A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction

Video game
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"Video Games" redirects here. For other uses, see Video Games (disambiguation).
"Computer game" redirects here. For personal computer games, see PC game.
Two children playing Pong on a television set.
First generation Pong console at the Computerspielemuseum Berlin
WPVG icon 2016.svg
Video games
Platforms

Arcade video game Console game
    Game console Home console Handheld console Electronic game
    Audio game Electronic handheld Online game
    Browser game Social-network game Mobile game PC game
    Linux Mac Virtual reality game

Genres

Action
    Beat 'em up
        Hack and slash Fighting Platform Shooter Survival Battle royale Action-adventure
    Stealth Survival horror Adventure
    Interactive fiction Interactive movie Visual novel Gacha Game Role-playing
    Action role-playing Tactical role-playing Simulation
    Construction and management Life simulation Sports Vehicle Strategy
    4X Auto battler Multiplayer online battle arena Real-time strategy Real-time tactics Tower defense Turn-based strategy Turn-based tactics Horror Massively multiplayer online

Lists

Arcade video games Best-selling games
    franchises fastest-selling Highest-grossing games
    arcade mobile Longest-running franchises Most-played games
    mobile Games considered among the best Game of the Year awards Negative reception

Development

Game AI Game design
    Video game design Interaction Programming Art Graphics Music

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A video game[a] or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device – such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device – to generate visual feedback. This feedback is shown on a video display device, such as a TV set, monitor, touchscreen, or virtual reality headset. Video games are often augmented with audio feedback delivered through speakers or headphones, and sometimes with other types of feedback, including haptic technology. Computer games are not all video games—for example text adventure games, chess, and so on do not depend upon a graphics display.

Video games are defined based on their platform, which include arcade video games, console games, and personal computer (PC) games. More recently, the industry has expanded onto mobile gaming through smartphones and tablet computers, virtual and augmented reality systems, and remote cloud gaming. Video games are classified into a wide range of genres based on their type of gameplay and purpose.

The first video game prototypes in the 1950s and 1960s are simple extensions of electronic games using video-like output from large room-size computers. The first consumer video game is the arcade video game Computer Space in 1971. In 1972 came the iconic hit arcade game Pong, and the first home console, the Magnavox Odyssey. The quickly-growing industry suffered from the crash of the North American video game market in 1983 due to loss of publishing control and saturation of the market. Following the crash, the industry matured, dominated by Japanese companies such as Nintendo, Sega, and Sony, and established practices and methods around the development and distribution of video games to prevent a similar crash in the future, many which continue to be followed. Today, video game development requires numerous skills to bring a game to market, including developers, publishers, distributors, retailers, console and other third-party manufacturers, and other roles.

In the 2000s, the core industry centered on "AAA" games, leaving little room for riskier, experimental games. Coupled with the availability of the Internet and digital distribution, this gave room for independent video game development (or indie games) to gain prominence into the 2010s. Since then, the commercial importance of the video game industry has been increasing. The emerging Asian markets and mobile games on smartphones in particular are altering player demographics towards casual gaming and increasing monetization by incorporating games as a service. As of 2020, the global video game market has estimated annual revenues of US$159 billion across hardware, software, and services. This is three times the size of the 2019 global music industry and four times that of the 2019