopedia II - Personal computer game - PC game development

Personal computers, due mostly to input available from the keyboard, mouse, and third-party joystick peripherals, have been the home genres of games that have never proved popular on video game consoles. The PC, due to its relative advanced hardware compared to video game consoles, has seen the development of new genres of gaming not possible on other systems at the time. The most notable example of this is the first-person shooter. Some games, such as SimCity and Wing Commander have been ported to console, but to lessened, if ...

See also:

Personal computer game, Personal computer game - Overview, Personal computer game - History, Personal computer game - PC Game Development, Personal computer game - Noteable Developers, Personal computer game - Distribution media and marketing, Personal computer game - Traditional, Personal computer game - Shareware, Personal computer game - Web-based delivery, Personal computer game - Service-based delivery platform, Personal computer game - Piracy and warez, Personal computer game - Expansion packs, Personal computer game - Popular and notable genres of PC gaming, Personal computer game - Characteristics unique to PC gaming, Personal computer game - Moddability and user-created content, Personal computer game - Rich user experience, Personal computer game - More players in online gaming, Personal computer game - Preferences, Personal computer game - Computer gaming hardware, Personal computer game - Hardware, Personal computer game - Operating systems, Personal computer game - Multiplayer, Personal computer game - Cultural impact, Personal computer game - Japan, Personal computer game - UK and US, Personal computer game - Southeast Asia, Personal computer game - Screenshots

Read more here: » Personal computer game: Encyclopedia II - Personal computer game - Popular and notable genres of PC gaming

Personal computer game - Moddability and user-created content. Main article: Mod (computer gaming) Computer games have a large and active following of mod communities. This may be attributed to easier access to the games' coding and perimeters using editing tools, courtesy of the personal computer's capability to run non-gaming programs. Also, easier access to the Internet using a personal computer m ...

See also:

Personal computer game, Personal computer game - Overview, Personal computer game - History, Personal computer game - PC Game Development, Personal computer game - Noteable Developers, Personal computer game - Distribution media and marketing, Personal computer game - Traditional, Personal computer game - Shareware, Personal computer game - Web-based delivery, Personal computer game - Service-based delivery platform, Personal computer game - Piracy and warez, Personal computer game - Expansion packs, Personal computer game - Popular and notable genres of PC gaming, Personal computer game - Characteristics unique to PC gaming, Personal computer game - Moddability and user-created content, Personal computer game - Rich user experience, Personal computer game - More players in online gaming, Personal computer game - Preferences, Personal computer game - Computer gaming hardware, Personal computer game - Hardware, Personal computer game - Operating systems, Personal computer game - Multiplayer, Personal computer game - Cultural impact, Personal computer game - Japan, Personal computer game - UK and US, Personal computer game - Southeast Asia, Personal computer game - Screenshots

Read more here: » Personal computer game: Encyclopedia II - Personal computer game - Characteristics unique to PC gaming

Personal computer game - Hardware. Most setups will include a keyboard and mouse. Other common gaming peripherals are headset and microphone for faster communication with teammates or opponents in online games, joysticks for flight sims and steering wheels for driving games. PC games have to deal with the constantly-improving PC hardware market that makes it potentially confusing for game buyers to tell if a new game is compatible with their machine. New CPUs and graphics cards are coming out all the time ...

See also:

Personal computer game, Personal computer game - Overview, Personal computer game - History, Personal computer game - PC Game Development, Personal computer game - Noteable Developers, Personal computer game - Distribution media and marketing, Personal computer game - Traditional, Personal computer game - Shareware, Personal computer game - Web-based delivery, Personal computer game - Service-based delivery platform, Personal computer game - Piracy and warez, Personal computer game - Expansion packs, Personal computer game - Popular and notable genres of PC gaming, Personal computer game - Characteristics unique to PC gaming, Personal computer game - Moddability and user-created content, Personal computer game - Rich user experience, Personal computer game - More players in online gaming, Personal computer game - Preferences, Personal computer game - Computer gaming hardware, Personal computer game - Hardware, Personal computer game - Operating systems, Personal computer game - Multiplayer, Personal computer game - Cultural impact, Personal computer game - Japan, Personal computer game - UK and US, Personal computer game - Southeast Asia, Personal computer game - Screenshots

Read more here: » Personal computer game: Encyclopedia II - Personal computer game - Computer gaming hardware

Personal computer game - Japan. Many Japanese gamers view personal computers as a business tool, and that games are best played on dedicated hardware. However, some genres like bishōjo games are popular. The MSX Computer series also impacted the future of games for computers and consoles alike. Personal computer game - UK and US. Gamers in the UK and US have embraced PC games from their inception and most PC games are developed in these countries. Among hardcore gamers there h ...

See also:

Personal computer game, Personal computer game - Overview, Personal computer game - History, Personal computer game - PC Game Development, Personal computer game - Noteable Developers, Personal computer game - Distribution media and marketing, Personal computer game - Traditional, Personal computer game - Shareware, Personal computer game - Web-based delivery, Personal computer game - Service-based delivery platform, Personal computer game - Piracy and warez, Personal computer game - Expansion packs, Personal computer game - Popular and notable genres of PC gaming, Personal computer game - Characteristics unique to PC gaming, Personal computer game - Moddability and user-created content, Personal computer game - Rich user experience, Personal computer game - More players in online gaming, Personal computer game - Preferences, Personal computer game - Computer gaming hardware, Personal computer game - Hardware, Personal computer game - Operating systems, Personal computer game - Multiplayer, Personal computer game - Cultural impact, Personal computer game - Japan, Personal computer game - UK and US, Personal computer game - Southeast Asia, Personal computer game - Screenshots

Read more here: » Personal computer game: Encyclopedia II - Personal computer game - Cultural impact

The success of the Fairlight CMI caused other firms to introduce sampling. New England Digital modified their Synclavier digital synth to perform sampling, while E-mu introduced a less costly sampling keyboard, the Emulator, in 1981. In the United States, a new sampler company called Ensoniq introduced the Ensoniq Mirage in 1985, at a price that made sampling affordable for the first time to the average musician. Though the Ensoniq Mirage was essentially a poor man's sampler with significantly inferior hardware specs, at less than $20 ...

See also:

Fairlight CMI, Fairlight CMI - History, Fairlight CMI - Influence, Fairlight CMI - Features Timeline, Fairlight CMI - Sound Clips, Fairlight CMI - Artists using the Fairlight CMI

Read more here: » Fairlight CMI: Encyclopedia II - Fairlight CMI - Influence

Quasar I, II, and (last) M8 (1975-1977) $20,000 USD base price Dual Motorola 6800 CPUs Made by Fairlight and Creative Strategies 8 voices (no sampling, just numeric additive synthesis with 128 harmonics) Memory: 4 kB per voice Synthesis: Fourier synthesis; dynamic harmonic control, waveform editing Hole paper tape reader CMI Series I (1979) 12,000 British pounds The first musical sampler 8 voices ...

See also:

Fairlight CMI, Fairlight CMI - History, Fairlight CMI - Influence, Fairlight CMI - Features Timeline, Fairlight CMI - Sound Clips, Fairlight CMI - Artists using the Fairlight CMI

Read more here: » Fairlight CMI: Encyclopedia II - Fairlight CMI - Features Timeline

Personal computer game - Noteable Developers. Developers of PC Games can be split into two distinct groups, Development Teams or Studios and the individual Programmers of those teams. Listed below are a number of influentual or noteable developers of PC Games. Development Groups/Companies: iD Software - Developed the Doom and Quake series Valve - Developed Half-life and Half-life 2 Bullfrog_Productions - Developed Dungeon Keeper, Theme Park (game) and Populou ...

See also:

Personal computer game, Personal computer game - Overview, Personal computer game - History, Personal computer game - PC Game Development, Personal computer game - Noteable Developers, Personal computer game - Distribution media and marketing, Personal computer game - Traditional, Personal computer game - Shareware, Personal computer game - Web-based delivery, Personal computer game - Service-based delivery platform, Personal computer game - Piracy and warez, Personal computer game - Expansion packs, Personal computer game - Popular and notable genres of PC gaming, Personal computer game - Characteristics unique to PC gaming, Personal computer game - Moddability and user-created content, Personal computer game - Rich user experience, Personal computer game - More players in online gaming, Personal computer game - Preferences, Personal computer game - Computer gaming hardware, Personal computer game - Hardware, Personal computer game - Operating systems, Personal computer game - Multiplayer, Personal computer game - Cultural impact, Personal computer game - Japan, Personal computer game - UK and US, Personal computer game - Southeast Asia, Personal computer game - Screenshots

Read more here: » Personal computer game: Encyclopedia II - Personal computer game - PC Game Development

The Commodore 64 had slow tape and disk drive protocols, taking minutes to load its 64K into RAM. As a result, while the cassette tape or disk loaded it was common for game companies to put up a graphics display and play music (or even offer rudimentary interaction with a simple game, or a way to manipulate the tune playing), in what was sometimes called a "loader". The combination of slow loading and an excellent sound chip may be why composers for Commodore game music have received somewhat more attentio ...

See also:

MOS Technology SID, MOS Technology SID - Design process, MOS Technology SID - Features, MOS Technology SID - Technical details, MOS Technology SID - Revisions, MOS Technology SID - Game audio, MOS Technology SID - Modern developments, MOS Technology SID - Notes

Read more here: » MOS Technology SID: Encyclopedia II - MOS Technology SID - Game audio

Personal computer game - Traditional. Typically, games are distributed via storage media that would be standard to personal computers, and distributed to local retailers. Different formats of floppy disks were initially the staple storage media of the 1980s and early 1990s, but has largely fallen back in practical use as the increasing sophistication of computer games also increased the overall size of the game's data and program files. Compact discs have largely replaced the role of floppy disks, supporti ...

See also:

Personal computer game, Personal computer game - Overview, Personal computer game - History, Personal computer game - PC Game Development, Personal computer game - Noteable Developers, Personal computer game - Distribution media and marketing, Personal computer game - Traditional, Personal computer game - Shareware, Personal computer game - Web-based delivery, Personal computer game - Service-based delivery platform, Personal computer game - Piracy and warez, Personal computer game - Expansion packs, Personal computer game - Popular and notable genres of PC gaming, Personal computer game - Characteristics unique to PC gaming, Personal computer game - Moddability and user-created content, Personal computer game - Rich user experience, Personal computer game - More players in online gaming, Personal computer game - Preferences, Personal computer game - Computer gaming hardware, Personal computer game - Hardware, Personal computer game - Operating systems, Personal computer game - Multiplayer, Personal computer game - Cultural impact, Personal computer game - Japan, Personal computer game - UK and US, Personal computer game - Southeast Asia, Personal computer game - Screenshots

Read more here: » Personal computer game: Encyclopedia II - Personal computer game - Distribution media and marketing

The SID was devised by engineer Robert Yannes, who later founded the Ensoniq digital synthesizer company. Yannes headed a team that included Yannes, two technicians and a CAD operator, who designed and completed the chip in five months' time. Yannes was inspired by previous work in the synthesizer industry and was not impressed by the current state of computer sound chips. He instead wanted a high-quality instrument chip, which is the reason to why the SID has features like the envelope generato ...

See also:

MOS Technology SID, MOS Technology SID - Design process, MOS Technology SID - Features, MOS Technology SID - Technical details, MOS Technology SID - Revisions, MOS Technology SID - Game audio, MOS Technology SID - Modern developments, MOS Technology SID - Notes

Read more here: » MOS Technology SID: Encyclopedia II - MOS Technology SID - Design process

Zork I (pictured running on a modern emulator) Infocom (1980) Elite David Braben and Ian Bell (1984) Minesweeper Robert Donner (1989) Secret of Monkey Island LucasArts(1990) Stunts Brøderbund (1990) DooM id Software (1993) Civilization II MicroProse (1996) Command & Conquer: Red Alert Westwood (1996) Ultima Online Origin Systems (1997) Grand Theft Auto DMA Design (1997) The Sims Maxis (2000) Micr ...

See also:

Personal computer game, Personal computer game - Overview, Personal computer game - History, Personal computer game - PC Game Development, Personal computer game - Noteable Developers, Personal computer game - Distribution media and marketing, Personal computer game - Traditional, Personal computer game - Shareware, Personal computer game - Web-based delivery, Personal computer game - Service-based delivery platform, Personal computer game - Piracy and warez, Personal computer game - Expansion packs, Personal computer game - Popular and notable genres of PC gaming, Personal computer game - Characteristics unique to PC gaming, Personal computer game - Moddability and user-created content, Personal computer game - Rich user experience, Personal computer game - More players in online gaming, Personal computer game - Preferences, Personal computer game - Computer gaming hardware, Personal computer game - Hardware, Personal computer game - Operating systems, Personal computer game - Multiplayer, Personal computer game - Cultural impact, Personal computer game - Japan, Personal computer game - UK and US, Personal computer game - Southeast Asia, Personal computer game - Screenshots

Read more here: » Personal computer game: Encyclopedia II - Personal computer game - Screenshots