2014 TECHNOLOGY TODAY LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com September 30, 2014 page 17
with the Kinect, meeting with varying
degrees of success. Sony
attempted the same with the
Playstation Move.
In any case, motion control gaming
peripherals allow for the body to
become part of the gaming experience,
as players have to move controllers
(as seen with Nintendo products) or
their whole bodies via cameras and
sensors (seen with the Kinect). It is
this type of technology that contributes
to virtual reality consoles such as the
Oculus Rift, a console that the player
wears over their eyes to look into a
virtual setting. The machine, which is
still in development, tracks the user’s
head movements in order to create a
more immersive gaming experience.
In addition to apps and motion
controls, modern gaming has also
introduced the idea of disc-less
gaming. Today’s game-player, through
the use of Internet connectivity and the
Cloud, can purchase and store games
digitally, instead of having to purchase
physical copies. In addition, because
of the lack of necessity for discs or
cartridges, game companies are re-
releasing older titles from previous
generations on to newer consoles,
sometimes with updated graphics
and tighter control schemes. Finally,
the lack of a need for discs allows for
independent developers to release
games alongside the big-name titles.
In addition to consoles, the most
popular games today, such as Angry
Birds or Candy Crush, are played
using touch screens on phones and
tablets rather than televisions. In fact,
the popularity of these games has led
to an increase in game-playing by all
generations, thanks to the relative
ease of touch-screen control and easy
access.
So, thanks to technology that has come
along in recent years, especially that
of the Internet, entertainment has
entered a new age. This new age, while
built on the technology that came
before, is different in a very interesting
set of ways, and it is hard to imagine
anything that might come next.
Story by Derek Hurley
Many libraries offer digital and
Internet related services. The
Lincoln Public Library offers
numerous types of media
mentioned in this article for
informative or entertainment
purposes including audiobooks,
eBooks, music and videos. Visit
the Lincoln Public Library District
services page or stop in and talk
to the friendly staff to hear what
the library has to offer.
lincolnpubliclibrary.org/services.php
