video game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user
interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video
game traditionally referred to a raster display device.[1] However, with the
popular use of the term "video game", it now implies any type of display device.
The electronic systems used to play video games are known as platforms; examples
of these are personal computers and video game consoles. These platforms range
from large mainframe computers to small handheld devices. Specialized video
games such as arcade games, while previously common, have gradually declined in
use.
The input device used to manipulate video games is called a game controller, and
varies across platforms. For example, a dedicated console controller might
consist of only a button and a joystick. Another may feature a dozen buttons and
one or more joysticks. Early personal computer games often needed a keyboard for
gameplay, or more commonly, required the user to buy a separate joystick with at
least one button.[2] Many modern computer games allow, or even require, the
player to use a keyboard and mouse simultaneously.
Video games typically also use other ways of providing interaction and
information to the player. Audio is almost universal, using sound reproduction
devices, such as speakers and headphones. Other feedback may come via haptic
peripherals, such as vibration or force feedback, with vibration sometimes used
to simulate force feedback
.