The Games To Beat: Computer Fear & The Serious Stuff
Computer games and arcade machines are nowhere near as challenging as the ultimate computer games—those that are written as programs for play on the more sophisticated home computers. The technical stuff is that the computer games and arcade machines aren’t equipped with the kind of memory capacity and storage that a real home computer has with its 48K RAM memory and one or two disc drives.
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The Games To Beat: Computer Fear & The Serious Stuff
Computer games and arcade machines are nowhere near as challenging as the ultimate computer games—those that are written as programs for play on the more sophisticated home computers.
The technical stuff is that the computer games and arcade machines aren’t equipped with the kind of memory capacity and storage that a real home computer has with its 48K RAM memory and one or two disc drives. Because the games are limited in their computer capacity, they cannot ultimately achieve the complications and complexities that are possible with the home computer.
This includes both program strategy and detail of graphic display—for both of these important game elements are directly related to the computer’s capacity. A single chip in the original Pong game produced a simplistic display and limited action; the
"...the computer games and arcade machines aren't equipped with the kind of memory capacity and storage that a real home computer hos..."
computer memory of a Pac-Man game challenges you to beat a million as you observe the colorful subtleties of the TV art. The expensive home computer can step beyond even this; with the proper programs the graphics take on a dimensional quality with genuine detail, and the game plan steps beyond the boundaries ol eye/hand coordination.
This is perhaps the most significant step forward. A third dimension has been added to the program: the necessity of using the brain to outwit the computer. 01 course the brain is needed in the eye/hand game, but only as the coordinator ol physical actions. The action in the game program for the large computer is capable of games that may need no eye/hand action at all.
Instead the player is confronted with a problem, the solution to which allows the player to beat the computer and its program. This problem can be something like Space Invaders, in which case the eye/hand action is included, or it can be the most devious session of questions and answers you’ve ever encountered.
There are several manufacturers who offer games with their home computers. So the user can lighten up on his Home Finance program with his Space Wars program.
In some cases, the cost of a basic home computer is close to the higher class of home game computers. If you’re a serious player interested in the toughest action available, you should be aware that the hardest games of all are some of those that come as programs with the home computers.
