Interactive Media

== Overview ==
The field of Interactive Media (colloquially video games) involves products comprised of a combination of moving images, text, and sounds on digital computer-based systems. These may include video games and/or websites that involve user interaction. While similar in some aspects, interactive media is differentiated from film by responding to the user or the audience's actions, involving them in the creation of the experience.
== Definition ==
Interactive Media is a term that has grown to encompass a huge amount of content. Since its inception in the late 70s, the idea of pairing digital media with user input has expanded greatly. The pairing is so successful compared to other forms of interactive entertainment (think board games) due to the fidelity with which digital media is able to adapt to input. While there is no standard definition for what constitutes a game (opposed to a film or an art piece), a common framework for analyzing games is the MDA framework. MDA (or Mechanics-Dynamics-Aesthetics) is a framework that breaks any game into three aspects:
Mechanics - the rules that dictate interaction.
Dynamics - the interaction and reaction of the player within the rule set.
Aesthetics - the desired experience, mood, tone, and feeling of the interaction.
A core part of this system is the recognition of dynamics, which incorporates interaction and reaction into the definition of the game. This is unique to interactive media, and falls in line with the more colloquial consensus is that a game must allow the player (consumer) some degree of agency. The player must, by some choice he has made, be able to alter the flow and outcome of their viewing experience.
Interactive media is most commonly consumed on a dedicated personal devices (referred to as a console), but as the industry has grown the number of platforms games are available on has as well. Due to device iteration, as of right now there are innumerable individual types of devices that host some form of interactive entertainment. This list ranges from the first computer ever created (host of SpaceWar -- one of the first piece of interactive media ever created), to modern smartphones.
Economically the video games industry has become hugely impactful. For the majority of the past decade, the American video games industry has had a higher revenue than any other form of consumer media, beating out film, TV, and music with an global revenue of $93 Billion in 2013, and an estimated international revenue of over $110 Billion dollars in 2015.
== Games as Art ==
There exists in the video game industry a desire to have games perceived as a valid art form by the general population. One of the core arguments for this assertion is that while often derivative of traditional artistic medium (visual, fine, film, and audio) games provide a unique experience by combining them together along with user interaction. Having player choice be an integral part of the experience, and responding to those choices lends gravity to the player’s interaction with the medium that is not present in any other form of artist medium.
Despite offering a unique experience, games are derivative of the artistic mediums that preceded them, and borrow heavily from the preexisting rules of composition and form, borrowing specifically from the principles of FILM. Framing, pacing, script writing, aural integration, lighting, and the concept of Mise en Scene are all borrowed from the formal school of film. Most notably the concept of Mise en Scene is powerful in interactive media, because the scene is very literally created from scratch. Literally every aspect of the scene is processed and deliberated on, and so the opportunity for a finely, precisely crafted experience is at its highest.
=== Artgames ===
While it is true that interactive media as a genre of media wishes to be perceived as an art form, there exists a subset of games that is created specifically as a type of art. In an attempt to separate themselves from traditionally entertainment focused titles, these games often subvert traditional genres and mechanics, and refer to themselves by the tongue-in-cheek term artgames, or notgames. The 'point' of the game is more often than not simply to experience the game, and they are often used as platforms for social commentary.
Some examples of notgames can be found below:
Lonliness by Jordan Magnuson
Oracle by ceMelusine
Dear Esther by thechineseroom
=== Games as Commentary ===
While not distinct from Artgames, interactive media has become a popular outlet for social and political commentary. The nature of video games and interactive media pieces means that they can be created and distributed relatively quickly by a small team (or even an individual). This combined with the fact that games allow for the use of the narrative and functional (if not visual) first person, means that they are an ideal medium for building empathy and conveying delicate emotion.
Some examples of games being used to form commentary can be found below:
Coming Out Simulator 2014 by Nickey Case
Cart Life by Richard Hoffmeier
Papers, Please by Lucas Pope
=== Genres ===
Like almost any other form of entertainment, video tend to be classified into genres. Unlike most other forms of entertainment however, these genres tend to be reflective of the game-play (or mechanics) opposed to the dramatic theme. Some popular genres are:
Role-Playing Games (RPGs) - Originating from the pen-and-paper role-playing games with a focus on story-telling, complexity, immersion, and character development, the user takes control over a protagonist and (sometimes) several party members and must gain experience in order to level up skills. Ex. Final Fantasy
Survival Horror - As the name suggests, these games have strong horror themes that try to scare the players as they struggle to survive. Ex. Resident Evil 
First Person Shooters (FPS) - Players use guns and projectile-based weaponry in order to fight while observing through the eyes of the protagonist. Ex. Call of Duty
Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOs) - With the ability to support a number of different players simultaneously via the Internet, these games span across most network-capable systems and represent a variety of other genres. Ex. World of Warcraft
Real Time Strategy Games (RTS) - These complex and demanding games require players to position their units to secure land or to conquer opponents, focusing on resource gathering and base building. Ex. Age of Empires
Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas (MOBAs) - Similar to RTS, the player uses computer-controlled units that march along set paths to destroy the opponent's main structure. Ex. Defense of the Ancients (DotA)
Adventure Games - There's a heavy focus on narrative as the player controls the protagonists through a series of objectives and puzzles. Ex. King's Quest 
Platformers - Jumping is the key feature of these games as the player must navigate jumps between platforms or over obstacles. Ex. Super Mario Bros.
4X Games - Players must take control of their empire and "eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate". Ex. Civilization
Racing Games - Exactly as the title suggests, these games involve one or more players racing against one another in cars, boats, planes, or all of the above. Ex. Mario Kart
Rhythm Games - These are music-themed games that test players' sense of rhythm as they press a sequence of buttons dictated on the screen with either their hands or feet. Ex. Guitar Hero 
Tactics Games - These include games like RTSs and MOBAs. 
Puzzle Games - With an emphasis on puzzle-solving, the player must use a variety of skills such as logic, pattern recognition, and physics to win the game. Ex. Portal
Casual Games - Simple rules and lack of commitment are what distinguish these games from other more hardcore games. Ex. Angry Birds
== History ==
A brief history of Interactive Media would start in 1962 with one of the first 'modern' computers ever build: the PDP-1 .In order to test its limitations, and the limitations of configurable code, researches at MIT had been creating test programs for the supercomputer since its creation in 1959, some even classifying as games, like Tic-Tac-Toe, and a Maze game. However In 1962 three researchers conceptualized and created SpaceWar, the first game exclusively for a digital platform. However, the kind of processing power required for SpaceWar would not be available to consumers for almost two decades.
In 1972 Atari released the first game to reach consumer success with the arcade console version of Pong, and in 1975 they released the home consumer version of it. Following the commercial and cultural success of Pong, various companies began developing video games both for the arcade setting, and for home console use. Notable players of the period include Space Invaders in 1978, Pac-Man in 1980, and Donkey Kong in 1981. This entertainment boom gave rise to companies like Namco, Sega, Atari, Nintendo, and Midway, and the games they produced were the seeds of cultural figureheads like the titular Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, and later the iconic Sonic and Mario.
These arcade machines and home adaptation were paramount throughout the 1980s, an era commonly referred to as the golden age of arcades. However, with the creation of the personal computers in the mid-1980s we see the reemergence of games on computers. Games like SpaceWar and the interactive text based game Adventure were making their way to home computers by 1984. While they had a brief period of success in the late 80s, PC games were quickly outpaced by consoles like the NES in 1988.
Video game history from this point on is the staggered advance of any growing industry, advancing in sudden bursts. Home consoles became more powerful and diverse in the 1990s, starting with the NES. This era gave birth too many of the genres and tropes we still see today. In the 1990s we see the re-emergence of PC gaming with the first online games taking the form of the text based MUDs (Multi-User Dungeons) and foundational titles like DOOM and Rogue. With every iteration of console or personal computer, graphical fidelity increased as well as software capability.
=== Today in Games ===
Today video games can present almost lifelike renderings, and simulate hugely complex systems with immaculate detail. The market today is composed primarily of four separate groups: PC games, Console games, handheld games, and Mobile Phone games. 
The most recent generation of home consoles launches in 2013, consisting of the Xbox One from Microsoft, the PlayStation 4 from Sony, and the Wii U from Nintendo. PC gaming is currently on the rise in popularity with infrastructure giants like Steam heralding in a new age for digital distribution. Mobile gaming is also a rapidly growing sector, and is expected to surpass console game revenue in 2015.
With digital distribution platforms like Steam and other app stores, and the increase in internet speed and reliability self-publishing is becoming more and more common among smaller game design studios and game developers. This has given birth to a large and bustling indie games scene, consisting of many smaller studios releasing smaller titles. This is in stark contrast to the traditional dominance projected by large AAA game companies in the past.
== Other Issues in Interactive Media ==
Video Games are a huge part of modern culture, and as something that has touched and been touched by nearly every aspect of society, there are many important and noteworthy tangential events in the industry.
=== GameGate ===
In 2014 the video game industry was shaken by an event now referred to as 'GameGate'. GameGate refers to both the debate, and the party that occupies one side of the debate. The debate is primarily focused on sexism in games, and social equality and representation in interactive media as a whole. Semantically the conflict was started when video games journalist Anita Sarkeesian, began to harassment in response to her viewpoints contained in her feminist video series Tropes vs Women in Video Games.
While the games industry as a whole attempts to move towards a more realistic and responsible portrayal of sex, gender, and race in games, Gamergate supporters argue that journalists and industry figureheads should not promote social equality at the cost of the industry's reputation. Unfortunately, both camp's political and intellectual viewpoints were lost in the torrential barrage of mudslinging, personal threats, and generalizations. The toxicity of the conflict reached such a height that it was picked up by non-industry new outlets, and magnified by their coverage. The fallout from these events is still resolving, and as of writing there have been over a dozen bomb-threats, thousands of personal threats, and the termination (either self-imposed or due to public demand) of several high profile members of the games industry.
=== E-Sports ===
As of 2014, 63% of the US population plays video games, and with their ubiquity a field known as e-sports has also gained in popularity significantly. E-sports (or electronic sports) is the spectating of video games at a competitive level. While there are many games that are played at a competitive level, and could be considered e-sports, the highest profiles games are Starcraft II, League of Legends, Dota 2, and Hearthstone. Of these four, League of Legends and Dota II are both the newest and most successful at generating an audience, and making e-sports financially and socially viable. Both of these games are MOBAs, and occupy a similar competitive structure, with an 8-10 month season followed by a championship. 
In 2014 LoL's World Championship Series had a total prize pool of over $2 Million, and a first place prize of $1 Million. The finals were held in Seoul South Korea in front of a sold out stadium of $40,000 fans, and was viewed by over 32 Million fans online.
Dota 2's 2014 International tournament had a fan-funded prize pool of over $11 Million, and was held in front of 10,000 fans, and viewed by more than 22 Million fans online.
=== Virtual Reality ===
Modern, affordable handheld and head-mounted devices such as the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Playstation VR have allowed virtual reality to reemerge in the interactive media landscape as potential mainstream gaming accessories.http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/beyond-the-rift-how-the-oculus-kick-started-a-diy-virtual-reality-movement Homebrew games and kit headsets such as Google Cardboard, with their low cost and minimal effort requirements to build fully functional devices, have become especially popular among enthusiasts.http://bitcortex.com/oculus-libre-open-source-hmd-inspired-by-oculus-rift/http://www.wearable.co.uk/reviews/google-cardboard-offers-homebrew-virtual-reality/ However, several major game developers have also given attention to virtual reality by incorporating VR-enabled features directly into their products.http://www.wareable.com/gaming/top-vr-games-for-oculus-rift-project-morpheus-gear-vr-and-project-cardboard
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