Evolutions in Gaming

Game consoles are encroaching on PC territory, says Mark Claypool, associate professor in the computer science department at Wooster Polytechnic Institute. "Now they have hard drives, main memory, a programmable processor, a big graphics card, and networking." While game consoles aren't upgraded as often as PCs are-the last upgrades were four and five years ago-the most recent upgrades share the common denominator of "more": more power, better graphics, and more connections with other players. Last year's releases from the big three in gaming consoles-Microsoft's Xbox 360, Nintendo's Wii, and Sony's PlayStation 3-represent an evolution in both technology and purpose, expanding game play and its applications.