The World of Computer Gaming

The strategy and real-time strategy genre usually focuses on war simulation and strategy. Often pitting one army against another in an expansive environment and giving each side only a limited number of assets and weapons, strategy and real-time strategy (often abbreviated as RTS) games can easily take on a very chesslike feel. Putting a game in real time means that, unlike chess, the game is not turn-based. Both sides of the battle are working to defeat the other in whichever time frame they see fit. Warcraft, Command & Conquer is an example of a strategy game.

Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs)

A relatively new genre, the MMORPG has quickly become one of the most popular and financially lucrative genres being created today. Unlike traditional role-playing games, the MMORPG requires an Internet connection (usually broadband) and cannot be played off-line. In an MMORPG, you play against other players scattered across the globe, as well as computer-controlled characters found within the game. The game takes place in a “persistent world,” meaning that even when you log off your computer, the video game world continues to exist. MMORPGs rarely have an ending and can be played for hundreds of hours without repeating a single mission or task. Creators of MMORPGs have to constantly keep an eye on their virtual world, making sure things are working smoothly, adding additional content to keep players satisfied, and releasing “patches” to fix bugs or make changes. This is why most MMORPGs charge their customers a monthly fee in addition to the cost of the software. Popular MMORPGs include Everquest and World of Warcraft.

Puzzle Games

A simple yet extremely popular genre, puzzle games are built to be played in short spurts and usually involve either solving a series of puzzles or setting a high score. Tetris, generally considered to be the world's most popular and widely played video game, set the standard early on in the 1980s for the puzzle game genre.

Unclassifiable

While the vast majority of games released today can be placed into one of the previously described genres, occasionally a game is released that tries something completely different and therefore doesn't fit into any known video game genre. Dancing and karaoke games, or even top-selling games such as Myst often live on as genres unto themselves. When thinking of new game ideas or possible changes you would make to the video game industry, don't get boxed in by the concept of genre. After all, you could be the one to create a brand-new video game genre. Your idea could go on to become a cultural phenomenon that changes the video game industry forever.

Now that you have a general understanding of the video game industry and how a video game comes to life, it's time to examine the many different jobs involved in video game creation.