Discovery Channel plans to air a new five-part series called Rise of the Video Game that looks into the evolution of video games and how we went from playing Pong to Halo. The show debuts on November 21 at 8 p.m. Each week, the network will air the next installment in the mini-series. Repeat showings of that week’s episode will also play on other days.
“Level One” – Nov 21, 8:00 p.m.
The video game started not with a bang, but with a ping. Where did simple games like Pong and Pac-Man come from? And how did these global phenomenons usher in the video game revolution?
“Level Two” – Nov 28, 8:00 p.m.
In the late ’70s, early ’80s, video games gained their face. Game creators became more liberated to create more complex video games and icons like Mario and Zelda began to give way to grittier characters. Learn how video game technology has evolved.
“Level Three” – Dec. 05, 8:00 p.m.
Video games go 3-D, but the details they capture in the new virtual worlds are both awe-inspiring and disturbingly realistic. Critics begin to question if games are becoming too real, too violent, too addictive. Game designers begin wrestling with ethics.
“Level Four” – Dec. 12, 8:00 p.m.
“God Games” begin simulating entire worlds and allow players to experiment with sometimes troubling cause and effect. Artificial intelligence creates lifelike characters and opens up opportunities for new learning tools and for artistic expression.
“Level Five” – Dec. 19, 8:00 p.m.
Can a computer game make you cry? Games gain an emotional dimension, interpersonal connection, and Hollywood worthy story lines as they evolve and move onto the Web. What do these virtual world games tell us about the way we live in the 21st century?
The ‘Father of the PlayStation’ has been announced as a recipient of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences’ 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award.
Two new special-edition DS bundles will go on sale in North America this Friday.
It seems natural that Hamonix is bringing the game Phase to the iPod.
