What makes videogames fun? Is it the graphics? They certainly help, but at the core it is the gameplay which sells the experience. Nothing solidifies this statement more than the survival of the legendary videogame series Pong.
Released in 1972 from Atari Inc, Pong was the first videogame to receive mass acceptance and sparked a medium of entertainment that now today rivals the music and movie industries. Who knew two paddles bouncing a ball back and forth across a screen could become so popular.
While the more advanced gameplay mechanics have now taken center stage (just try explaining how we determine which weapon, maneuver, or strategy to use in Halo 2 to a novice gamer), Pong’s simplistic experience lives in a variety of ways, in casual games.
Easy to get into, without a huge commitment like some of the current-gen titles out there, casual games are continuing to make strides in popularity and acceptance. A perfect example is the flash based game, Shield Defense.
By taking the core Pong ideas and transforming it into a more modern, but easily accessibly experience, Shield Defense could be the poster-child for how casual games are resurging thanks to incorporating old ideas.
Anyone thinking about getting into videogames should definitely give games like Shield Defense and other casual games a go. They are simple, fun, and give a glimpse of the wondrous world of videogames.
Take the plunge.
