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Free Car Service Manuals from Operation CHARM - No strings attached!

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Operation CHARM provides completely free repair/service/workshop manuals for over 50,000 models of cars and trucks manufactured 1982-2013. No sign-up or paywall.

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UPDATED JAN. 2020-What JDM listicle would be complete without giving props to the cars that have given our-and consequently your-eyes a proverbial boner over the years? Our top 20 JDM cars of all time (it's actually 24; some of these stories double up on vehicles) rounds up the most popular builds we've featured from Japan over the years, ranging from Civics and Skylines to S-chassis, RX-7s, AE86s, and others. We know there are tons of modified rides that are completely worthy to fill a top 100, but we had to limit this list to what we could pull out of our collective archives, and builds that are actually from Japan, ordered from most visited on down. We humbly submit the top of the top ...

Why We Love It:
The FD2 R was the first with 4 doors, and the limited edition Mugen double R version-of which only 300 were produced-pooped all over the USDM Mugen Si. Available in just one color, Milano Red, the hotted-up Type R was faster around Tsukuba Circuit than its factory counterpart by some 2 seconds, and we still think the RR is the Mugen Civic we wish Honda would've sold here in the States.

Why We Love It:
In an exercise to show off its Hurtling Solid & Joker line of affordable aero, Varis proves again it still has the magic touch. The subtle HS&J body sculpting and use of Ridox front fenders and BMW Lime Rock grey paint on this demo A80 owned by Naohiro Yahagi preceded an even more aggressive-looking package from Varis-the Supreme Wide Body kit-that really pushes out the fenders, but we're partial to Naohiro's narrow body project.

90 Honda Civic
B18C; Jun camshafts, valvesprings, retainers, slide cam sprockets; TODA timing belt; Skunk2 composite fuel rail; SARD 380cc injectors, fuel pressure regulator; custom intake pipe, head porting, exhaust system; Spoon high-tension cord, radiator hoses; Mugen exhaust manifold; Rywire Mil-spec wiring harness; Exedy Hyper Single VF clutch; ATS 3rd/4th/5th gear close ratio gear set; 1.5-way clutch-type limited-slip differential; A'PEXi Power FC; Mechadock coilovers; Cusco tower bar; seam welding; spot rivets; 15x7.5-in. +35 front, 15x7-in. +35 rear Volk Racing TE37 wheels; 225/50R15 front, 195/55R15 rear Yokohama ADVAN A050 tires; custom blue paint; Exceed carbon-fiber hood; custom headlight duct, fenders, rear bumper; Fuel Safe fuel cell; custom rollcage, fuse and relay box, switch panel, swirl pot; Shorai battery; Defi gauges; Bride seats; HKS Circuit Attack Counter lap timer

Mods:
Mazda Cosmo 20B tri-rotor engine conversion; RE Amemiya 45mm exhaust manifold, 70mm-to-60mm custom exhaust; Mazda RX-8 six-speed transmission; Ogura Clutch metal single plate clutch; OS Giken/RE Amemiya SPL Super Lock limited-slip differential; RE Amemiya Extreme Link ECU with custom tune; custom RE Amemiya-spec Endless coilovers with Swift springs; Endless brakes with six-piston front calipers; 17x9-in. +20 front, 17x9.5-in. +8 rear Enkei PF07 wheels; 245/40R17 front, 255/40R17 rear Yokohama ADVAN Sport V105 tires; custom green paint; Bride EXAS III seats; custom RE Amemiya quick-release; AIM Cluster MXL Strada meters

'00 Mazda RX-7
TO4S turbo; V-mount intercooler; R33 Skyline fuel pump; Cusco Hyper single clutch; RE Amemiya quick shift kit; A'PEXi Power FC; HKS EVC 6 boost controller; Cusco ZERO-3 coilovers; Satoru Works knuckles; JIC reinforced tie rod; 18x10.5-in. +18 Volk Racing TE37 wheels; 265/35R18 Dunlop Direzza ZII Star Spec tires; Bride seats; Saito Racing rollcage; TCP Magic Type GT widebody fenders; RE Amemiya front bumper, GT wing, rear diffuser; Car Shop Glow LED front combination lamp, LED tail lamp, rear duck tail; Scoot Sports hood; Mazioria Trapezium five-stage paint

Why We Love It:
This is the Supra Smoky Nagata wanted, instead of a BMW-a gold, widebody, 1,000hp, twin-turbo V12-powered MkIV. Your move, Toyota.

Mods:
OEM K20A Type R valve cover, alternator bracket, alternator, air conditioning compressor, air conditioning compressor bracket; Skunk2 Pro Series intake manifold, Alpha Series header; K-Tuned fuel rail, coil pack cover, tensioner bracket, mufflers; OEM Acura RDX Denso injectors; Mishimoto aluminum radiator, transmission oil cooler, reserve tank; custom exhaust; wire tuck; shaved engine bay; HKS F-Con IS; custom coilovers, sway bars, front upper control arms; Voodoo13 rear control arm, front lower control arms; 380mm front, 355mm rear StopTech big brake kits; 19x10.5-in. Arcane Legend wheels in high polish with titanium hardware; 235/35R19 Nitto NT555 tires; OEM Acura TSX wagon front bumper, rear bumper, headlights, front grill, taillights, rear gate, rear gate panel, roof antenna, mirrors, front underbody spoiler, side underbody spoiler, body side molding, door handle frames, all glass, windshield wipers and arms; OEM Milano Red paint; black chrome grille emblem, side window moldings, door handles; Status Racing SRA Icon seats, harnesses; suede and leather diamond stitched seats, door panels; OEM Acura TSX leather steering wheel, leather shift knob, SRS air bag, hazard switch, steering wheel hands-free switch, sun visor, upper console (Homelink switch), scuff plate, dimmer switch, turn signal stalk, passenger airbag warning light, ELS system, rear pillar garnish, gauge cluster, window switch, A/C switch panel, center console, side brake handle

Why We Love It:
Obsessive doesn't begin to describe the amount of work put into Norifumi Kobayashi's
Honda wagon, and there's no shortage of equally impressive aspects, such as the USDM-styled shaved engine bay-raising the bar here from the other side of the ocean.

'98 Nissan Skyline 25GT Turbo (ER34)
RB26DETT swap; TRUST T78 33D turbine kit, 272? lift 9.1 cam, three-layer intercooler, surge tank; NISMO adjustable fuel pressure regulator, reinforced fuel pump; SARD 720cc injectors; Buddy Club 90mm stainless muffler with removed silencer; OS Giken triple-plate clutch; KAAZ two-way differential; 4.9 final gear; reinforced mission mount; HKS Fcon Vpro, EVC 5, A/F knock amplifier; BNR34 GT-R V-Spec speedometer and tachometer; Defi Link Meter; A'PEXi N1 Damper Pro coilovers; Swift 14K front, 12K rear springs; custom pillow ball tension rods, front and rear adjustable upper arms; HICAS cancel rods; slotted and dimpled front rotors; BNR32 drilled rear rotors; Project Mu HC pads and side shoes; NISMO braided lines; 18x10.5-in. +12 Gram Lights 57 CR wheels (Glossy black driver, Gun blue II passenger); 255/35R18 front, 265/35R18 rear Dunlop Direzza ZII Star Spec tires; 30mm and 40mm rear spacers; Top Secret front bumper with custom ducts; Z Tune GT-R hood; URAS Z Tune front fenders; NISMO side steps; N-Style over-fenders; OEM BNR34 rear bumper; Blitz rear wing; Ganador Aero mirrors; custom carbon-fiber front under panel, side panels, canards, rear diffuser, diffuser fin, rear fender deflectors; OEM QM1 white paint with rainbow flakes; Recaro SP-G driver, SR-3 passenger seats; Takata four-point harnesses; Personal Pole Position steering wheel; seven-point rollcage

Mods:
1.6L 4AG; AE92 4AGZ oil pump, pistons, crankshaft, and coil system; AE101 20v rods; ported cylinder head; Toda camshafts and valvesprings; 1.5mm head gasket; NGK #10 spark plugs; Bosch fuel pump (x2); ATL fuel tank; Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 550cc injectors; SARD fuel pressure regulator; TD05-20G turbo; HKS wastegate; HPI air filter; custom Total Create E. PRIME 80mm exhaust piping and 45mm exhaust manifold; modified Mazda FD3S intercooler; Setrab oil cooler; Koyo radiator; Nissan Skyline 71C transmission with custom bellhousing; OS Giken Super Single clutch and flywheel; 3.9:1 final gear ratio; Cusco two-way limited-slip differential; Freedom ECU; Ennepetal front suspension; TRD rear shocks; TEIN springs; TRD stabilizer bars; custom Total Create E. PRIME strut bar and 14-point rollcage; spot-welded chassis; Mazda FD3S front calipers; Endless brake rotors and pads; 15x9.5-in. Work Equip 40 wheels; 225/50R15 ADVAN A050 tires; NA Works front bumper; custom Total Create E. PRIME front fenders and rear over-fenders; Mercury side skirts; Subaru Violet Blue paint; OMP steering wheel; Bride Zeta III bucket seat; Sabelt harnesses; Defi meters; Ultra tachometer

Mods:
'96 1.8L Honda B18C (Integra Type R); Hasport engine mounts; Mugen JASMA 4-1 exhaust manifold; Skunk2 Pro Series intake manifold, adjustable cam gears, composite fuel rail, 80mm throttle body; Alpha Series half-size radiator, cooling hoses, oil cap, radiator cap; Blox Racing fuel pressure regulator; -AN fuel fittings, fuel lines; Tactical Art custom intake pipe, 60mm stainless straight-pipe exhaust; Downstar Inc. engine bolts, accessory hardware; S80 five-speed manual transmission; K-Tuned B-series shifter; Hondata S300; Rywire Mil-spec engine harness; Tactical Art coilovers with 20kg front, 18kg rear spring rates; custom rollcage, rear speaker decklid delete; Function7 rear subframe brace, Ultra-Light control arms; Rywire brake line kit, custom steel lines; 16x8.5-in. CCW D110 wheels; 225/45R16 Advan Neova AD08; OEM '99-'00 Ferio Vi-RS grille, front bumper, rear bumper, trunk; USDM '99-'00 headlights, taillights; custom carbon-fiber canards; Tactical Art/Exceed JP front lip; engine bay repainted in Tactical Art Gray; Mechadock/Exceed JP carbon-fiber hood; Lamborghini Arancio Ishtar paint; Bride Zeta III Sport seats; Takata Race safety harnesses; MOMO steering wheel; NRG steering hub, quick release

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UPDATED JAN. 2020-What JDM listicle would be complete without giving props to the cars that have given our-and consequently your-eyes a proverbial boner over the years? Our top 20 JDM cars of all time (it's actually 24; some of these stories double up on vehicles) rounds up the most popular builds we've featured from Japan over the years, ranging from Civics and Skylines to S-chassis, RX-7s, AE86s, and others.

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RIDE NOW. PAY LATER.

Thanks to our special financing offers, a fantastic new bicycle is within your reach. Increase your buying power, and take home a new bike as well as cycling apparel and equipment today! We offer deferred interest special financing plans, allowing you to ride now and pay later.

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Don's Bicycles | Rialto & Redlands, CA | Bike Shop

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Don's Bicycles of Rialto and Redlands, CA has been serving cyclists since 1959. We're proud to have an excellent selection, professional service, and fair prices. Stop in today for your cycling gear.

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The Verge 's gaming section brings the latest video game news, reviews of the most exciting releases, and interviews with the industry's biggest names. We cover everything from PlayStation and Xbox blockbusters, to quirky Nintendo games, to the cool indie gems on PC and Android that you might otherwise miss.

Featured stories

Meta's latest Quest VR headset update will let you better fine-tune your avatar.

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The Verge 's gaming section brings the latest video game news, reviews of the most exciting releases, and interviews with the industry's biggest names. We cover everything from PlayStation and Xbox blockbusters, to quirky Nintendo games, to the cool indie gems on PC and Android that you might otherwise miss.

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Unfortunately the other schools I have chosen to go to are no longer accepting admission so I can't give any details🥲

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200 Million used auto parts instantly searchable. Shop our large selection of parts based on brand, price, description, and location. Order the part with stock number in hand.

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Entrance hours

Admission: $5
Must Be 16 Years Old To Enter Facility

We Pull Parts!

*Ask Sales Associate for Details

Parts, inventory, & pricing for Pick Your Part - San Bernardino

Quality Auto Parts - LKQ Pick Your Part Auto Parts of San Bernardino, CA, has thousands of used cars and used trucks for you to choose from. LKQ Pick Your Part Auto Parts has acres of the most popular early and late model used automobiles, both import and domestic, including: Chevy, Dodge, Ford, Nissan, Honda and Toyota as well as many others. Dozens of new used cars and trucks enter their salvage yard everyday ensuring you'll receive the best selection of used car parts to pull from in the San Bernardino area. Just bring your tools and wear clothing you don't mind getting dirty. And please, no open toe shoes (this is a salvage yard). LKQ Pick Your Part Auto Parts supplies wheelbarrows and engine hoists free of charge to help you pull larger used parts. LKQ Pick Your Part is San Bernardino leading salvage car buyer, paying the most money for cars in the area. Call 1-800-962-2277 for your free quote and find out what your car is worth today.

Yard inventory map

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Are you looking to sell your old car? We'll buy it today! LKQ Pick Your Part - San Bernardino is the leading used car buyer in the San Bernardino, CA area. We'll pay you top dollar for your used or junk car regardless of the condition. Whether your used car is still running or it's an old junk car taking up space in the driveway, we'll buy it! The best part is, when you sell us your car, we can provide you with free car removal services. Get your free no-obligation quote today, to see how much you can make on your used car sale. Call one of our friendly representatives at 1-800-962-2277 to get your quote today!

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I love going to LKQ when I need to fix my old Grand Cherokee. It's almost like going on a treasure hunt whenever I go there and it's a very economical way for me to maintain my cars.

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Frequently asked questions

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Used Auto Parts in San Bernardino 92410 | LKQ Pick Your Part

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LKQ Pick Your Part has the largest selection of affordable used auto parts in San Bernardino. Our yard is stocked with the best selection of Domestic, Imports, Trucks and SUVs. Bring Your Tools, Pull Your Parts, and Save!

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The Honda CR-X (styled in some markets as Honda CRX), originally launched as the Honda Ballade Sports CR-X in Japan, is a front-wheel-drive sport compact car manufactured by Honda from 1983 until 1991 with nearly 400,000 produced during this period. The first-generation CRX was marketed in some regions outside Japan as the Honda Civic CRX. Although there are many supposed definitions for the initialism CR-X, the most widely accepted is "Civic Renaissance Experimental".

In the U.S., the CRX was marketed as an economy sport Kammback with room for two passengers while Japanese and European market cars came with a 2+2 seating arrangement. Redesigned for the 1988 model year and produced until 1991, the CRX was popular for its performance, nimble handling, and good fuel economy. The CR-X was replaced by Honda's CR-X del Sol, which was marketed as a CR-X in some markets.

In 1983 for the 1984 model year, Honda introduced an all-new two-seater that shared the drivetrain with the Civic but offered unique styling and interior furnishings. At its introduction, the CR-X was available in Japan through Honda Verno dealership sales channels, and accompanied the Vigor, the Quint, and the Prelude. In North America, the CRX was marketed in two versions: economy and sport. The economy model used a new aluminum 1.3-liter CVCC four-cylinder engine. The sportier model featured an aluminum 1.5-liter 12-valve engine and was available with either a 5-speed manual or a 3-speed automatic transmission.

For 1985, Honda North America replaced the economy model with an HF (high fuel) model featuring a 1.5-liter engine which uses an aluminum block but the 1984 CVCC cylinder head (two valves per cylinder) instead of the new aluminum head with three valves per cylinder. In spring 1985, Honda introduced an Si (Sports, injected) model featuring a more powerful 1.5-liter SOHC PGM-FI four-cylinder engine. The Si model included a power sunroof, standard dual remote exterior mirrors, rear wiper, 13-inch alloy wheels and an Si-exclusive ducktail spoiler for the hatch.

For 1986, Honda updated the CRX with new aerodynamic headlights. The Si received body color matched lower cladding, a revised rear spoiler, new bumper covers and 14-inch alloy wheels. The interior was upgraded and added a center console with cassette tape storage. 1987 was virtually unchanged from 1986 and would be the final year of the first-generation CRX.

The CR-X design was inspired by the Alfa Romeo GT Junior Zagato which the Honda CR-X designer owned.

The Japanese Si and European 1.6i-16 models came with a 1.6-litre 16-valve DOHC 4-cylinder engine putting out 135 PS (99 kW; 133 hp) in the UK-spec model and 140 PS (103 kW; 138 hp) in the JDM model. Though similar versions of the same engine, the Japanese Si engine was stamped ZC, while the European engine was stamped ZC1.

The original 1.3-liter car (chassis code AE532) had an EPA highway mileage rating of 52 miles per U.S. gallon (4.5 L/100 km; 62 mpg ‑imp) in 1984 and was reported to often achieve over 70 miles per U.S. gallon (3.4 L/100 km; 84 mpg ‑imp) in favorable driving conditions. The later 1.5-liter American-market CRX HF (high fuel economy) model (chassis codes EC1 and AF) could also reliably achieve very good gas mileage, more than a decade before gas-electric hybrids appeared on the market, and at no price premium over the base model; the 1.5-liter is rated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (under the new rating system) at 42 miles per U.S. gallon (5.6 L/100 km; 50 mpg ‑imp) city and 51 miles per U.S. gallon (4.6 L/100 km; 61 mpg ‑imp) highway.

Second generation

Production

1987-1991

Engine

1.5 L 62 hp D15B6 I4 (1988-89)
72 hp D15B6 I4 (1990-91)
1.5 L 92 hp D15B2 I4
1.5 L 103 hp D15B
1.6 L 105 HP D16A6 I4 (1988)
1.6 L 108 hp D16A6 I4 (1989-91)
1.4 L D14A1 I4[7]
1.6 L 130 hp I4
1.6 L 120hp D16A8 I4
1.6 L 125-129hp D16A9 I4
1.6 L 130 hp D16ZC I4
1.6 L VTEC 150-160 hp B16A1 I4

Transmission

5-speed manual
4-speed automatic (base model only)

Length

3,759 mm (148 in) (1990-91)
3,754 mm (147.8 in) (1988-89)

Width

1,674 mm (65.9 in) (1990-91)
1,669 mm (65.7 in) (1988-89)

Height

1,273 mm (50.1 in) (1990-91)
1,270 mm (50 in) (1988-89)

The Honda CR-X was completely redesigned by late 1987 for the 1988 model year. The wheelbase increased 4 in (102 mm) overall, length increased by 3.2 in (81 mm) and width is nearly 2 in (51 mm) wider than the previous model. The suspension was completely redesigned. Honda abandoned the original torsion bar in the front and beam axle with trailing link in the rear in favor of a 4-wheel double-wishbone suspension. The larger design and revised suspension brought improvements in handling as well passenger and cargo space versus the previous generation.

The CR-X received a mild refresh for the 1990 model year. The VTEC equipped models also received a makeover with updated bumpers, lights, hood, brakes, suspension and dashboard design amongst other features. Additionally, some of these design changes were added to the concurrent non-VTEC models.

One of the options for the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) CR-X was a glass roof, a fixed glass panel which stretched from the top of the windshield to the top of the hatch opening. Relatively common in Japan, these are sought-after models in other markets.

Outside of North America, the second generation CR-X was available with a 1.5-litre SOHC 4-cylinder engine or an updated version of the 1.6-litre DOHC 4-cylinder (ZC) engine. Many of these were fitted with fuel injection as standard.

In September 1989, Honda added the 1.6-litre 16-valve DOHC VTEC 4-cylinder B16A engine to the lineup outside of North America. The VTEC (variable valve timing and lift electronic control) engine provided increased power at high RPMs while still allowing low fuel consumption and better idling at low RPMs. The B16A produced 160 PS (118 kW; 158 hp) in the Japanese SiR model and 150 PS (110 kW; 148 hp) in the B16A1 that came in the European 1.6i-VT model. The CR-X was the second car to receive a DOHC VTEC engine, shortly after the Honda Integra XSi.

The CR-X equipped with the 1.6-litre DOHC 4-cylinder engine or the 1.6-litre DOHC VTEC 4-cylinder engine came with a different bonnet since the twin-cam engines were taller and required additional bonnet clearances in comparison to the SOHC engines. The 1.6-litre DOHC engine was only slightly taller than the 1.6-litre SOHC engine and required a different bonnet with a bump on one side which offered the additional necessary clearance to clear the cam gear cover. Cars equipped with a 1.6-litre DOHC VTEC 4-cylinder engine came with a bonnet that was raised across most of the engine bay to offer additional overall clearance for the taller engine.

In some LHD European markets, there was also the option of the D14A1 engine with automatic gearbox which featured twin carburetors.

ABS was optional on the Japanese SiR and came standard on the UK 1.6i-VT model, but never came on the LHD European 1.6i-VT.

In the US, three different trim levels were available: The standard (unlabeled, sometimes called the "DX") equipped with the 1.5-liter 16-valve dual-point fuel injection 4-cylinder D15B2 engine, the HF ("high fuel efficiency") model with the 1.5-liter 8-valve multi-point fuel injection (MPFI) 4-cylinder D15B6 engine, or the Si (sport injected) model with the 1.6-liter 16-valve MPFI 4-cylinder D16A6 engine. The base model was available with either a 5-speed manual transmission or a 4-speed automatic transmission while the HF and Si only offered a 5-speed manual transmission. A modification made to the rear on all second-generation vehicles is a heavily-stippled black glass panel installed on the upper half of the rear of the vehicle, above the tail lights which aided in rearward visibility.

Air conditioning was a dealer-installed option on all models. The Si model came with a power-sliding sunroof, a rear wiper and 14-inch alloy wheels. Underneath, the Si model was equipped with a rear anti-sway bar along with variable-ratio rack-and-pinion steering. The 90-91 Si models had 4-wheel disc brakes.

There were a total of six colors offered each model year. Four color options were available on the CRX and CRX Si and two color options were available for the CRX HF. Color availability would vary based on trim package and the interior color would depend on the exterior color choice.

1988

First year of the second-generation CRX.

1989

Si and base model change to door-mounted seatbelts to comply with federal regulations. Revision due to automatic seatbelt requirements.[citation needed ]

Si model's horsepower increased to 108 bhp (81 kW) (105 bhp (78 kW) in 1988) due to a revised camshaft.

1990

Minor changes to headlights, bumpers and taillights.

Instrument cover is now slightly more rounded.

Hazard switch relocated to the dashboard.

Si models now come equipped with four-wheel disc brakes.

Si models receive updated 14-inch alloy wheels.

Blade silver color is discontinued and replaced by Polar white.

1991

Barbados yellow color is replaced by Tahitian green on the Si model.

Polar white color is replaced by Frost white.

Final year of the second-generation CRX.

In 1992, Honda replaced the CR-X with a new, targa topped, Civic-based model called the Honda CR-X del Sol. The CR-X del Sol was also badged as the Civic del Sol and later the del Sol in some markets, and known simply as the CR-X in others. It is because of this that the del Sol is generally considered the "third-generation CR-X" among enthusiasts. In the United States, the del Sol came in three trim lines: S (VXi in Japan, later VGi), Si (ESi in Europe), and VTEC (VTi in Europe); the JDM SiR model featured a 1.6-liter 170 hp (130 kW) B16 SiR-II DOHC VTEC 4-cylinder engine. Production of the del Sol ended in 1997 in North America, elsewhere in 1998 and thus, the CR-X line was retired.

Articles on the first-generation Honda Insight have compared its appearance to that of the 1984-1991 CRX.

In 2010, thirteen years after the end of CRX production, Honda released the CR-Z, regarded as the spiritual successor to the CRX.

Consumer reporter David Horowitz tested the 1984 CRX's fuel economy claim in a "Commercial Challenge" on his TV series commercials for the CRX claimed it could reach 60 miles per gallon fuel economy; according to Horowitz's test, it bested that figure, reaching 65 miles per gallon, and passed the test.

In Australia, the 1988-1991 CR-X was assessed in the Used Car Safety Ratings 2006 as providing "significantly worse than average" protection for its occupants in the event of side impact. Both versions of the CR-X got good safety marks (4 and 5 stars) in the NHTSA Crash Test Results for 1997 US NCAP.

The US version of the second-generation CR-X employed the use of side-impact door beams on some models. These models can be identified by the mounting position of the safety belts. If the belt is mounted in the door, the beams are present. If the belt is mounted in the body, there is no additional reinforcement. 1988 and 1989 HFs along with 1988 Sis and base models have the B-pillar mounted restraints, like all versions sold outside of the US.[citation needed ]

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States has determined frontal crash test ratings of Honda CRX of different model years.

Like the Civic, due to the wide availability of parts, the CR-X is popular for motorsport usage. In the United Kingdom, there was a one-make series dedicated to the series 2 of the CR-X which soldiered on a few years after the series 3 was introduced and was popular for showroom stock racing series. Today, the car is popular for use in drag, autocross and road racing events.[citation needed ]

As featured in the May 1985 issue of Car and Driver, Project Synchronicity Honda CRX was a collaboration between American Honda and Racing Beat to install a second 1.5-liter engine with automatic transmission into the hatchback cargo area. The installation of the second powertrain "took six months and cost $20,000 dollars". Phase Two of the project was to have Racing Beat install two 1.8-liter engines with automatic transmissions from the Honda Accord into Synchronicity. The Honda CRX would be called Super Synchronicity because of the increase of performance from two larger engines. Both Honda Accord 1.8-liter powertrains were fuel injected and upgrades were made to the suspension. A Mugen body kit and upgraded wheels were also installed.

The R. Straman Company of Costa Mesa, CA converted 310 Honda CRXs into convertibles from 1984 until 1987. The Straman-built CRX Spyder was the cover car on the July 1984 issue of Road & Track magazine.

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The Honda CR-X (styled in some markets as Honda CRX), originally launched as the Honda Ballade Sports CR-X in Japan, is a front-wheel-drive sport compact car manufactured by Honda from 1983 until 1991 with nearly 400,000 produced during this period. The first-generation CRX was marketed in some regions outside Japan as the Honda Civic CRX.

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The people at Datsun balk at calling the 240Z a sports car. To them it’s a personal GT car. Here’s why.

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BMX racing is a type of off-road bicycle racing. The format of BMX was derived from motocross racing. BMX bicycle races are sprint races on purpose-built off-road single-lap race tracks. The track usually consists of a starting gate for up to eight racers, a groomed, serpentine, dirt race course made of various jumps and rollers and a finish line. The course is usually flat, about 15 feet (4.6 m) wide and has large banked corners, which are angled inward, that help the riders maintain speed. The sport of BMX racing is facilitated by a number of regional and international sanctioning bodies. They provide rules for sanctioning the conduct of the flying, specify age group and skill-level classifications among the racers, and maintain some kind of points-accumulation system over the racing season. The sport is very family oriented and largely participant-driven, with riders ranging in age from 2 to 70, and over. Professional ranks exist for both men and women, where the age ranges from 18 to 40 years old.

While informal bicycle racing existed to different extents, it was in Southern California that the sport of BMX started to become organized and resemble the modern sport. Original influencers included Ron Mackler, who was a park attendant in Santa Monica and set up races at Palms Park in West Los Angeles in 1969. Mackler, a teenager with motocross experience helped organize local boys who wanted to race. The first race took place on July 10, 1969. Four years later, in 1973, back-to-back seasons of ten weeks in duration were established with an entrance fee of $4.50. The track ran through the southeast areas of the park with variations in topography; the track remained relatively unchanged through 1980.

Scot Breithaupt, a 13 year old aspiring Yamaha motocross support rider, developed the BUMS (Bicycle United Motocross Society) track in Long Beach California, and was influential in setting up multiple tours such as the Yamaha Gold Cup.

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There are two BMX racing bikes sizes. One is the 20" wheel bike. This bike is common with minors and is currently the most common class. The Cruiser bikes are any bikes with a 24" wheel. However, any bikes that have a wheel larger than 24" will still be considered Cruisers. Cruisers are more common with older racers and is rapidly growing. The cruiser style bike tends to be easier to jump and rolls better while the 20" is seemingly more agile.

While BMX racing is an individual sport, teams are often formed from racers in different classifications for camaraderie and often for business exposure of a sponsoring organization or company. BMX racing rewards strength, quickness, and bike handling. Many successful BMX racers have gone on to leverage their skills in other forms of bicycle and motorcycle competitions.

There are all types of BMX jumps, ranging from small rollers to massive step-up doubles. There are pro straights which are for junior and elite men. They are all doubles which range from about 6 m to 12 m, while "Class" straights have more flow and have many more range of jumps.

The Start Gate

The start gate marks the start of the track. Most BMX tracks have a gate. The starting hill will normally provide all the speed for the remainder of the race. Generally, the larger the hill, the faster, so pro hills are much larger than the amateur ones.

Step-up

A step-up jump is one where the landing point is at a higher elevation than the take-off point.

Berms

Turns which are at an angle. Therefore, one can easily turn without having to brake.

Double

A double is two hills close enough to each other that it is possible to jump between them.

Step-down

A step-down jump is one where the landing point is at a lower elevation than the take-off point.

Roller

A small hill, generally too low to be jumped off. Rollers are normally built-in groups that are known as rhythm sections because they challenge the riders' ability to maintain speed over the bumps.

Tabletop

A tabletop is a jump where the track is level across between the take-off and landing points. They are especially useful for beginning BMX riders who are still learning how to jump since a too-short jump will land on the level tabletop rather than slamming into the uphill side of the landing hill.

Pro set

A set of jumps with only a takeoff lip and a landing ramp, that is, where a failure to take-off or to jump far enough will result in a crash.

BMX racing became a medal sport at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing under the UCI sanctioning body. The Sanctioning body of the United States is USA BMX. USA BMX is certified under the UCI (International Cycling Union), which is recognized by the Olympic Committee.

In the Bicycle Motocross context, sanctioning bodies are chiefly responsible for providing insurance coverage and other "back office" services to local tracks. They also keep points on riders' performance throughout the year, and undertake the production of a national racing series (which is typically 18-22 weekends per year). Riders are permitted to race at the sanctioning body's affiliated tracks and national events via the purchase of an annual membership which costs (in the US) US$60. As part of their administrative "service provider" role, BMX sanctioning bodies also determine the rules of competition, such as clothing requirements, age and gender divisions (or "classes"), as well as the rules and protocol for advancement in proficiency classes (Novice, Intermediate, Expert, A Pro, AA Pro, Women, and Vet Pro in ABA, In NBL Rookie, Novice, Expert, Super-Ex, Elite, Masters are the proficiencys).

BMX Racing has had many sanctioning bodies over its 40-year history as an organized sport, the first being Scot Breithaupt's Bicycle United Motocross Society (BUMS), created in the early 1970s (see below). Since then, there have been dozens of regional, national, and international sanctioning bodies, some of them associated with or owned by another. Most are defunct or have been merged into larger, more successful organizations, but a handful still exist in their original forms and are prospering.

In the US, loyalty to one sanctioning body or another is a fundamental example of brand loyalty, where devotees of one vigorously assert the superiority of their chosen body overall others.

Two ABMXA sanctioning bodies that formed in the history of BMX in Australia:

The first one was formed in May 1975 by Bob Smith, an Australian businessman and two of his friends. He open the first BMX track in Australia on May 17, 1975 on the Gold Coast in Tallebudgera, Queensland adjacent to the Tally Valley Golf Club. He had admired BMX through the American magazines his son brought home.

The second ABMXA was formed in April 1981 from three regional Australian BMX organizations: The Victoria BMX Association; (VBMXA), the Queensland BMX Association (QBMXA) and the New South Wales BMX Association (NSWBMXA). It was Australia's representative to the IBMXF in the 1980s.

The National Bicycle Association was a third, separate Australian sanctioning body. It was formed in December 1981 and had branches in different countries around the world. By the summer of 1982 it had 20,000 members worldwide and 950 members in the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales. Despite sharing a common name this association had nothing to do with the original United States-based National Bicycle Association that was formed in California in 1974 and ironically merged with the National Bicycle League and ceased operations as an independent body in December 1981, the same month and year the Australian namesake was formed.

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BMX Australia (BMXA) is the current sanctioning body for BMX in Australia.

Cycling Canada Cyclism (CCC)

BMX Canada

Currently - Cycling Canada http://www.cyclingcanada.ca/ is the Federal Sanctioning body for all Canadian cycling disciplines (including BMX) under the UCI. Some tracks and Provinces have chosen BMX Canada over the Provincial UCI representative. Here are the different choices that are available in Canada,

Alberta - ABA -Alberta BMX Association. http://www.albertabmx.com/

British Columbia - Cycling BC. http://cyclingbc.net/bmx/

Saskatchewan - http://www.saskcycling.ca/BMX.html

Quebec - http://www.fqsc.net/BMX

All Ontario tracks and some BC tracks are sanctioned by an American corporation - USA BMX (also known as ABA) under the assumed name BMX Canada - http://www.bmxcanada.org These tracks run rules separate from the UCI but offer similar race structure and age categorization. BMX Canada offers full support to their affiliated tracks, including point tracking, marketing materials, an in-house magazine and a coaching/retention program. Results from these races run under the USA BMX/BMX Canada name are used in the team selection process for Provincial and National teams.

La Fédération Française de Bicrossing, which in English translates to The French Federation of Bicrossing (FFB) was created on March 1, 1978 by Marcelle Seurat, a motorcycle importer and distributor. At first its primary purpose was to promote BMX and its products On May 17, 1980 it held is first race in Beaune, France. This organization would cease to exist in early 1981 after only acquiring 100 members.

L'Association Française de Bicrossing, which in English translates to the French Association of Bicrossing (FAB), was founded by Raymond Imbert, Rene Nicolas, Denis Mourier, Bernard Nicolas, Fabrice Pérez, Gerard Hinault and Pascal Giboulot on March 1, 1981.

On January 1, 1990, the AFdB joined the FFC. On March 4, 1993, BMX was recognized as an important sport by the French Ministry for sports. Today the official French BMX Sanctioning body is now the Fédération Française de Cyclisme (FFC), or in English the French Cycling Federation (FCF)[1]. It has almost 10,000 members.

The Associazione Italiana BMX, which in English translates to Italian BMX Association, was founded in December 1981 by Aldo Gandolfo, an Italian journalist and sport promoter. In 1983 the A.I.BMX joined the I.BMX.F. and held the first official Italian BMX race. In 1984, the A.I.BMX held the first Italian international race in Pinerolo and organized the first Italian participation in European Championships. In 1985 Galdolfo left the Association, which was refounded with a new statute and a new board of directors. In 1988 the A.I.BMX concluded an agreement with the UISP in order to unify their respective national championships and in 1989 ceased the activity.

The Unione Italiana Sport per Tutti, which in English translates to Italian Sport For All Association, is an amateur sport association which conducted an official BMX racing activity from 1985 to 1990, mainly developed in Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna. In 1988 concluded an agreement with the A.I.BMX in order to unify their respective national championships and in 1991 ceased the BMX activity.

Federazione Ciclistica Italiana

The Federazione Ciclistica Italiana (FCI), which in English translates to Italian Cycling Federation, is the national governing body of cycle racing in Italy and started conducting official BMX activity in 1984. It was a big promoter of BMX racing within the Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC) and in 1985 held the first FIAC World Championship in Jesolo (near Venice). Every year the FCI organize the National Championship (held in a single race normally on the first Sunday of July) and a season-long competition called Circuito Italiano BMX (seven rounds in 2008, with the same point system as the UEC European Championship) open to Italian and foreign riders.

Japan Bicycle Motocross Association (JBA)

The first sanctioning body in the Netherlands was called the Stichting Fietscross Nederland (SFN) (in English the Dutch Bicycle Motocross Foundation (DBMXF)) and was co-founded on October 19, 1978 by Gerrit Does and Louis Vrijdag. It held its first race on April 21, 1979. In December 1980 it was folded into the KNWU (see below) but a second incarnation was created in 1987 called the Stichting Fietscross Promotie Nederland (the Dutch BMX Promotion Foundation) to promote Dutch racing in the Netherlands. This second "SFN" was dissolved in 1997.

On December 16, 1980 the SFN was integrated into the Koninklijke Nederlandsche Wielren Unie (KNWU) (in English the Royal Dutch Cycling Federation (RDCF)), the Dutch cycling sanctioning body that was the governing body for all types of cycling and represents the Netherlands as a member of the UCI.

Some of the then-existing local tracks in 1980 did not become a member of the KNWU. Operating for a while independently, they formed another sanctioning body in 1987, the Nederlandse Fietscross Federatie (NFF), (in English the Dutch Bicycle Motocross Federation (DBMXF)).

Both organizations function as sanctioning bodies for BMX racing.

BMX New Zealand Incorporated (BMXNZ) is the recognised National Sporting Organisation (NSO) for BMX racing in New Zealand. It is a founding Member Organisation of Cycling New Zealand (CNZ) the National Federation for cycling in New Zealand. BMXNZ has a membership of 32 clubs (as of January 2017) based in seven regions.

The UKBMXA was created in April 1980 by David Duffield as first as a way of promoting BMX in England. On August 30, 1980 it held its first BMX race in Redditch, England.
This sanctioning body would later become affiliated with the IBMXF and represent England in the IBMXF sanctioned events including the European and World Championships.
In the summer of 1985 it merged with the National Bicycle Motocross Association (NBMXA) with the UKBMXA being the dominant partner with its name carrying on.

The National Bicycle Motocross Association was a British sanctioning body head quartered in Ashton in Makersfield, Wigan England.

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In November 1989 UKBMX Association (UKBMXA) and the British BMX Association (BBMXA) merged and formed the English Bicycle Association (EBA). This combination would represent England in the IBMXF.

British Cycling

The EBA merged with the British Cycling Federation (BCF) which had represented all other aspects and disciplines of English bicycle racing other than BMX. This organization is now known as British Cycling. British Cycling now represents all aspects of sport cycling in the United Kingdom including BMX within the UCI.

It is not to be confused with the now-defunct United States-based National Bicycle Motocross Association (NBmxA) (1972-1981) that was formerly known as the National Bicycle Association (NBA) and was the first BMX sanctioning body in the world. The British NBMXA ceased operations in the summer of 1985.

The track operated well into the 1980s largely unchanged;, including the lack of a modern starting gate.

Since Scot was a motorcycle racer, he knew even at thirteen the importance of a sanctioning body and how races were run and organized. He used his personal trophies that he won racing motocross motorcycles as awards for the winning competitors. He gave out membership cards, wrote the rulebook, and had a points system for scoring and proficiency level promotion. He ran the first state championship in 1972, when he was all of 16 years old. Also due to his racing experience, he knew how to lay out a particularly exciting course. The track was about 1,350 feet (410 m) long and much more demanding than today's typical BMX course. It was more akin to what the professionals race on in special Pro sections of track at large events today, including water holes and high dropoffs. Indeed, this early track resembled more closely a shortened mountain biking course than today's comparatively well groomed BMX tracks. With the aforementioned exception of pro sections, today's tracks for the most part are pretty tame by comparison due to insurance concerns by the sanctioning bodies. The National Bicycle League even went so far as to ban double jumps in 1988.

This first structured sanctioning body would eventually grow to seven tracks in California. This is what made him different from other track operators at the time: he did not just start one track but several others under a single jurisdiction of rules and regulations, all the requirements of a sanctioning body.

Many followed Ronald Mackler, Rich Lee and Scot Breithaupt, opening impromptu often short-lived tracks sometimes within preexisting Motorcycle Motocross tracks; but with the exception of Breithaupt, the operators were independent "organizations" that operated individual tracks without any cohesion. What was needed was a governing body that would standardize and give direction and purpose to the grab bag of these amateur-run (in that these operators did not have this enterprise as the main concern of their lives) tracks.

The first official BMX sanctioning body was the National Bicycle Association (NBA) started by Ernie Alexander in 1972. Like Scot Breithaupt, he had motorcycle motocross in his background, and like Scot he was a promoter but a professional one with his American Cycle Enterprises (ACE). He was also a former Hollywood stunt man who promoted races at the famous Indian Dunes, built and managed by Walt James, where many movies and TV shows were filmed. In 1970 he noticed a group of kids trying to organize a bicycle race with their Schwinn Sting-Rays. Being familiar with motorcycle racing, he lent the kids a hand. He later opened the Yarnell track, a steep downhill course every bit as treacherous by today's standards as Scot Breithaupt's BUMS track-if not more so. In 1972 he created the National Bicycle Association, modeled on the existing American Motorcycle Association (AMA). It was Mr. Alexander who built a truly nation-spanning professional sanctioning body for BMX.

Mismanagement irreparably damaged its reputation, including such practices as not reporting points totals in time, running races late and behind schedule, deliberately scheduling its own events opposite the events of other sanctioning bodies to weaken their attendance, and a less-than-attentive attitude to members.[citation needed ] In its last two years it went through a name change to National BMX Association (NBmxA) in 1979. It tried to reorganize in 1981, starting new tracks and by most accounts had a spark of new energy and enthusiasm, but still suffered lack of ridership (racers were committed to other point races with the other sanctioning bodies). This was to no avail. The NBA, suffering financial difficulties, ceased sanctioning its own races and started joint operations and did merge its membership (but did not merge its management) with the NBL after the 1981 season.

Mr. Alexander did try at least one more foray into the sport he helped to pioneer: he started the World Wide Bicycle Motocross Association (WWBMXA) in Chatsworth, California in 1981. Unfortunately it did not last more than two racing seasons.

The NBL started in Florida, and while it expanded rapidly on the East Coast of the United States and for most of its early history, it had only a few tracks west of the Mississippi River. That changed in 1982 when it inherited the membership and tracks of the defunct National Bicycle Association (NBA) which had ceased sanctioning its own races and then went into partnership with the NBL. The NBL acquired all the NBA tracks in the nation including all those west of the Mississippi. As a result, it became a nation-spanning sanctioning body like the ABA.

In 1997 the NBL joined USA Cycling, a sanctioning body that has long supported road race, mountain biking and other cycling disciplines in the United States, tracing its roots back to 1920. The resulting organization is the National Federated body that represents cycling in the United States. USA Cycling is part of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) also known as UCI Cycling, the Switzerland-based international governing body that oversees virtually all aspects of cycling around the world (see International Sanctioning bodies below).

The NBL had a previous association with the UCI through its affiliations with the defunct NBL sister organization, the International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF), which was also co-founded by Mr. Esser. The UCI absorbed IBMXF in 1993 through its amateur cycling division, Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC), which in the prior five years held joint World Championships for BMX with the IBMXF (See International Sanctioning bodies below).

On May 17, 2011 The NBL announced that a letter of agreement was signed and approved by their Board of Directors, to merge operations with the ABA. The merged organization would be controlled by ABA ownership, and would be called USABMX. After a month of wrangling, and negotiation between the parties, the final documents were signed on June 18, 2011. That day was the first time in more than 35 years that the sport of BMX Racing was run under a single sanctioning body in North America. The following week, the NBL Midwest National in Warsaw, Indiana was the first event to be run under the USABMX banner (though was still an NBL-branded event, as part of their 2011 national series). The 2011 NBL Grand National was the final NBL race of all-time, held September 3-4, 2011 and dubbed "The Grand Finale."

The American Bicycle Association (ABA), created by Gene Roden and Merl Mennenga in 1977, originated in Chandler, Arizona, USA. Mennenga thought at the time that the kids and their families were being cheated by unscrupulous promoters (not the aforementioned individuals). As the NBA was declining, the ABA inherited many of its tracks and members making the ABA within two years the largest, albeit youngest, and the first truly nation-spanning sanctioning body. It was the ABA which introduced the "Direct Transfer System" that shortened the duration of race events. The ABA also started the team trophy concept to award trophies and prizes to the bicycle shop and factory teams with the best race results over a season. It was also the first to install electronic gates for its starting line with "Christmas tree" style lights (reminiscent of drag racing), to ensure fairer starts. It also started the BMX Hall of Fame, now called the National BMX Hall of Fame, recognizing the pioneers and industry visionaries of the sport.

Today it is the largest sanctioning body in the world (a position it won as early as 1979 when it surpassed the NBL and the old NBA in numbers) with an estimated 60,000 members and 272 affiliated tracks in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. It is technically an international organization, but does not bill itself as one, based on its mandate to grow BMX in the United States, unlike its predecessor, the International Bicycle Motocross Association (IBMX), and its chief early rival, the NBA, both of which had international aspirations.

The ABA brand was retired at the close of the 2011 season, becoming USABMX as part of its merger with the rival National Bicycle League (NBL).

Other notable American sanctioning bodies

Along with the majors and pioneers, there were other BMX governing bodies, both national and regional and past and present. Among them were the Bicycle Motocross League (BMXL); the United Bicycle Racers Association (UBR) (1977-1983); the United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA) (1984-1986), which merged with the ABA at the end of the 1986 racing season after financial trouble made it unsustainable; the International Cycling Association (ICA), which was started in part by professional racer Greg Hill in 1990; and the Southeast Region-based National Pedal Sport Association (NPSA) (1975-1988). They are all gone now, but they did affect, for good or ill, the American BMX scene.

The International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF) was founded on April 3, 1981 by Gerrit Does, a former motocross racer and Dutch citizen. He introduced BMX to the Netherlands in 1974 after seeing it in the United States. He also started the first European BMX sanctioning body the Stichting Fietscross Nederland (SFN) (the Dutch Bicycle Motocross Foundation (DBMXF) in English) in the Netherlands in 1978. George Esser, the same man who founded the American-based National Bicycle League (NBL) in 1974 was the co-founder of the IBMXF, after Mr. Does approached the NBL to begin preparations for the new body in December 1980 with the representatives of sanctioning bodies from Canada, Colombia, Japan, Panama, and Venezuela as well as representing his native the Netherlands. The IBMXF was a Waalre, the Netherlands-based body that conducted international events including its own World Championship event until its formal merger with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) amateur cycling division the Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC) in 1996 to form the largest international sanctioning body. The UCI championships have since superseded the old IBMXF championships and unlike the old FIAC BMX championships it has a pro class. The NBL was affiliated with the UCI through its previous ties with the IBMXF and its merger with the FIAC.

In the old days of the IBMXF when you raced an IBMXF sanctioned race you received NBL state points and points that went toward your international standing, but no national NBL points that counted toward contention for national number one plates. The World Championship title was open to 16 & over Experts and older amateurs in the 20" class as well as Pros in the 20" class. There is a class in European BMX called Superclass. In this class, which is ahead of Expert and the last step before going pro, amateurs race for and win money, an odd contradiction of the generally accepted definition of amateur. However, no racer in Superclass could win more than US$200 per event and keep their amateur standing. This class has been carried over in the UCI after the merger with the IBMXF. In the United States IBMXF affiliate the NBL, Superclass is the equivalent of the old "B" pro class and "A" pro is now called the Elite as per UCI practice. However, for the first few years the IBMXF while there was a pro class, the professionals did not race for money but trophies just like the amateurs and the prestige of being declared World Champions with its associate side benefits in marketing. It was not until 1987 did the pro race for award purses at the IBMXF World Championships.

Among the European standards of racing the IBMXF observed is the rule that racers must stay within their lanes until 25 feet (7.6 m) out of the gate. This is to prevent racers from throwing elbows at each other and to eliminate major crashes before they even get to the first jump. However, on tracks with short straights those who must start from the outside lanes are at a serious disadvantage since they cannot begin moving inside to shorten the distance before the first turn. As a result, many races could be won or lose by lane assignment even before the race begins.

On January 1, 1993 the IBMXF and the Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC), the amateur governing branch of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) which handled Olympic Cycling, merged formally after having held joint World Championships since July 22, 1991 in Sandness, Norway (FIAC had been holding its own separate BMX World Championships starting 1986). After a further three year transition time in which the European and World Championships where credited as "IBMXF/FIAC" the UCI held its first official BMX World Championship in 1996 in England. It has continued to hold BMX European and World Championships ever since.

FIAC started holding its own BMX World Championships in 1984. At the time the IBMXF and FIAC were two separate International sanctioning bodies that both held BMX World Championships. However, the IBMXF's was far more prestigious, professionally competently run and established than FIAC. This was because FIAC refused help from either the IBMXF and the American for profit American Bicycle Association (then as now only one non-profit BMX sanctioning body per nation is recognized by the UCI as representing BMX in a nation. In the United States's case it was and is the NBL), both far more experienced at the time in running BMX races. In some nations if you race in the IBMXF circuit (see above) you could not race in the FIAC circuit and vice versa, akin to not being allowed to race NBL if you race the ABA circuit if they had such rules in America. FIAC had odd (to Americans) conventions and rules in conducting races, most likely grafted on from road racing in which was FIAC's only experience. For instance not only did you race three times to determine average positions in the motos to advance the best four riders to the next stage in racing, something Americans were familiar if they raced NBL, you also, if the class was big enough, raced the eighths, quarters and semis also three times and the best racers qualified for the Main. Then if you did qualify for the Main, you had to race the Main five times to find the final ranking of racers. In the US only the Professionals in the 20" class raced the Main multiple times and only three times at that in either the ABA or NBL. If anything this put a premium on consistency and lowered the luck factor to a bare minimum. However, it was very time-consuming, even at races scheduled over two days.

For a sanctioning body then new to BMX, it was pretty efficient in terms of running an event (taking into consideration the multiple qualifying runs). However, because of its inexperience it was plagued with tracks of inferior quality, both in terms of difficulty, they were deemed far too easy for venues of an international event; and the building materials used, for example during the 1988 Championships in Mol, Belgium the track was built out of white sand, which became particularly boggy in the turns. "It feels like riding on the beach" was a refrain from many American racers. This inexperience of track construction was rectified by 1991 when the FIAC and the IBMXF started holding combined World Championship series in 1991 after four years of holding separate championship events. The two bodies formally unified in 1993 (FICP was disbanded along with the FIAC by the UCI). After a three-year transition period, The UCI held its first World Championship in 1996 after absorbing the IBMXF and abolishing FIAC. With the increasing relaxation of the rules of Professionalism in the IOC, the merged governing body, run directly by the UCI, retained the professional division.

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) or in English the International Cycling Union, is a Switzerland-based international sanctioning body created in 1900 which has had its own international BMX racing program since 1982 (through FIAC) and have been holding World Championships for BMX racing since 1996. The UCI also supports Mountain Bike, Track, Road Race Cycling, and Cyclo-Cross. The UCI through its amateur division FIAC, held championships were separate and distinct from the International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF) World Championships until they started to hold the World Championships jointly starting in 1991 (see above). The American sanctioning body the National Bicycle League (NBL) was affiliated with the UCI via the old IBMXF which the NBL was a part of. With the merger of the IBMXF with FIAC, they in turn being folded into the UCI, and the NBL joining the USA Cycling directly, the NBL was affiliated with the UCI from 1996 to 2008. Beginning with the 2009 season, the ABA took over as the USA affiliate of UCI.

Riders qualify for the annual UCI BMX World Championships through participation and qualifying in their own National Championship Race. In the US, this Championship race occurs in Desoto, TX on the Saturday of the ABA Supernationals (which are run on a Friday/Sunday schedule) in mid-March.

The sanctioning bodies have slightly different rules for qualifications of advancement in races between skill levels and age classification. For instance, the ABA and the NBL used different rules of qualifying for mains from the motos. The ABA used almost an all or nothing system called the Transfer System while the NBL (similar to the UCI for international competition) used a cumulative scoring scheme called the Moto System.

Below are the general rules, structure of advancement within the American Bicycle Association (and now USABMX) compared to the NBL unless otherwise noted, but the generalities are similar between the sanctioning bodies.

Racers in the 20" class are grouped with others of the same relative age and experience levels; Novice, Intermediate, Expert, Veteran, "A" Pro, "AA" Pro in the ABA; Rookie, Novice, Expert, Elite Masters, "B" Pro (Superclass) and "A" Pro (Elite) in the NBL. They range from 5 & under Novice to 28 & over Expert in the ABA and from 5 & under Rookie to 35 & over Expert in the NBL. Cruiser Class (bicycles with 24" or greater diameter wheels) and the girl classes are not divided up into skill classes, only age classes in both the NBL and the ABA. The Cruiser class age brackets for example range from 9 & under to 51 & over for males, 10 & under to 41 & over for females in the ABA; and 9 & under to 55 & over males, 10 & under to 40 & over females in the NBL.

In a typical day a racer will race several times with their group to determine the day's finishing order and awards. The qualifying rounds, called Motos (called heats in other types of racing) determines the number of racers in the finals which are called Mains, up to eight racers. The sizes and number of motos at a skill level and age group is determined by the number of racers who register for that race and in that skill level and age group. Usually a racer gets three chances to qualify. As stated in the previous section, the two sanctioning bodies generally use two different methods of moving racers from the qualifying rounds to the Main (although there is some overlap), the Transfer System, the method generally used by the ABA; and the Moto System, the NBL's choice. In the transfer system usually one to three people are transferred to the main depending on the size of the class.

For instance, in the ABA transfer system a group of say eight racers sign up for the 17-18 Intermediate class. That is more than enough to have three motos (four is the minimum). Moto #1 will have all eight racers. The first two finishers qualify for and do not race again until the Main. Moto #2 will be a second heat for the remaining six racers; again, the first two across the finish line from that group will go the Main. Finally, a third moto of the remaining four riders is run, from which the first two racers across the finish line will be taken to the Main, forming a six-man Main. The last two racers do not qualify (DNQ) and therefore do not race in the Main, do not collect any points, trophies, a chance to take a step in advancement to a higher amateur level or if they are professionals, prize money.

The NBL and the international UCI uses the "Olympic" or Moto System of advancing to the Main. In the Moto System, you must race all three times to make the main or if the race is a large one semi finals. It is a formula combining how well you do with all the registered participant riders in your class racing all three times. It cumulatively determines who will race in the finals. The higher your points total, the more likely you will advance. For instance if you come in 1st, 1st and 1st, 40+50+60, which is 150 points, you are a virtual certainty to race in the Main (or in large races you are merely transferred to the quarter/semi-finals) barring disqualification for some reason. If you come in Last, Last, First, which in a race with eight men in your class translates to 0+0+60 or 60 points, you MIGHT race in the main (or in larger races the 1/8/quarter/semi finals) determining how well the others did. The person who came in 3rd place in all three motos or 30+40+50=120p would have a much better shot at making the Main than you. Even the person who came in 2nd+6th+6th or 35+25+35=95 would have a better shot even if you won the final moto.

In larger races in both the ABA and NBL, then a 2nd moto of the same class but different racers is run right behind the first group. They also race three times but instead of the winners going to the Main they face their first group counterparts (who also went through the three-moto shake out) in the semi finals called the Semi-Main. Then the qualifiers face off in the Main. The same for races large enough for quarterfinals or Quarter-Mains, 1/8s and even 1/16s.

The Amateurs, once they get to the mains usually only race once for the top points and the trophy. The Professionals on the other hand run multiple cumulative Mains just like in the qualifying motos for the points, trophy and most important, prize money. This is both NBL and ABA practice. Like during the qualifying motos the points you earn in each running of the Pro Main are tied into the position you finish in each of the three motos.

Cumulative scoring rewards consistency. The better the racer you are, the more consistent you will be. The transfer system lets you capitalize on the mistakes of others. The better the racer you are, the fewer the mistakes you make.

One major drawback in cumulative scoring is that it is more complicated task in keeping track than in the transfer system. In the 1980s at least two national level scoring scandals (one in 1985) in which the national professional number one was decided after the Grand nationals underlined this. There was also a scoring mix up during the 1983 NBL Grand National in which it was thought Brian Patterson was the winner for two weeks but after a recount initiated after Eric Rupe protested gave Eric Rupe the number one for 1983. An even larger scoring scandal occurred in 1985 in which pro racer Peter Loncarevich apparently beat Greg Hill for the number one pro racer by a mere 3 points. Greg Hill's wife Nancy (who was the bookkeeper for Greg Hill's BMX bicycle company Greg Hill Products) kept an independent accounting of the season points of Mr. Hill's closest competitors and detected an error. At his wife's urging Mr. Hill ask for and received an audit of the points and the NBL confirmed the error had taken place and awarded Mr. Hill the pro title for 1985.

The Transfer System on the other hand, was never popular with the racers. While very efficient and less error prone than the cumulative method (and allowing the ABA to run much quicker events with fewer finish line scores), the good racers generally did not like it since they would only get to race once, win their transfer moto and wait for hours if the races are big enough to race the mains (on the other hand you get to relax a little without the anxiety of doing poorly in the next two qualifying motos). This means the racers race less often in the ABA and the fun of BMX is in the racing, even if you are losing. Even racers who do not do well did not like the transfer system because the fewer actual races you are in, the less chance you will have to improve your skills in actual race conditions You also race two times less for your money paid for in entrance fees in the ABA in the Transfer system if you win your first moto.

Among the Pros the Cumulative method is preferred. Not only because they get to race more, it lessens the chance of luck playing as a factor in any given race event. In 1985 Greg Hill staged a personal boycott of ABA nationals in part of his dislike of the transfer system. Cumulative scoring is not only used in the ABA and NBL pro qualifying motos but in the mains, in which the pros are required to race the mains three times to win points and prize money. Cumulative scoring, also known as Olympic scoring, is used by the UCI in their international BMX program and was used in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China for both amateurs and professionals. The ABA continues to use the Transfer System for its amateur classes.

The first ostensive goal of a BMX racer is to become the number one amateur racer in your district. The racer's home state/province may be divided up into several Districts depending how many participants and how spread out they are over the state/province. A balance is sought. Too many people in a single district could discourage new, inexperienced riders from having a sense of accomplishment if they are doing reasonably well but not advancing his point score up the list of total points in relation to other racers. Too small a district would cheapen any sense of accomplishment due to paucity of racers, producing an artificially high ranking for the following season for the racer(s) in the points race. Points determine how well riders do in the district rankings. How high the rider goes in the rankings depends on what skill level category they are in as well as how well they do in their particular races since it affects how many points they win, which adds to their total for their district ranking. The higher the rider's skill level, the more points they can gather at any given race (providing that they qualify for the Main).

In the Amateur class, advancement to a higher skill level depends on rider success in their present skill level. For instance at the ABA local level riders start out as a Novice. From Novice ten local career first places in the Mains will advance them to Intermediate Class. From Intermediate twenty local career first place wins in the Main is required to graduate to the Expert class. From there as in most other sports, it is voluntary to go professional.

The Main will determine the winner that day and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and sometimes 4th-8th trophies will be awarded. Riders are also awarded points depending on their respective finish in the race, which are added to their cumulative totals, ultimately determining district rankings at the end of the calendar year. The number of points a racer gets after a race is determined by his place in the Main. On the local level, first place Novice class will get the winner 25 points, 2nd place 20 and so on with 8th getting only 3 points. The more points a racer has the higher his ranking and thus the lower the number he gets to wear on his front number plate the following season. For instance, say in ABA New York District #1 a racer had the 10th most points out of 200 racers in his district at the finish of the 2017 season. He will then be entitled to have the number "10" on his number plate for that district during the 2018 season.

The skill level class you belong to also affects how many points you get. The winners of the Expert Classes on the local level will get 100 points while the winning Intermediates will get 50 points and the winners of the Novice classes only 25 points. Second, third et al. placers would get lower points in proportion. The 7th place Expert finishers will get only 20 points, the equivalent of second place in the Novice class.

In all classes and skill levels racers also receive the same number of points depending on how many are in their class and age group. These are called participant points. For instance if eight riders participate in 17-18 Intermediate class, all those who participate will get 8 points, including the last place finisher (who didn't make the main). If the class has 15 racers, all will get 15 points. So the winner of the Intermediate class will get 15 points for the fifteen racers in that class on top of the 50 points for winning for a total of 65 points.

There are separate point scoring for cruiser and girl classes and separate point tables for state and national rankings. Points for those events are gathered in a similar fashion as on the district, i.e. local, level.

Other important factors affect the point totals. Some local special event races are double or even triple point races, doubling or tripling the points each position in the Mains each racer would normally get. points are awarded, so an Expert winner could look forward to collecting 400 points for winning his class in addition to bonus points and participant points.

To compete on a National level for national titles you must compete in Nationals. Nationals have their own separate points tables that are accumulated by the racers similarly to local district points. However the points rewarded are not the same amount. For instance 240 National points are awarded to the first place Expert winner as well as his 300 district triple points, but his national points are not added to his district points or vice versa. Like in local races he or she is also awarded participant points. The amateur with the most National points at the end of the year is the overall National number one (#1) racer and gets to wear a #1 on his number plate at national events the following season. Professionals are not affected since they have their own points system and table separate from the amateurs for the number one pro title.

In the NBL there is no overall #1 amateur, only a number one title for their age group, so a racer in say 17 expert that has most points can wear a national #1 plate even if the number one rider in 12 expert actually has more points. Again, the professionals have their own points system for number one pro.

There is yet another points table for State/Provincial wide events for the State/Provincial Championship. However, instead of wide gap points between winners and those who follow and between skill levels, they are quite close i.e. for first place in Expert, Intermediate and Novice it is 20, 19, and 18 respectively. Also, it is only a one-point difference between places i.e. 20 points for first and 19 points for second place in Expert. The same for the Novice and Intermediate levels. Also unlike on the National and District level no participant points are awarded.

In the NBL, the points received for moto points in the cumulative "Olympic" system at the national and regional level are similar as on the district level.

Nationals can also affect your skill level ranking. On the local level it takes eight career wins to transfer from Novice to Intermediate; from Intermediate to Expert 25 career wins are necessary. On the national level only five career wins are required in both cases. This is because of the much higher quality of competition found on the national level.

All of the aforementioned applies with minor variations to the Girls and Cruiser Classes.

A fourth class of racing in BMX which are held at local and national events are called Opens. Opens are largely exhibition and are a chance to test yourself and practice against better competition without jeopardizing your point standings. You must be registered to race in a points race to sign up for the Open events. No points are awarded for Opens although trophy places are and the moto qualification rounds are similar to the point races. These are races with more flexible skill level and age requirements. In Opens there are no Novice, Intermediate and Expert divisions. All amateur skill levels are free to participate. The age groupings are generally broader, for example 13-14 open class as opposed to 13 Intermediate and 14 Intermediate being separate groupings for those ages in the points races. Girls may also participate in the male Open class within the proper age ranges. However expert boys are not allowed in these "Mixed" opens. Then an Expert Open is held in that event. The pros are excluded from racing with the amateurs if enough pros are at hand to race that a separate Pro-Open class can be created. If not, then the pros can race in the amateur Open with some restrictions. This is called a Pro-Am event. Except for the Pro-Am exception the Expert racers usually wins the open class. Even if there are Pros in the Open, it is not unusual for an older Expert-17-18 age class for example-to win since many have the talent and speed to be a pro but have not yet taken the opportunity, partly because once you go Pro, you can go back to amateur only under very strict circumstances.

There are separate Open divisions for Cruisers where similar rules apply.

Sometimes an exhibition race is held after all the meaningful races are run with all the amateur class winners from Novice up to Expert and including the Open, girls classes and perhaps Cruiser classes race together once. This is called the Trophy Dash. Like in the Open Classes, no points are rewarded in this case, just a chance for bragging rights and to match yourself up against people that are at a higher skill level. Only one race for a single first-place trophy is awarded. As in the Opens the Expert usually wins with the Intermediate winner pulling one out every once in a while. Novices usually win only when a major, catastrophic pile up occurs on the track and even then the mass smash up has to happen quite close to the finish line.

There are professional rankings in BMX. In the ABA the two major ones are the "A" and "AA" classifications in the 20" division. The Professionals are the only class allowed to compete for cash prizes.

The first level is pro. To become an "A" pro you have to hold at least an Expert skill level rating and be at least 16 years old to be issued a Pro Membership card by USA BMX. If you are a professional BMXer with another BMX sanctioning body, you will be recognized as a Pro by USA BMX and barred from competing in ABA sanctioned amateur classes. Once you become a pro BMX racer, you cannot go back to amateur status except under stringent circumstances. What's more by turning BMX Pro you very likely be disqualifying yourself from other amateur sports depending on the state and federal laws that apply.

In recent years, A Pros decide when they want to move to up to AA Pro. There used to be a $3,000 winnings cap, however, this was removed in 2015.

"A" pro and "AA" pros race in separate classes generally, but if there are too few of one or the other type of pro to race separately-four is the minimum-then they race together in a combined class. This occurs generally in at large multi-point local district races but usually not at Nationals.

Pro ranking points are similar to the National armateur points awards. "A" Pros get the equivalent of National Intermediate points. i.e. 120 for first, 100 points for second etc. "AA" Pro get Expert equivalent points i.e. 240 for first etc. Both like in the amateur classes get participant points if the racer makes the Main. The person with the most points in a season will be District Pro #1, the same is true to become state Pro #1. However, on the national level not only you must receive the most points, you must race in at least 10 nationals plus the Grand Nationals, the ABA's multi-day season ending event, for the best 10 of your finishes will go toward your national rankings. For example, if you participate in 13 national events, your best 10 will be considered and your worst three disregarded. You must meet this qualification on the national level to wear National numbers one though ten on your number plate the following year.

The rules are similar for Pro Cruiser and Pro Girls classes.

There is a fourth class of pro called Veteran Pro. These are professionals in the 20" class that are at least 30 years old and generally past their racing prime but still love to compete. Most of the rules that apply to the "A" and "AA" pros apply to the "Vet" Pros except that they are required to race in only six national events plus the Grand Nationals and are classified as "A" Pros and get "A" Pro points, However, they can win unlimited prize money as a Vet pro on this "A" Pro level without the requirement of moving up to "AA" pro upon winning US$3000 in a season. Some Vet Pros are retired "AA" pros that have come back to the sport. In those cases they had to go through a reclassification process with certain criteria having to be met, including written permission from conventional "A" Pros. "Vet" Pros cannot compete for the National #1 Championship.

Many participants in BMX racing have left their mark. Most are pure racers while some promoted and sponsored races; others have created unique maneuvers and invented or helped design equipment as well have raced themselves. They have done it over the near 40-year history of the sport during distinct eras. These are just a few.

Pioneering "Old School"* BMX racers from the US include:

Each racer is sourced on his/her individual page.
US "Mid school" racers and racers whose careers started during the "Old School" era but were not part of the pioneering 1970's generation include:

Each racer is sourced on his/her individual page.
Notable international Old and "Mid School"* BMX racers:

Each racer is sourced on his/her individual page.
Newer "Mid School" and "New/Current School"* racers include:

Each racer is sourced on his/her individual page.

*Generally speaking the "Old School" generation is from 1969, the very beginning of BMX to 1987 or 1988, during the first major slump in the popularity of BMX racing and the height of popularity of Old School Freestyling. "Mid School" is generally considered to be from 1988 to 1999, which includes the first slump in Freestyle BMX in 1988-89 and the resurgence of BMX racing beginning in 1990 and it really taking off again in 1993. "New/Current School" or today's BMX is considered to be from 2000 to the present day with the emphasis on Dirt Jumping contest and streetstyle and deemphasis on racing. With the racers, it will not be perfect demarcations. Some Old Schoolers raced well into the Mid School era of the 1990s, like Pete Loncarevich and Greg Hill. There are a few Old Schoolers still racing in the Veteran and Masters classes today, Eric Rupe to name one. Many Mid Schoolers like Warwick Stevenson and Randy Stumpfhauser are racing well into the New/Current School era. A significant number of top New Schoolers started during the "Mid school" era like Donny Robinson and Bubba Harris, so there is bleed over. As time goes by the year definitions of eras of "Mid" and "New School" will change, especially Mid School, but "Old School" will most likely always refer to the sports first 18-19 years when the pioneers began it, set the rules, promoted it, constructed the precedent setting equipment, set the records and conventions, raced it, and largely retired from it in terms of serious Senior Pro competition.

CDNE=Class did not exist. TDNE=Title did not exist.

Note: Dates reflect the year the racers *won* their plates, not the year they actually *raced* their No.1 plates. In other words, David Clinton won his No.1 plate in 1974 entitling him to race with #1 on his plate for the 1975 season. John George then won the No.1 plate in 1975 and raced with #1 on his plate during the 1976 racing season.

Pro* Nat.#1 Men

Pro Cruiser Nat.#1 Men

Amat. Nat.#1 Men

1974 David Clinton*

1975 John George*

1976 Scot Breithaupt**

1977 Stu Thomsen***

1978 Stu Thomsen***

1979 Greg Hill****

1980 Donny Atherton

1981 Keith Gaynor

Amat. Nat.#1 Powder Puff

*The NBA did not have a true National no.1 until 1975 when the first true national was held. Until then No.1s were strictly district. However, since the NBA Southern California District was the largest by far in the country during those years (indeed, only in Arizona did the NBA have any districts outside of California) and John George in 1975 and before him David Clinton in 1974 where the district champions at the end of those seasons that made them National No.1s by default. In the case of David Clinton in 1974 almost no tracks existed outside of California and none of those were NBA sanctioned.
** The NBA did have a separate professional division beginning in 1976, but until 1979 the National No.1 plate was all around for every class pro or amateur.

*** The Number One pro title did not exist until 1979.

**** NBA Pros were allowed to race in the Amateur class and hold the amateur title at the time, so Greg Hill, while a professional was eligible for and won the no. 1 Amateur title.

Note: Dates reflect the year the racers *won* their plates, not the year they actually *raced* their No.1 plates. In other words, Antony Sewell won his No.1 plate in 1980 entitling him to race with #1 on his plate for the 1981 season. Stu Thomsen then won the No.1 plate in 1981 and raced with #1 on his plate during the 1982 racing season.

Elite ("AA") Pro Nat.#1

Pro Nat.#1 (Elite) Cruiser

"A" Pro/Super-EX Nat.#1

"A" Pro Cruiser Nat.#1

Pro Nat. #1 Masters

Amateur & Elite Pro Nat.#1 Women

Am Nat.#1 Girls Cruiser

** Until the 1980 season the #1 plate holder was considered #1 overall amateur or professional. The NBL did have a pro class in 1977, 1978 & 1979 but the title of National Number One Professional was not created until the 1980 season when the pros and the 16 Experts were separated and the pros earning separate points (in the form of purse money won) from the amateurs. Prior to 1980 the pros, due to the comparatively small number of them, competed with the 16 Experts and were able to earn amateur titles.

***Title Did Not Exist The title plate for this class did exist under the title of "B" pro (which was created for the 1981 season), but it was not until 1990 when the name was changed to "Superclass" and it became a pro/am class were the racers of that class given an opportunity to win a separate year end overall National #1 plate title separate from the pure Pro and the pure amateur classes. Amateurs competed for prizes and Pros could compete for a limited amount purses. Also beginning in the 1990 season "Pro Cruiser" was renamed "Super Cruiser" and "A" Pro "All Pro". In 1996 Super Cruiser was renamed "Pro Cruiser" once again and "All" Pro reverted to "Pro Class" This was to harmonize NBL nomenclature with UCI/IBMXF labels. Because of this the NBL would change the name of its pro Classes many times during the 1990s, They even began calling there senior pro class "AA" and the junior pros "A" just like the ABA beginning in the year 2000. Continuing the name shuffle the senior male pro class was officially known as Elite Men and the junior men "A" pro until the end of the 2006 season. Beginning with the 2007 season the junior "A" pro class was called "Super X" (SX). The single level pro females are called Elite Women. Beginning with the 2006 season the NBL ceased offering an independent year end title for both the "A" pro class and the Pro Cruisers. In the case of Pro Cruiser it was an end of a long era with the Pro Cruiser No.1 title going back to 1981 when Brent Patterson first won the class. In 2007 the junior pro class was rechristened "Super X" and an independent year end number one plate was reestablished.

†(AM)=Amateur. From 1981 to 1984 the girl's National No.1 title was amateur. Between 1985 and 1987 a girl's pro class was established but that division was discontinued between 1988 and 1996 due to lack of participants and those National No.1 women titles were again amateurs. From 1997 to the present the title is a professional one once again.
‡(Sup)=Superclass. Superclass was a Pro/Am class.

Note: Dates reflect the year the racers *won* their plates, not the year they actually *raced* their No.1 plates. In other words, Stu Thomsen won his No.1 title in 1979 entitling him to race with #1 on his plate for the 1980 season. Brent Patterson then won the No.1 plate in 1980 and raced with #1 on his plate during the 1981 racing season.

Pro Nat.#1 Men (AA)

Pro Nat.#1 Cruiser Men

Veteran Pro Nat.#1 Men

Pro Nat.#1 Women

Am. Nat.#1 Men

Am. Nat.#1 Cruiser Men

Am. Nat.#1 Women

Am. Nat.#1 Cruiser Women

* Until the 1979 season the #1 plate holder was considered #1 overall amateur or professional. The ABA did have a pro class in 1977 & 1978 but the title of National Number One Professional was not created until the 1979 season when the pros and the 16 Experts were separated and the pros earning separate points (in the form of purse money won) from the amateurs. Prior to 1979 the pros, due to the comparatively small number of them, competed with the 16 Experts and were able to earn amateur titles.

**Title Did Not E xist. While the ABA did start its pro cruiser class in 1981 the title pro cruiser National Number One did not exist until 1987.

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BMX racing is a type of off-road bicycle racing. The format of BMX was derived from motocross racing. BMX bicycle races are sprint races on purpose-built off-road single-lap race tracks. The track usually consists of a starting gate for up to eight racers, a groomed, serpentine, dirt race course made of various jumps and rollers and a finish line.

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Ride BMX and get inspired daily

Back Bone BMX opened in 2005. We want to help you find your first - or next - awesome BMX bike. A bike that you'll be stoked to ride.

If you're brand new to riding or someone who has years of experience, Back Bone BMX is excited to help find the perfect bike for you.

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Old school BMX bikes | Find retro and vintage style BMX at Back Bone BMX

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Cruisin' on a retro BMX has never been so fun with the range of old school BMX bikes available now. Shop retro BMX bikes at Back Bone BMX shop Australia.

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First-generation Pong console at the Computerspielemuseum Berlin

A video game 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 from a display device, most commonly shown in a video format on a television set, computer monitor, flat-panel display or touchscreen on handheld devices, or a virtual reality headset. Most modern video games are audiovisual, with audio complement delivered through speakers or headphones, and sometimes also with other types of sensory feedback (e.g., haptic technology that provides tactile sensations), and some video games also allow microphone and webcam inputs for in-game chatting and livestreaming.

Video games are typically categorized according to their hardware platform, which traditionally includes arcade video games, console games, and computer (PC) games; the latter also encompasses LAN games, online games, and browser games. More recently, the video game industry has expanded onto mobile gaming through mobile devices (such as smartphones and tablet computers), virtual and augmented reality systems, and remote cloud gaming. Video games are also classified into a wide range of genres based on their style of gameplay and target audience.

The first video game prototypes in the 1950s and 1960s were simple extensions of electronic games using video-like output from large, room-sized mainframe computers. The first consumer video game was the arcade video game Computer Space in 1971. In 1972 came the iconic hit game and the first home console, the Magnavox Odyssey. The industry grew quickly during the "golden age" of arcade video games from the late 1970s to early 1980s but 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, was 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 of which continue to be followed. 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 proliferation of smartphone games in particular are altering player demographics towards casual gaming and increasing monetization by incorporating games as a service.

Today, video game development requires numerous interdisciplinary skills, vision, teamwork, and liaisons between different parties, including developers, publishers, distributors, retailers, hardware manufacturers, and other marketers, to successfully bring a game to its consumers. As of 2020, the global video game market had estimated annual revenues of US$159 billion across hardware, software, and services, which is three times the size of the global music industry and four times that of the film industry in 2019, making it a formidable heavyweight across the modern entertainment industry. The video game market is also a major influence behind the electronics industry, where personal computer component, console, and peripheral sales, as well as consumer demands for better game performance, have been powerful driving factors for hardware design and innovation.

Tennis for Two (1958), an early analog computer game that used an oscilloscope for a display

Early video games use interactive electronic devices with various display formats. The earliest example is from 1947-a " cathode-ray tube amusement device" was filed for a patent on 25 January 1947, by Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle Ray Mann, and issued on 14 December 1948, as U.S. Patent 2455992. Inspired by radar display technology, it consists of an analog device allowing a user to control the parabolic arc of a dot on the screen to simulate a missile being fired at targets, which are paper drawings fixed to the screen. Other early examples include Christopher Strachey's draughts game, the Nimrod computer at the 1951 Festival of Britain; , a tic-tac-toe computer game by Alexander S. Douglas for the EDSAC in 1952; Tennis for Two, an electronic interactive game engineered by William Higinbotham in 1958; and , written by Massachusetts Institute of Technology students Martin Graetz, Steve Russell, and Wayne Wiitanen's on a DEC PDP-1 computer in 1961. Each game has different means of display: NIMROD has a panel of lights to play the game of Nim, OXO has a graphical display to play tic-tac-toe, Tennis for Two has an oscilloscope to display a side view of a tennis court, and Spacewar! has the DEC PDP-1's vector display to have two spaceships battle each other.

These preliminary inventions paved the way for the origins of video games today. Ralph H. Baer, while working at Sanders Associates in 1966, devised a control system to play a rudimentary game of table tennis on a television screen. With the company's approval, Baer built the prototype "Brown Box". Sanders patented Baer's inventions and licensed them to Magnavox, which commercialized it as the first home video game console, the Magnavox Odyssey, released in 1972. Separately, Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney, inspired by seeing Spacewar! running at Stanford University, devised a similar version running in a smaller coin-operated arcade cabinet using a less expensive computer. This was released as Computer Space, the first arcade video game, in 1971. Bushnell and Dabney went on to form Atari, Inc., and with Allan Alcorn, created their second arcade game in 1972, the hit ping pong-style , which was directly inspired by the table tennis game on the Odyssey. Sanders and Magnavox sued Atari for infringement of Baer's patents, but Atari settled out of court, paying for perpetual rights to the patents. Following their agreement, Atari made a home version of Pong, which was released by Christmas 1975. The success of the Odyssey and Pong, both as an arcade game and home machine, launched the video game industry. Both Baer and Bushnell have been titled "Father of Video Games" for their contributions.

Terminology

The term "video game" was developed to distinguish this class of electronic games that were played on some type of video display rather than on a teletype printer, audio speaker or similar device. This also distinguished from many handheld electronic games like which commonly used LED lights for indicators but did not use these in combination for imaging purposes.

"Computer game" may also be used as a descriptor, as all these types of games essentially require the use of a computer processor, and in some cases, it is used interchangeably with "video game". Particularly in the United Kingdom and Western Europe, this is common due to the historic relevance of domestically produced microcomputers. Other terms used include digital game, for example by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. However, the term "computer game" can also be used to more specifically refer to games played primarily on personal computers or other type of flexible hardware systems (also known as a PC game), as a way distinguish them from console games, arcade games or mobile games. Other terms such as "television game" or "telegame" had been used in the 1970s and early 1980s, particularly for the home gaming consoles that rely on connection to a television set. In Japan, where consoles like the Odyssey were first imported and then made within the country by the large television manufacturers such as Toshiba and Sharp Corporation, such games are known as "TV games", or TV geemu or terebi geemu. "Electronic game" may also be used to refer to video games, but this also incorporates devices like early handheld electronic games that lack any video output. and the term "TV game" is still commonly used into the 21st century.

The first appearance of the term "video game" emerged around 1973. The Oxford English Dictionary cited a 10 November 1973 BusinessWeek article as the first printed use of the term. Though Bushnell believed the term came from a vending magazine review of Computer Space in 1971, a review of the major vending magazines Vending Times and showed that the term came much earlier, appearing first around March 1973 in these magazines in mass usage including by the arcade game manufacturers. As analyzed by video game historian Keith Smith, the sudden appearance suggested that the term had been proposed and readily adopted by those involved. This appeared to trace to Ed Adlum, who ran Cashbox's coin-operated section until 1972 and then later founded RePlay Magazine, covering the coin-op amusement field, in 1975. In a September 1982 issue of RePlay, Adlum is credited with first naming these games as "video games": "RePlay's Eddie Adlum worked at 'Cash Box' when 'TV games' first came out. The personalities in those days were Bushnell, his sales manager Pat Karns and a handful of other 'TV game' manufacturers like Henry Leyser and the McEwan brothers. It seemed awkward to call their products 'TV games', so borrowing a word from 's description of movie jukeboxes, Adlum started to refer to this new breed of amusement machine as 'video games.' The phrase stuck."[citation needed ] Adlum explained in 1985 that up until the early 1970s, amusement arcades typically had non-video arcade games such as pinball machines and electro-mechanical games. With the arrival of video games in arcades during the early 1970s, there was initially some confusion in the arcade industry over what term should be used to describe the new games. He "wrestled with descriptions of this type of game," alternating between "TV game" and "television game" but "finally woke up one day" and said, "what the hell... video game!"

For many years, the traveling Videotopia exhibit served as the closest representation of such a vital resource. In addition to collecting home video game consoles, the Electronics Conservancy organization set out to locate and restore 400 antique arcade cabinets after realizing that the majority of these games had been destroyed and feared the loss of their historical significance. Video games have significantly began to be seen in the real-world as a purpose to present history in a way of understanding the methodology and terms that are being compared. Researchers have looked at how historical representations affect how the public perceives the past, and digital humanists encourage historians to use video games as primary materials. Video games, considering their past and age, have over time progressed as what a video game really means. Whether played through a monitor, TV, or a hand-held device, there are many ways that video games are being displayed for users to enjoy. People have drawn comparisons between flow-state-engaged video gamers and pupils in conventional school settings. In traditional, teacher-led classrooms, students have little say in what they learn, are passive consumers of the information selected by teachers, are required to follow the pace and skill level of the group (group teaching), and receive brief, imprecise, normative feedback on their work. Video games, as they continue to develop into better graphic definition and genre's, create new terminology when something unknown tends to become known. Yearly, consoles are being created to compete against other brands with similar functioning features that tends to lead the consumer into which they'd like to purchase. Now, companies have moved towards games only the specific console can play to grasp the consumer into purchasing their product compared to when video games first began, there was little to no variety. In 1989, a console war begun with Nintendo, one of the biggest in gaming was up against target, Sega with their brand new Master System which, failed to compete, allowing the Nintendo Emulator System to be one of the most consumed product in the world. More technology continued to be created, as the computer began to be used in people's houses for more than just office and daily use. Games began being implemented into computers and have progressively grown since then with coded robots to play against you. Early games like tic-tac-toe, solitaire, and Tennis for Two were great ways to bring new gaming to another system rather than one specifically meant for gaming.

Definition

While many games readily fall into a clear, well-understood definition of video games, new genres and innovations in game development have raised the question of what are the essential factors of a video game that separate the medium from other forms of entertainment.

The introduction of interactive films in the 1980s with games like Dragon's Lair, featured games with full motion video played off a form of media but only limited user interaction. This had required a means to distinguish these games from more traditional board games that happen to also use external media, such as the Clue VCR Mystery Game which required players to watch VCR clips between turns. To distinguish between these two, video games are considered to require some interactivity that affects the visual display.

Most video games tend to feature some type of victory or winning conditions, such as a scoring mechanism or a final boss fight. The introduction of walking simulators ( adventure games that allow for exploration but lack any objectives) like , and empathy games (video games that tend to focus on emotion) like That Dragon, Cancer brought the idea of games that did not have any such type of winning condition and raising the question of whether these were actually games. These are still commonly justified as video games as they provide a game world that the player can interact with by some means.

The lack of any industry definition for a video game by 2021 was an issue during the case Epic Games v. Apple which dealt with video games offered on Apple's iOS App Store. Among concerns raised were games like Fortnite Creative and which created metaverses of interactive experiences, and whether the larger game and the individual experiences themselves were games or not in relation to fees that Apple charged for the App Store. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, recognizing that there was yet an industry standard definition for a video game, established for her ruling that "At a bare minimum, videogames appear to require some level of interactivity or involvement between the player and the medium" compared to passive entertainment like film, music, and television, and "videogames are also generally graphically rendered or animated, as opposed to being recorded live or via motion capture as in films or television". Rogers still concluded that what is a video game "appears highly eclectic and diverse".

Video game terminology

Freedoom, a clone of the first-person shooter Doom. Common elements include a heads-up display along the bottom that includes the player's remaining health and ammunition.

The gameplay experience varies radically between video games, but many common elements exist. Most games will launch into a title screen and give the player a chance to review options such as the number of players before starting a game. Most games are divided into levels which the player must work the avatar through, scoring points, collecting power-ups to boost the avatar's innate attributes, all while either using special attacks to defeat enemies or moves to avoid them. This information is relayed to the player through a type of on-screen user interface such as a heads-up display atop the rendering of the game itself. Taking damage will deplete their avatar's health, and if that falls to zero or if the avatar otherwise falls into an impossible-to-escape location, the player will lose one of their lives. Should they lose all their lives without gaining an extra life or "1-UP", then the player will reach the " game over" screen. Many levels as well as the game's finale end with a type of boss character the player must defeat to continue on. In some games, intermediate points between levels will offer save points where the player can create a saved game on storage media to restart the game should they lose all their lives or need to stop the game and restart at a later time. These also may be in the form of a passage that can be written down and reentered at the title screen.[citation needed ]

Product flaws include software bugs which can manifest as glitches which may be exploited by the player; this is often the foundation of speedrunning a video game. These bugs, along with cheat codes, Easter eggs, and other hidden secrets that were intentionally added to the game can also be exploited. On some consoles, cheat cartridges allow players to execute these cheat codes, and user-developed trainers allow similar bypassing for computer software games. Both of which might make the game easier, give the player additional power-ups, or change the appearance of the game.

Components

Arcade video game machines at the Sugoi arcade game hall in Malmi, Helsinki, Finland

To distinguish from electronic games, a video game is generally considered to require a platform, the hardware which contains computing elements, to process player interaction from some type of input device and displays the results to a video output display.

Various gaming consoles at the Computer Games Museum in Berlin

Video games require a platform, a specific combination of electronic components or computer hardware and associated software, to operate. The term system is also commonly used. Games are typically designed to be played on one or a limited number of platforms, and exclusivity to a platform is used as a competitive edge in the video game market. However, games may be developed for alternative platforms than intended, which are described as ports or conversions. These also may be remasters - where most of the original game's source code is reused and art assets, models, and game levels are updated for modern systems - and remakes, where in addition to asset improvements, significant reworking of the original game and possibly from scratch is performed.

The list below is not exhaustive and excludes other electronic devices capable of playing video games such as PDAs and graphing calculators.

PC games

PC games involve a player interacting with a personal computer (PC) connected to a video monitor.[40] Personal computers are not dedicated game platforms, so there may be differences running the same game on different hardware. Also, the openness allows some features to developers like reduced software cost,[41] increased flexibility, increased innovation, emulation, creation of modifications or mods, open hosting for online gaming (in which a person plays a video game with people who are in a different household) and others. A gaming computer is a PC or laptop intended specifically for gaming, typically using high-performance, high-cost components. In additional to personal computer gaming, there also exist games that work on mainframe computers and other similarly shared systems, with users logging in remotely to use the computer.

Home console

The PlayStation 2 is the best-selling video game console, with over 155 million units sold.[42]

A console game is played on a home console, a specialized electronic device that connects to a common television set or composite video monitor. Home consoles are specifically designed to play games using a dedicated hardware environment, giving developers a concrete hardware target for development and assurances of what features will be available, simplifying development compared to PC game development. Usually consoles only run games developed for it, or games from other platform made by the same company, but never games developed by its direct competitor, even if the same game is available on different platforms. It often comes with a specific game controller. Major console platforms include Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo.

Handheld console

A handheld game console is a small, self-contained electronic device that is portable and can be held in a user's hands. It features the console, a small screen, speakers and buttons, joystick or other game controllers in a single unit. Like consoles, handhelds are dedicated platforms, and share almost the same characteristics. Handheld hardware usually is less powerful than PC or console hardware. Some handheld games from the late 1970s and early 1980s could only play one game. In the 1990s and 2000s, a number of handheld games used cartridges, which enabled them to be used to play many different games. The handheld console has waned in the 2010s as mobile device gaming has become a more dominant factor.

Arcade video game

A police-themed arcade game in which players use a light gun

An arcade video game generally refers to a game played on an even more specialized type of electronic device that is typically designed to play only one game and is encased in a special, large coin-operated cabinet which has one built-in console, controllers (joystick, buttons, etc.), a CRT screen, and audio amplifier and speakers. Arcade games often have brightly painted logos and images relating to the theme of the game. While most arcade games are housed in a vertical cabinet, which the user typically stands in front of to play, some arcade games use a tabletop approach, in which the display screen is housed in a table-style cabinet with a see-through table top. With table-top games, the users typically sit to play. In the 1990s and 2000s, some arcade games offered players a choice of multiple games. In the 1980s, video arcades were businesses in which game players could use a number of arcade video games. In the 2010s, there are far fewer video arcades, but some movie theaters and family entertainment centers still have them.

Browser game

A browser game takes advantages of standardizations of technologies for the functionality of web browsers across multiple devices providing a cross-platform environment. These games may be identified based on the website that they appear, such as with Miniclip games. Others are named based on the programming platform used to develop them, such as Java and Flash games.

Mobile game

With the introduction of smartphones and tablet computers standardized on the iOS and Android operating systems, mobile gaming has become a significant platform. These games may use unique features of mobile devices that are not necessary present on other platforms, such as accelerometers, global positing information and camera devices to support augmented reality gameplay.

Cloud gaming

Cloud gaming requires a minimal hardware device, such as a basic computer, console, laptop, mobile phone or even a dedicated hardware device connected to a display with good Internet connectivity that connects to hardware systems by the cloud gaming provider. The game is computed and rendered on the remote hardware, using a number of predictive methods to reduce the network latency between player input and output on their display device. For example, the Xbox Cloud Gaming and PlayStation Now platforms use dedicated custom server blade hardware in cloud computing centers.

Virtual reality

Players using the PlayStation VR headsets in 2017

Virtual reality (VR) games generally require players to use a special head-mounted unit that provides stereoscopic screens and motion tracking to immerse a player within virtual environment that responds to their head movements. Some VR systems include control units for the player's hands as to provide a direct way to interact with the virtual world. VR systems generally require a separate computer, console, or other processing device that couples with the head-mounted unit.

Emulation

An emulator enables games from a console or otherwise different system to be run in a type of virtual machine on a modern system, simulating the hardware of the original and allows old games to be played. While emulators themselves have been found to be legal in United States case law, the act of obtaining the game software that one does not already own may violate copyrights. However, there are some official releases of emulated software from game manufacturers, such as Nintendo with its Virtual Console or Nintendo Switch Online offerings.

Backward compatibility

Backward compatibility is similar in nature to emulation in that older games can be played on newer platforms, but typically directly though hardware and build-in software within the platform. For example, the PlayStation 2 is capable of playing original PlayStation games simply by inserting the original game media into the newer console, while Nintendo's Wii could play GameCube titles as well in the same manner.

An unlabeled game cartridge for the Nintendo Entertainment System

Early arcade games, home consoles, and handheld games were dedicated hardware units with the game's logic built into the electronic componentry of the hardware. Since then, most video game platforms are considered programmable, having means to read and play multiple games distributed on different types of media or formats. Physical formats include ROM cartridges, magnetic storage including magnetic-tape data storage and floppy discs, optical media formats including CD-ROM and DVDs, and flash memory cards. Furthermore digital distribution over the Internet or other communication methods as well as cloud gaming alleviate the need for any physical media. In some cases, the media serves as the direct read-only memory for the game, or it may be the form of installation media that is used to write the main assets to the player's platform's local storage for faster loading periods and later updates.

Games can be extended with new content and software patches through either expansion packs which are typically available as physical media, or as downloadable content nominally available via digital distribution. These can be offered freely or can be used to monetize a game following its initial release. Several games offer players the ability to create user-generated content to share with others to play. Other games, mostly those on personal computers, can be extended with user-created modifications or mods that alter or add onto the game; these often are unofficial and were developed by players from reverse engineering of the game, but other games provide official support for modding the game.

Input device

A North American Super NES game controller from the early 1990s

Video game can use several types of input devices to translate human actions to a game. Most common are the use of game controllers like gamepads and joysticks for most consoles, and as accessories for personal computer systems along keyboard and mouse controls. Common controls on the most recent controllers include face buttons, shoulder triggers, analog sticks, and directional pads ("d-pads"). Consoles typically include standard controllers which are shipped or bundled with the console itself, while peripheral controllers are available as a separate purchase from the console manufacturer or third-party vendors. Similar control sets are built into handheld consoles and onto arcade cabinets. Newer technology improvements have incorporated additional technology into the controller or the game platform, such as touchscreens and motion detection sensors that give more options for how the player interacts with the game. Specialized controllers may be used for certain genres of games, including racing wheels, light guns and dance pads. Digital cameras and motion detection can capture movements of the player as input into the game, which can, in some cases, effectively eliminate the control, and on other systems such as virtual reality, are used to enhance immersion into the game.

Display and output

Handheld units, like the Game Boy, include built-in output screens and sound speakers.

By definition, all video games are intended to output graphics to an external video display, such as cathode-ray tube televisions, newer liquid-crystal display (LCD) televisions and built-in screens, projectors or computer monitors, depending on the type of platform the game is played on. Features such as color depth, refresh rate, frame rate, and screen resolution are a combination of the limitations of the game platform and display device and the program efficiency of the game itself. The game's output can range from fixed displays using LED or LCD elements, text-based games, two-dimensional and three-dimensional graphics, and augmented reality displays.

The game's graphics are often accompanied by sound produced by internal speakers on the game platform or external speakers attached to the platform, as directed by the game's programming. This often will include sound effects tied to the player's actions to provide audio feedback, as well as background music for the game.

Some platforms support additional feedback mechanics to the player that a game can take advantage of. This is most commonly haptic technology built into the game controller, such as causing the controller to shake in the player's hands to simulate a shaking earthquake occurring in game.

Classifications

Video games are frequently classified by a number of factors related to how one plays them.

is representative of the platform game genre as its gameplay involves jumping between platforms.

A video game, like most other forms of media, may be categorized into genres. However, unlike film or television which use visual or narrative elements, video games are generally categorized into genres based on their gameplay interaction, since this is the primary means which one interacts with a video game. The narrative setting does not impact gameplay; a shooter game is still a shooter game, regardless of whether it takes place in a fantasy world or in outer space. An exception is the horror game genre, used for games that are based on narrative elements of horror fiction, the supernatural, and psychological horror.

Genre names are normally self-describing in terms of the type of gameplay, such as action game, role playing game, or shoot 'em up, though some genres have derivations from influential works that have defined that genre, such as roguelikes from , Grand Theft Auto clones from Grand Theft Auto III, and battle royale games from the film Battle Royale. The names may shift over time as players, developers and the media come up with new terms; for example, first-person shooters were originally called "Doom clones" based on the 1993 game. A hierarchy of game genres exist, with top-level genres like "shooter game" and "action game" that broadly capture the game's main gameplay style, and several subgenres of specific implementation, such as within the shooter game first-person shooter and third-person shooter. Some cross-genre types also exist that fall until multiple top-level genres such as action-adventure game.

A LAN party at the 2004 DreamHack with hundreds of players

A video game's mode describes how many players can use the game at the same type. This is primarily distinguished by single-player video games and multiplayer video games. Within the latter category, multiplayer games can be played in a variety of ways, including locally at the same device, on separate devices connected through a local network such as LAN parties, or online via separate Internet connections. Most multiplayer games are based on competitive gameplay, but many offer cooperative and team-based options as well as asymmetric gameplay. Online games use server structures that can also enable massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) to support hundreds of players at the same time.

A small number of video games are zero-player games, in which the player has very limited interaction with the game itself. These are most commonly simulation games where the player may establish a starting state and then let the game proceed on its own, watching the results as a passive observer, such as with many computerized simulations of Conway's Game of Life.

Most video games are intended for entertainment purposes. Different game types include:

Core games

Core or hard-core games refer to the typical perception of video games, developed for entertainment purposes. These games typically require a fair amount of time to learn and master, in contrast to casual games, and thus are most appealing to gamers rather than a broader audience. Most of the AAA video game industry is based around the delivery of core games.[56]

Casual games

In contrast to core games, casual games are designed for ease of accessibility, simple to understand gameplay and quick to grasp rule sets, and aimed at mass market audience. They frequently support the ability to jump in and out of play on demand, such as during commuting or lunch breaks. Numerous browser and mobile games fall into the casual game area, and casual games often are from genres with low intensity game elements such as match three, hidden object, time management, and puzzle games.[57] Causal games frequently use social-network game mechanics, where players can enlist the help of friends on their social media networks for extra turns or moves each day.[58] Popular casual games include Tetris and Candy Crush Saga. More recent, starting in the late 2010s, are hyper-casual games which use even more simplistic rules for short but infinitely replayable games, such as Flappy Bird.[59]

Educational games

Education software has been used in homes and classrooms to help teach children and students, and video games have been similarly adapted for these reasons, all designed to provide a form of interactivity and entertainment tied to game design elements. There are a variety of differences in their designs and how they educate the user. These are broadly split between edutainment games that tend to focus on the entertainment value and rote learning but are unlikely to engage in critical thinking, and educational video games that are geared towards problem solving through motivation and positive reinforcement while downplaying the entertainment value.[60] Examples of educational games include The Oregon Trail and the Carmen Sandiego series. Further, games not initially developed for educational purposes have found their way into the classroom after release, such as that feature open worlds or virtual sandboxes like Minecraft,[61] or offer critical thinking skills through puzzle video games like SpaceChem.[62]

Serious games

Microsoft Flight Simulator is an example of a simulation game.

Further extending from educational games, serious games are those where the entertainment factor may be augmented, overshadowed, or even eliminated by other purposes for the game. Game design is used to reinforce the non-entertainment purpose of the game, such as using video game technology for the game's interactive world, or gamification for reinforcement training. Educational games are a form of serious games, but other types of games include fitness games that incorporate significant physical exercise to help keep the player fit (such as Wii Fit), simulator games that resemble fight simulators to pilot aircraft (such as Microsoft Flight Simulator), advergames that are built around the advertising of a product (such as Pepsiman), and newsgames aimed at conveying a specific advocacy message (such as NarcoGuerra).[63][64]

Art games

Although video games have been considered an art form on their own, games may be developed to try to purposely communicate a story or message, using the medium as a work of art. These art or arthouse games are designed to generate emotion and empathy from the player by challenging societal norms and offering critique through the interactivity of the video game medium. They may not have any type of win condition and are designed to let the player explore through the game world and scenarios. Most art games are indie games in nature, designed based on personal experiences or stories through a single developer or small team. Examples of art games include Passage, Flower, and That Dragon, Cancer.[65][66][67]

Content rating

A typical ESRB rating label, listing the rating and specific content descriptors for Rabbids Go Home

Video games can be subject to national and international content rating requirements. Like with film content ratings, video game ratings typing identify the target age group that the national or regional ratings board believes is appropriate for the player, ranging from all-ages, to a teenager-or-older, to mature, to the infrequent adult-only games. Most content review is based on the level of violence, both in the type of violence and how graphic it may be represented, and sexual content, but other themes such as drug and alcohol use and gambling that can influence children may also be identified. A primary identifier based on a minimum age is used by nearly all systems, along with additional descriptors to identify specific content that players and parents should be aware of.

The regulations vary from country to country but generally are voluntary systems upheld by vendor practices, with penalty and fines issued by the ratings body on the video game publisher for misuse of the ratings. Among the major content rating systems include:

Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) that oversees games released in the United States. ESRB ratings are voluntary and rated along a E (Everyone), E10+ (Everyone 10 and older), T (Teen), M (Mature), and AO (Adults Only). Attempts to mandate video games ratings in the U.S. subsequently led to the landmark Supreme Court case, Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association in 2011 which ruled video games were a protected form of art, a key victory for the video game industry.

Pan European Game Information (PEGI) covering the United Kingdom, most of the European Union and other European countries, replacing previous national-based systems. The PEGI system uses content rated based on minimum recommended ages, which include 3+, 8+, 12+, 16+, and 18+.

Australian Classification Board (ACB) oversees the ratings of games and other works in Australia, using ratings of G (General), PG (Parental Guidance), M (Mature), MA15+ (Mature Accompanied), R18+ (Restricted), and X (Restricted for pornographic material). ACB can also deny to give a rating to game (RC - Refused Classification). The ACB's ratings are enforceable by law, and importantly, games cannot be imported or purchased digitally in Australia if they have failed to gain a rating or were given the RC rating, leading to a number of notable banned games.

Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO) rates games for Japan. Their ratings include A (all ages), B (12 and older), C (15 and over), D (17 and over), and Z (18 and over).

Additionally, the major content system provides have worked to create the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC), a means to streamline and align the content ratings system between different region, so that a publisher would only need to complete the content ratings review for one provider, and use the IARC transition to affirm the content rating for all other regions.

Certain nations have even more restrictive rules related to political or ideological content. Within Germany, until 2018, the Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle ( Entertainment Software Self-Regulation) would refuse to classify, and thus allow sale, of any game depicting Nazi imagery, and thus often requiring developers to replace such imagery with fictional ones. This ruling was relaxed in 2018 to allow for such imagery for "social adequacy" purposes that applied to other works of art. China's video game segment is mostly isolated from the rest of the world due to the government's censorship, and all games published there must adhere to strict government review, disallowing content such as smearing the image of the Chinese Communist Party. Foreign games published in China often require modification by developers and publishers to meet these requirements.

Development

Developers use various tools to create video games. Here an editor is fine-tuning the virtual camera system.

Video game development and authorship, much like any other form of entertainment, is frequently a cross-disciplinary field. Video game developers, as employees within this industry are commonly referred, primarily include programmers and graphic designers. Over the years this has expanded to include almost every type of skill that one might see prevalent in the creation of any movie or television program, including sound designers, musicians, and other technicians; as well as skills that are specific to video games, such as the game designer. All of these are managed by producers.

In the early days of the industry, it was more common for a single person to manage all of the roles needed to create a video game. As platforms have become more complex and powerful in the type of material they can present, larger teams have been needed to generate all of the art, programming, cinematography, and more. This is not to say that the age of the "one-man shop" is gone, as this is still sometimes found in the casual gaming and handheld markets, where smaller games are prevalent due to technical limitations such as limited RAM or lack of dedicated 3D graphics rendering capabilities on the target platform (e.g., some PDAs).

Video games are programmed like any other piece of computer software. Prior to the mid-1970s, arcade and home consoles were programmed by assembling discrete electro-mechanical components on circuit boards, which limited games to relatively simple logic. By 1975, low-cost microprocessors were available at volume to be used for video game hardware, which allowed game developers to program more detailed games, widening the scope of what was possible. Ongoing improvements in computer hardware technology has expanded what has become possible to create in video games, coupled with convergence of common hardware between console, computer, and arcade platforms to simplify the development process. Today, game developers have a number of commercial and open source tools available for use to make games, often which are across multiple platforms to support portability, or may still opt to create their own for more specialized features and direct control of the game. Today, many games are built around a game engine that handles the bulk of the game's logic, gameplay, and rendering. These engines can be augmented with specialized engines for specific features, such as a physics engine that simulates the physics of objects in real-time. A variety of middleware exists to help developers to access other features, such as for playback of videos within games, network-oriented code for games that communicate via online services, matchmaking for online games, and similar features. These features can be used from a developers' programming language of choice, or they may opt to also use game development kits that minimize the amount of direct programming they have to do but can also limit the amount of customization they can add into a game. Like all software, video games usually undergo quality testing before release to assure there are no bugs or glitches in the product, though frequently developers will release patches and updates.

With the growth of the size of development teams in the industry, the problem of cost has increased. Development studios need the best talent, while publishers reduce costs to maintain profitability on their investment. Typically, a video game console development team ranges from 5 to 50 people, and some exceed 100. In May 2009, Assassin's Creed II was reported to have a development staff of 450. The growth of team size combined with greater pressure to get completed projects into the market to begin recouping production costs has led to a greater occurrence of missed deadlines, rushed games and the release of unfinished products.

While amateur and hobbyist game programming had existed since the late 1970s with the introduction of home computers, a newer trend since the mid-2000s is indie game development. Indie games are made by small teams outside any direct publisher control, their games being smaller in scope than those from the larger " AAA" game studios, and are often experiment in gameplay and art style. Indie game development are aided by larger availability of digital distribution, including the newer mobile gaming marker, and readily-available and low-cost development tools for these platforms.

Game theory and studies

Although departments of computer science have been studying the technical aspects of video games for years, theories that examine games as an artistic medium are a relatively recent development in the humanities. The two most visible schools in this emerging field are ludology and narratology. Narrativists approach video games in the context of what Janet Murray calls "Cyberdrama". That is to say, their major concern is with video games as a storytelling medium, one that arises out of interactive fiction. Murray puts video games in the context of the Holodeck, a fictional piece of technology from , arguing for the video game as a medium in which the player is allowed to become another person, and to act out in another world. This image of video games received early widespread popular support, and forms the basis of films such as , and The Last Starfighter.

Ludologists break sharply and radically from this idea. They argue that a video game is first and foremost a game, which must be understood in terms of its rules, interface, and the concept of play that it deploys. Espen J. Aarseth argues that, although games certainly have plots, characters, and aspects of traditional narratives, these aspects are incidental to gameplay. For example, Aarseth is critical of the widespread attention that narrativists have given to the heroine of the game Tomb Raider, saying that "the dimensions of Lara Croft's body, already analyzed to death by film theorists, are irrelevant to me as a player, because a different-looking body would not make me play differently... When I play, I don't even see her body, but see through it and past it." Simply put, ludologists reject traditional theories of art because they claim that the artistic and socially relevant qualities of a video game are primarily determined by the underlying set of rules, demands, and expectations imposed on the player.

While many games rely on emergent principles, video games commonly present simulated story worlds where emergent behavior occurs within the context of the game. The term "emergent narrative" has been used to describe how, in a simulated environment, storyline can be created simply by "what happens to the player." However, emergent behavior is not limited to sophisticated games. In general, any place where event-driven instructions occur for AI in a game, emergent behavior will exist. For instance, take a racing game in which cars are programmed to avoid crashing, and they encounter an obstacle in the track: the cars might then maneuver to avoid the obstacle causing the cars behind them to slow or maneuver to accommodate the cars in front of them and the obstacle. The programmer never wrote code to specifically create a traffic jam, yet one now exists in the game.

Intellectual property for video games

Most commonly, video games are protected by copyright, though both patents and trademarks have been used as well.

Though local copyright regulations vary to the degree of protection, video games qualify as copyrighted visual-audio works, and enjoy cross-country protection under the Berne Convention. This typically only applies to the underlying code, as well as to the artistic aspects of the game such as its writing, art assets, and music. Gameplay itself is generally not considered copyrightable; in the United States among other countries, video games are considered to fall into the idea-expression distinction in that it is how the game is presented and expressed to the player that can be copyrighted, but not the underlying principles of the game.

Because gameplay is normally ineligible for copyright, gameplay ideas in popular games are often replicated and built upon in other games. At times, this repurposing of gameplay can be seen as beneficial and a fundamental part of how the industry has grown by building on the ideas of others. For example (1993) and Grand Theft Auto III (2001) introduced gameplay that created popular new game genres, the first-person shooter and the Grand Theft Auto clone, respectively, in the few years after their release. However, at times and more frequently at the onset of the industry, developers would intentionally create video game clones of successful games and game hardware with few changes, which led to the flooded arcade and dedicated home console market around 1978. Cloning is also a major issue with countries that do not have strong intellectual property protection laws, such as within China. The lax oversight by China's government and the difficulty for foreign companies to take Chinese entities to court had enabled China to support a large grey market of cloned hardware and software systems. The industry remains challenged to distinguish between creating new games based on refinements of past successful games to create a new type of gameplay, and intentionally creating a clone of a game that may simply swap out art assets.

E3 is one of the typical trade show events of the video game industry.

The early history of the video game industry, following the first game hardware releases and through 1983, had little structure. Video games quickly took off during the golden age of arcade video games from the late 1970s to early 1980s, but the newfound industry was mainly composed of game developers with little business experience. This led to numerous companies forming simply to create clones of popular games to try to capitalize on the market. Due to loss of publishing control and oversaturation of the market, the North American home video game market crashed in 1983, dropping from revenues of around $3 billion in 1983 to $100 million by 1985. Many of the North American companies created in the prior years closed down. Japan's growing game industry was briefly shocked by this crash but had sufficient longevity to withstand the short-term effects, and Nintendo helped to revitalize the industry with the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America in 1985. Along with it, Nintendo established a number of core industrial practices to prevent unlicensed game development and control game distribution on their platform, methods that continue to be used by console manufacturers today.

The industry remained more conservative following the 1983 crash, forming around the concept of publisher-developer dichotomies, and by the 2000s, leading to the industry centralizing around low-risk, triple-A games and studios with large development budgets of at least $10 million or more. The advent of the Internet brought digital distribution as a viable means to distribute games, and contributed to the growth of more riskier, experimental independent game development as an alternative to triple-A games in the late 2000s and which has continued to grow as a significant portion of the video game industry.

Industry roles

Video games have a large network effect that draw on many different sectors that tie into the larger video game industry. While video game developers are a significant portion of the industry, other key participants in the market include:

Publishers: Companies generally that oversee bringing the game from the developer to market. This often includes performing the marketing, public relations, and advertising of the game. Publishers frequently pay the developers ahead of time to make their games and will be involved in critical decisions about the direction of the game's progress, and then pay the developers additional royalties or bonuses based on sales performances. Other smaller, boutique publishers may simply offer to perform the publishing of a game for a small fee and a portion of the sales, and otherwise leave the developer with the creative freedom to proceed. A range of other publisher-developer relationships exist between these points.

Distributors: Publishers often are able to produce their own game media and take the role of distributor, but there are also third-party distributors that can mass-produce game media and distribute to retailers. Digital storefronts like Steam and the iOS App Store also serve as distributors and retailers in the digital space.

Retailers: Physical storefronts, which include large online retailers, department and electronic stores, and specialty video game stores, sell games, consoles, and other accessories to consumers. This has also including a trade-in market in certain regions, allowing players to turn in used games for partial refunds or credit towards other games. However, with the uprising of digital marketplaces and e-commerce revolution, retailers have been performing worse than in the past.

Hardware manufacturers: The video game console manufacturers produce console hardware, often through a value chain system that include numerous component suppliers and contract manufacturer that assemble the consoles. Further, these console manufacturers typically require a license to develop for their platform and may control the production of some games, such as Nintendo does with the use of game cartridges for its systems. In exchange, the manufacturers may help promote games for their system and may seek console exclusivity for certain games. For games on personal computers, a number of manufacturers are devoted to high-performance "gaming computer" hardware, particularly in the graphics card area; several of the same companies overlap with component supplies for consoles. A range of third-party manufacturers also exist to provide equipment and gear for consoles post-sale, such as additional controllers for console or carrying cases and gear for handheld devices.

Journalism: While journalism around video games used to be primarily print-based, and focused more on post-release reviews and gameplay strategy, the Internet has brought a more proactive press that use web journalism, covering games in the months prior to release as well as beyond, helping to build excitement for games ahead of release.

Influencers: With the rising importance of social media, video game companies have found that the opinions of influencers using streaming media to play through their games has had a significant impact on game sales, and have turned to use influencers alongside traditional journalism as a means to build up attention to their game before release.

Esports: Esports is a major function of several multiplayer games with numerous professional leagues established since the 2000s, with large viewership numbers, particularly out of southeast Asia since the 2010s.

Trade and advocacy groups: Trade groups like the Entertainment Software Association were established to provide a common voice for the industry in response to governmental and other advocacy concerns. They frequently set up the major trade events and conventions for the industry such as E3.

Gamers: Proactive hobbyists who are players and consumers of video games. While their representation in the industry is primarily seen through game sales, many companies follow gamers' comments on social media or on user reviews and engage with them to work to improve their products in addition to other feedback from other parts of the industry. Demographics of the larger player community also impact parts of the market; while once dominated by younger men, the market shifted in the mid-2010s towards women and older players who generally preferred mobile and causal games, leading to further growth in those sectors.

Major regional markets

The industry itself grew out from both the United States and Japan in the 1970s and 1980s before having a larger worldwide contribution. Today, the video game industry is predominantly led by major companies in North America (primarily the United States and Canada), Europe, and southeast Asia including Japan, South Korea, and China. Hardware production remains an area dominated by Asian companies either directly involved in hardware design or part of the production process, but digital distribution and indie game development of the late 2000s has allowed game developers to flourish nearly anywhere and diversify the field.

A retail display in Switzerland with a large selection of games for platforms popular in the early 2000s

According to the market research firm Newzoo, the global video game industry drew estimated revenues of over $159 billion in 2020. Mobile games accounted for the bulk of this, with a 48% share of the market, followed by console games at 28% and personal computer games at 23%.

Sales of different types of games vary widely between countries due to local preferences. Japanese consumers tend to purchase much more handheld games than console games and especially PC games, with a strong preference for games catering to local tastes. Another key difference is that, though having declined in the West, arcade games remain an important sector of the Japanese gaming industry. In South Korea, computer games are generally preferred over console games, especially MMORPG games and real-time strategy games. Computer games are also popular in China.

Effects on society

The Art of Video Games exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in 2012

Video game culture is a worldwide new media subculture formed around video games and game playing. As computer and video games have increased in popularity over time, they have had a significant influence on popular culture. Video game culture has also evolved over time hand in hand with internet culture as well as the increasing popularity of mobile games. Many people who play video games identify as gamers, which can mean anything from someone who enjoys games to someone who is passionate about it. As video games become more social with multiplayer and online capability, gamers find themselves in growing social networks. Gaming can both be entertainment as well as competition, as a new trend known as electronic sports is becoming more widely accepted. In the 2010s, video games and discussions of video game trends and topics can be seen in social media, politics, television, film and music. The COVID-19 pandemic during 2020-2021 gave further visibility to video games as a pastime to enjoy with friends and family online as a means of social distancing.

Since the mid-2000s there has been debate whether video games qualify as art, primarily as the form's interactivity interfered with the artistic intent of the work and that they are designed for commercial appeal. A significant debate on the matter came after film critic Roger Ebert published an essay "Video Games can never be art", which challenged the industry to prove him and other critics wrong. The view that video games were an art form was cemented in 2011 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the landmark case Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association that video games were a protected form of speech with artistic merit. Since then, video game developers have come to use the form more for artistic expression, including the development of art games, and the cultural heritage of video games as works of arts, beyond their technical capabilities, have been part of major museum exhibits, including The Art of Video Games at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and toured at other museums from 2012 to 2016.

Video games will inspire sequels and other video games within the same franchise, but also have influenced works outside of the video game medium. Numerous television shows (both animated and live-action), films, comics and novels have been created based on existing video game franchises. Because video games are an interactive medium there has been trouble in converting them to these passive forms of media, and typically such works have been critically panned or treated as children's media. For example, until 2019, no video game film had ever been received a "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but the releases of Detective Pikachu (2019) and Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), both receiving "Fresh" ratings, shows signs of the film industry having found an approach to adapt video games for the large screen. That said, some early video game-based films have been highly successful at the box office, such as 1995's Mortal Kombat and 2001's Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

More recently since the 2000s, there has also become a larger appreciation of video game music, which ranges from chiptunes composed for limited sound-output devices on early computers and consoles, to fully-scored compositions for most modern games. Such music has frequently served as a platform for covers and remixes, and concerts featuring video game soundtracks performed by bands or orchestras, such as Video Games Live, have also become popular. Video games also frequently incorporate licensed music, particularly in the area of rhythm games, furthering the depth of which video games and music can work together.

Further, video games can serve as a virtual environment under full control of a producer to create new works. With the capability to render 3D actors and settings in real-time, a new type of work machinima (short for "machine cinema") grew out from using video game engines to craft narratives. As video game engines gain higher fidelity, they have also become part of the tools used in more traditional filmmaking. Unreal Engine has been used as a backbone by Industrial Light & Magic for their StageCraft technology for shows like The Mandalorian.

Separately, video games are also frequently used as part of the promotion and marketing for other media, such as for films, anime, and comics. However, these licensed games in the 1990s and 2000s often had a reputation for poor quality, developed without any input from the intellectual property rights owners, and several of them are considered among lists of games with notably negative reception, such as Superman 64. More recently, with these licensed games being developed by triple-A studios or through studios directly connected to the licensed property owner, there has been a significant improvement in the quality of these games, with an early trendsetting example of Batman: Arkham Asylum.

Beneficial uses

Besides their entertainment value, appropriately-designed video games have been seen to provide value in education across several ages and comprehension levels. Learning principles found in video games have been identified as possible techniques with which to reform the U.S. education system. It has been noticed that gamers adopt an attitude while playing that is of such high concentration, they do not realize they are learning, and that if the same attitude could be adopted at school, education would enjoy significant benefits.[dubious ] Students are found to be "learning by doing" while playing video games while fostering creative thinking.

Video games are also believed to be beneficial to the mind and body. It has been shown that action video game players have better hand-eye coordination and visuo-motor skills, such as their resistance to distraction, their sensitivity to information in the peripheral vision and their ability to count briefly presented objects, than nonplayers. Researchers found that such enhanced abilities could be acquired by training with action games, involving challenges that switch attention between different locations, but not with games requiring concentration on single objects.[citation needed ] A 2018 systematic review found evidence that video gaming training had positive effects on cognitive and emotional skills in the adult population, especially with young adults. A 2019 systematic review also added support for the claim that video games are beneficial to the brain, although the beneficial effects of video gaming on the brain differed by video games types.

Organisers of video gaming events, such as the organisers of the D-Lux video game festival in Dumfries, Scotland, have emphasised the positive aspects video games can have on mental health. Organisers, mental health workers and mental health nurses at the event emphasised the relationships and friendships that can be built around video games and how playing games can help people learn about others as a precursor to discussing the person's mental health. A study in 2020 from Oxford University also suggested that playing video games can be a benefit to a person's mental health. The report of 3,274 gamers, all over the age of 18, focused on the games Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville and used actual play-time data. The report found that those that played more games tended to report greater "wellbeing". Also in 2020, computer science professor Regan Mandryk of the University of Saskatchewan said her research also showed that video games can have health benefits such as reducing stress and improving mental health. The university's research studied all age groups - "from pre-literate children through to older adults living in long term care homes" - with a main focus on 18 to 55-year-olds.

A study of gamers attitudes towards gaming which was reported about in 2018 found that millennials use video games as a key strategy for coping with stress. In the study of 1,000 gamers, 55% said that it "helps them to unwind and relieve stress ... and half said they see the value in gaming as a method of escapism to help them deal with daily work pressures".

Controversies

The compulsion loop for video games is believed to trigger dopamine release that can encourage addictive behavior.

Video games have caused controversy since the 1970s. Parents and children's advocates regularly raise concerns that violent video games can influence young players into performing those violent acts in real life, and events such as the Columbine High School massacre in 1999 in which the perpetrators specifically alluded to using video games to plot out their attack, raised further fears.[citation needed ] Medical experts and mental health professionals have also raised concerned that video games may be addictive, and the World Health Organization has included "gaming disorder" in the 11th revision of its International Statistical Classification of Diseases. Other health experts, including the American Psychiatric Association, have stated that there is insufficient evidence that video games can create violent tendencies or lead to addictive behavior, though agree that video games typically use a compulsion loop in their core design that can create dopamine that can help reinforce the desire to continue to play through that compulsion loop and potentially lead into violent or addictive behavior. Even with case law establishing that video games qualify as a protected art form, there has been pressure on the video game industry to keep their products in check to avoid over-excessive violence particularly for games aimed at younger children. The potential addictive behavior around games, coupled with increased used of post-sale monetization of video games, has also raised concern among parents, advocates, and government officials about gambling tendencies that may come from video games, such as controversy around the use of loot boxes in many high-profile games.

Numerous other controversies around video games and its industry have arisen over the years, among the more notable incidents include the 1993 United States Congressional hearings on violent games like Mortal Kombat which lead to the formation of the ESRB ratings system, numerous legal actions taken by attorney Jack Thompson over violent games such as Grand Theft Auto III and from 2003 to 2007, the outrage over the " No Russian" level from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in 2009 which allowed the player to shoot a number of innocent non-player characters at an airport, and the Gamergate harassment campaign in 2014 that highlighted misogyny from a portion of the player demographic. The industry as a whole has also dealt with issues related to gender, racial, and LGBTQ+ discrimination and mischaracterization of these minority groups in video games. A further issue in the industry is related to working conditions, as development studios and publishers frequently use " crunch time", required extended working hours, in the weeks and months ahead of a game's release to assure on-time delivery.

Collecting and preservation

Players of video games often maintain collections of games. More recently there has been interest in retrogaming, focusing on games from the first decades. Games in retail packaging in good shape have become collectors items for the early days of the industry, with some rare publications having gone for over US$100,000 as of 2020. Separately, there is also concern about the preservation of video games, as both game media and the hardware to play them degrade over time. Further, many of the game developers and publishers from the first decades no longer exist, so records of their games have disappeared. Archivists and preservations have worked within the scope of copyright law to save these games as part of the cultural history of the industry.

There are many video game museums around the world, including the National Videogame Museum in Frisco, Texas, which serves as the largest museum wholly dedicated to the display and preservation of the industry's most important artifacts. Europe hosts video game museums such as the Computer Games Museum in Berlin and the Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines in Moscow and Saint-Petersburg. The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment in Oakland, California is a dedicated video game museum focusing on playable exhibits of console and computer games. The Video Game Museum of Rome is also dedicated to preserving video games and their history. The International Center for the History of Electronic Games at The Strong in Rochester, New York contains one of the largest collections of electronic games and game-related historical materials in the world, including a 5,000-square-foot (460 m ²) exhibit which allows guests to play their way through the history of video games. The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC has three video games on permanent display: Pac-Man, Dragon's Lair, and Pong.

The Museum of Modern Art has added a total of 20 video games and one video game console to its permanent Architecture and Design Collection since 2012. In 2012, the Smithsonian American Art Museum ran an exhibition on " The Art of Video Games". However, the reviews of the exhibit were mixed, including questioning whether video games belong in an art museum.

References

Further reading

Blodget, Henry (12 April 2005). "How to Solve China's Piracy Problem". Slate.com. Archived from the original on 8 November 2011.

Costikyan, Greg (1994). "I Have No Words & I Must Design". Archived from the original on 12 August 2008.

Crawford, Chris (1982). The Art of Computer Game Design. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015.

Lieu, Tina (August 1997). "Where have all the PC games gone?". Computing Japan. Archived from the original on 12 January 1998.

Pursell, Carroll (2015). From Playgrounds to PlayStation: The Interaction of Technology and Play. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Salen, Katie; Eric Zimmerman (2005). The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology. The MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-19536-2.

Smuts, Aaron (2005). "Are Video Games Art?". Archived from the original on 14 December 2010.

Winegarner, Beth (28 January 2005). "Game sales hit record highs". . Gamespot. Archived from the original on 6 January 2012.

John Wills (1 October 2002). "Digital Dinosaurs and Artificial Life: Exploring the Culture of Nature in Computer and Video Games". Cultural Values (Journal for Cultural Research). 6 (4): 395-417. doi:10.1080/1362517022000047334. S2CID 144132612.

Williams, J.P.; Smith, J.H., eds. (2007). The players' realm: studies on the culture of video games and gaming. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co.

How can video games boost your mental health? - Max Birk (Eindhoven University of Technology)

The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokemon--The Story Behind the Craze That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World by Steven L. Kent, Crown, 2001, ISBN 0761536434

The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 2: Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and the Billion-Dollar Battle to Shape Modern Gaming by Steven L. Kent, Crown, 2021, ISBN 1984825437

External links

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A video game 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 from a display device, most commonly shown in a video format on a television set, computer monitor, flat-panel display or touchscreen on handheld devices, or a virtual reality headset.

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Representatives from Xbox, Capcom, Blizzard, Rovio, Square Enix, SEGA and more peer into their crystal balls.

Ten years ago, IGN asked a group of games industry members to predict what gaming might look like in 2020. We recently revisited those predictions to see how accurate they were. And now, we've assembled a new panel of more than 30 key figures in gaming to tell us about what they think the games industry and video games might be like in 2030. (Be sure to also check out what the panel thought were the biggest changes in gaming in the last decade and the best games of the last decade.)Each respondent answered three questions:

What do you think the video game industry will look like in 2030?

How do you think gaming technology will have evolved by 2030?

How different will the games of 2030 be to the games of 2020, and why?

As you might imagine, there was a lot of crossover in the responses, so rather than break this feature up by question, we've instead grouped responses broadly by topics. As in previous features, we haven't used every response, but instead have focused on trying to represent as broad a range of insights and perspectives as possible.

Please also note that these answers were submitted to IGN at the start of the year - before the newly re-energised Black Lives Matter movement and before COVID-19 had been classified as a pandemic.

Gaming Will Be Fundamentally Changed by New Tech and New People
Phil Harrison, Vice President and GM, Google (Stadia): I think the gaming industry will continue to grow even in 2030, led by the experiences that you get on mobile and PC and consoles, as they start to merge. This will mainly be powered by a few shifts in our industry.Streaming will be the unifying technology that allows everybody to access all the content that they want on any screen that they want. I think it is clearly a direction of travel for the games industry powered by ubiquity of network connectivity. Whether it's 5G, ultra-wide band fiber, or satellite, there are going to be a number of enabling technologies that quickly make this a reality.

Ultimately, compute on-demand from a data center rather than the specific computers inside the box under your TV will dramatically change the way games are made and played. I think we will see some adjacent technologies like machine learning, AI, and natural language fuel game design tremendously. Imagine being able to walk into a world and have a truly believable conversation with a character, where it feels like you're talking to a real human being - they remember you, they remember your backstory. I think it will allow games to reach a new level of creativity, have even more richness and depth, creating a new medium beyond just the playing of games.

We'll continue to make significant strides in graphics. I think that there is an obvious direction of travel for GPUs. As gate density on a chip gets better we'll be able to process more and more. For example, we're starting to see the early hints of ray tracing, and we'll see much more complex 3D graphics and pixel processing techniques get embedded in hardware and that will continue to drive visual reality. And when you combine the ability to render pixels realistically with procedural generation, games will outperform movies in terms of visual performance.I think one major change in 2030 that is often overlooked is the people who create games. One of the most exciting things from a content perspective is the new generation coming into the workplace now that have played games all their life. Games for them are completely second-nature, not a strange career choice. They've played and understood gaming literally since before they could watch TV.

And so that means that there is a much wider and richer diversity of talent coming to make games, bringing more voices, more perspectives and more life experiences. That can only improve the way that games are made and the diversity of the stories and experiences that will be represented within them.

Streaming Games Will Be Mainstream
Gareth Wilson, Creative Director, Traveller's Tales (The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame): Streaming technology will become mainstream in the next 10 years. As network infrastructure catches up it'll be commonplace to buy a game and immediately start playing it via streaming. We'll still download games for some time to come, though, and the best experience in 2030 will still be on a standalone console or PC.

Real-time ray tracing is just around the corner as well. I've seen some fantastic demos of this in the past six months which will revolutionise how we build and light game assets. Denby Grace, Executive Producer, 2K (Mafia III): I think the biggest advancement in gaming technology is already upon us, with cloud gaming. When it gets to a level where you're truly no longer tethered to the hardware you have at your house - when you can take your gaming experiences wherever you are in the world, on whatever device you have - that's when it will really open the doors to everyone and anyone being able to access to the content they want, whenever they want it.

Tim Heaton, Studio Director, Creative Assembly and EVP Studios (Total War: Three Kingdoms): My guess is streaming will be the primary method of distribution. 5G should enable it, and the infrastructures for streaming allow the next great leap forward - distributed, scalable power to enable games of incredible sophistication that single boxes simply could not manage.

Procedural content creation and machine learned solutions will help ameliorate the growing cost and complexity of development, but it's hard to see the trend not continuing towards bigger and more complex development team structures.Will VR or AR win the day and allow truly immersive gameplay for the mainstream? The tech should certainly be there by 2030 and it could, and needs to, be driven by entirely new genres of games with new ways to add social elements.

VR Will Win the Day... Or Maybe Not
Viktor Bocan, Design Director, Warhorse Studios (Kingdom Come: Deliverance): I believe VR and streaming will be the most defining technologies in the next ten years in gaming. Virtual reality is the way forward: headsets need to be light, user-friendly, and affordable, but they will be quite soon. Other than that, I think streaming will help a lot; there'll be no need for every player to have to have a beast computer under his desk.

I think the games will be quite similar, with the only exception that virtual reality will be a much more common component even of non-VR games. There is already almost no reason - aside from technical difficulties - not to include [a] VR mode in many genres like strategy games or platformers. New control possibilities, free independently handled camera and other advantages are far too good and far too interesting to be omitted. Once these systems are more accessible, the games will just support it. You will play StarCraft III the same way you play StarCraft II, but you will look around freely or even walk over the battlefield. Because why not?

Takashi Iizuka, Head of Sonic Team, SEGA (Sonic Forces): I think it's fair to expect that by 2030, game graphics will be on par with the best CG movies we see now. I also would like to see VR technology become more widespread in video games. Everyone knows that there are some amazing and unique VR games out there today, but they require an initial hardware investment and are still very solitary experiences. These factors have created a barrier to entry for mainstream audiences. I hope that with advances in technology, many of the current hurdles with VR will be overcome. I'm not sure if this can be accomplished ten years from now, but I think that someday people will be able to enjoy a VR experience with their friends and family that is on par with going to an amusement park from the comfort of their homes.

Greg Street, VP of IP and Entertainment, Riot Games (League of Legends): I'm not a huge evangelist for VR and I don't know if 2030 will really be enough time for it to be something in which a majority of gamers can participate. I still find audio and video communication with other players to be woefully inadequate across a couple of dimensions, so hopefully that experience is technically seamless and player behavior problems are less of an issue by 2030.

Gareth Wilson, Creative Director, Traveller's Tales (The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame): I hope VR will take a big leap forward, but my hunch is in 2030 we'll still be saying mainstream adoption is still a few years away.
We'll See a Merging of the Real With the Virtual
Andy Sum, Director, Hipster Whale (Crossy Road): I would expect to see a big tech disruption in either AR, VR, or Deep Learning. Maybe this is the decade that someone invents a wearable that people actually want to wear. If there's a headset or sci-fi contact lens that's as ubiquitous as mobile phones are now, then there will be games for it.

Lars Janssen, Director of Studio Relations, Koch Media: At some point in the next decade, mixed reality will make its mark. I'm looking forward to smart contact lenses that are able to seamlessly blend the real and the virtual. It might be more to the end of the decade but this will be the next major step, not only for games.

Marc Merrill, Co-Founder, Riot Games (League of Legends): I think it is possible that we will move away from mouse and keyboard as the primary input devices for PCs in ten years and the implications of this would be profound and far reaching. It is also likely that graphics processing will continue to shift more and more to the server which will continue to make gaming more mobile than ever. This will hopefully manifest in great wearables that enable better Augmented Reality gameplay experiences that we have only begun to scratch the surface on. I for one would love to play virtual paintball in a live arena. Kellee Santiago, Head of Developer Relations, Niantic, Inc. (Pokemon GO): I think a big addition will be technology enabling the merge of digital and real-world games, so that there might even be esports that are both digital and physical, like football - with dragons!

Ryozo Tsujimoto, Producer, Monster Hunter series: As technology like real-time ray tracing becomes more accessible and common, we will push the boundaries of photorealism to the point where graphics will be nearly indistinguishable from reality. MR [mixed reality] will improve its ability to recognise objects in the real world and integrate more seamlessly with our environment, making games that combine reality with CG at a quality level unthinkable today. You might have a Rathalos appear before your very eyes! I also think controllers and their feedback mechanisms will evolve in ways that let us experience games more directly with our senses.

Kellee Santiago, Head of Developer Relations, Niantic, Inc. (Pokemon GO): There will continue to be a growth in ecosystems of players/creators like Minecraft and Roblox, fueled by streaming technology that will continue to offload computing to the cloud. This will also allow more innovation in the Internet of Things space, which will allow us to play games in our real-world spaces and with our bodies, instead of using controllers that are already starting to feel so obtuse.

Saxs Persson, Minecraft Chief Creative Officer: Mostly, we have seen incremental changes [in] the last decade and I expect that to continue. One exception is AR and HoloLens, in particular. I am very interested in AR wearable technology taking the next step and becoming mainstream. I have had unique experiences with HoloLens that I never thought I could experience, but price and form factor is still a limiting factor. Hopefully that changes in the next ten years!

Ville Heijari, CMO, Rovio (Angry Birds): I'm confident of a new type of gaming experience emerging by 2030. For instance, Nintendo has kicked off 2020 in fine form by announcing its tech-infused theme parks with power-up wristbands. As we learnt over the past years with Pokémon Go, people are by no means confined to the living room if the conditions are right and fun; engaging reward-based challenges are on hand.
Mobile Gaming and the Cloud Will Have a Huge Influence
J. Allen Brack, President, Blizzard Entertainment (World of Warcraft): The phone that I have in 2030 will be more powerful than my 2020 desktop PC - what will that enable creators to build?

I've been a lifelong PC gamer. When you think about the future, it's impossible to ignore the fact that there are literally billions of gamers who will never have a PC or console and can only play on their mobile device. That's an amazing shift in how games might be made and how we think about the future gaming audience.

You also can't ignore the potential of cloud-based gaming. We are on the cusp today, with many companies attempting to capture this market. Most will fail, but I think a couple will succeed in building in this space. The best game designers design games for the specific platform, and the biggest concern is if you envision what a AAA game looks like, you have to envision what a AAA cloud-based game looks like. That's a huge problem for designers - a solvable problem, for sure, but it will take a lot of work.

The Console Wars May Be Over
Jeremiah Slaczka, Co-Founder and Creative Director, 5th Cell (Scribblenauts Unlimited): I'm not sure if the console wars will exist in another ten years. The barriers between the platform walled gardens are breaking down so much already, I don't think they'll exist in 2030.

Naoki Yoshida, Producer and Director, Final Fantasy XIV: I think the console wars will have neared its end, and cloud gaming will have just been established as the mainstream. Technology will continue to advance, but I think that in ten years' time the limitations will no longer be on a hardware level and will have instead become a battle of the cloud servers. I'm sure ten years will fly by.

Keith Schuler, Lead Mission Designer, Gearbox Software (Borderlands 3): I expect near the end of the decade we'll still see the "Big 3" announcing or releasing updated versions of their consoles, heralding the end of this console generation. But, that'll be the last console war. By 2030, we'll already see the way the wind is blowing, where video games are simply media that you can play on whatever media player you own. I think we're seeing this trend already, but it'll take a long time for the behemoths to figure out what they're going to do about it. Well, not Nintendo. They'll keep doing their thing. And you know what? They'll also release the best Metroid game ever, because I'm making a wish right now.

Home Hardware May Disappear
Lars Janssen, Director of Studio Relations, Koch Media: Local PCs and consoles will go away in the long run with the rise of gigabit and faster internet connections. I wouldn't be surprised if hardware at home or on the go will be reduced to ultra-high-resolution portable screens and evolved input devices, where all content is coming from servers with minimal latency.

Greg Street, VP of IP and Entertainment, Riot Games (League of Legends): I'm imagining that hardware as a presence will almost disappear. We won't have these bulky machines under our desks. We won't have huge TVs on our walls. We won't think about, 'I need to be in this room to play this particular game.'

Jodie Azhar, Game Director, Teazelcat Games: I imagine we'll still be seeing gaming consoles in wide use for playing handheld and touchscreen experiences or those that require specialised controllers, but large consoles may be more integrated with other home technology. This could either go more towards home PCs focused on making it easy to view, download and stream games, or become more integrated with Smart TVs.

Phil Harrison, Vice President and GM, Google (Stadia): In the future, games will surpass the inherent bias where certain titles are only available to specific audiences based on hardware ownership. Content shouldn't be limited to someone playing it only because they have a certain powerful machine. I think that by the time we get to 2030, we will see a democratization of access to content that is not determined by your ability to buy a hundreds or thousands of dollars box next to your TV or monitor, but by ubiquitous and easy access to the internet. And since more of the world will be connected in the future, I'm optimistic about the future of the games industry.

We'll Have a More Unified Ecosystem for Games
Ed Beach, Civilization Franchise Lead Designer, Firaxis: We're seeing the initial move toward cloud-based gaming now and I'm confident it will be complete by 2030. Already we've moved away from physical media to digital distribution; by 2030 I doubt we'll be spending much time worrying about what gaming platform we're on. That will mean a bigger, more unified potential audience for every game and I'm sure it will be a very, very competitive environment. That will place the emphasis firmly on making sure developers are delivering the most compelling and innovative content.

Viktor Bocan, Design Director, Warhorse Studios (Kingdom Come: Deliverance): Hardware is going to be much more united; mobiles, handhelds, consoles, and PCs will be very similar and interchangeable. It's possible that the mobile phone will work as a console and a handheld; it already can now, but the hassle involved is irritating. That means it will be a lot easier to make games for "different platforms" as there will be much fewer platforms. Plus, there will be streaming. A lot of streaming.
Subscription Services Could Help Integrate Games Into Our Lives More
Jodie Azhar, Game Director, Teazelcat Games: By 2030 I think someone will have cracked "Games on Demand", making it easy to pay a subscription, browse a library of games and try a game out immediately. There are services like this already, but they haven't quite taken off. I think we'll still see different games only being available from certain providers and still having the option of buying a personal copy of the game, but if games become accessible directly from our TVs without having to buy specialised hardware or wait for it to download, and can try something we've already paid a subscription to access, we'll see games become increasingly more integrated into our lives.

Business Models Will Continue to Change
Greg Street, VP of IP and Entertainment, Riot Games (League of Legends): We are going to have to continue to figure out how to pay for the high costs of game development. We've tried box sales, subscriptions, microtransactions, loot boxes, and passes. All of them have some problems. I look forward to seeing smart developers innovate on that space, innovate on how we communicate with players, innovate on how players communicate with each other, and not just try and innovate on, say, ragdoll physics.

Development Models Will Continue to Change
Jeremiah Slaczka, Co-Founder and Creative Director, 5th Cell (Scribblenauts Unlimited): I think games will be made differently ten years from now. More of a Hollywood contracting/union model than massive studios building up and laying off between projects. You can easily outsource art, tech, sound, and QA these days; in ten years it should be a snap to work with talented people remotely on a single project.

Masachika Kawata, Producer, Resident Evil series: Development technology will spread further from companies to individuals, allowing indie developers to use modular development and create bigger games than they can at the moment. But the cutting edge of technology will likely focus even further in on a few big companies due to resources and patent-based exclusivity.

Tanya X. Short, Co-Founder, Kitfox Games (Moon Hunters): [Games] will be even more varied, and made by more kinds of people, from all over the world. Whether VR or AR or some other XR comes to the forefront as a new viable platform, people all over the globe are empowered to make games for it. I hope, anyway. If we continue to move our communities online, and the internet continues to spread effectively, it's possible.

Marc Merrill, Co-Founder, Riot Games (League of Legends): The ongoing democratization of development means we will continue to see the cost of entry remain low as more sophisticated tools become more and more available to creators. More people will be making things and it will be easier than ever to get games in front of people online. This also means there will be "more noise" and it will be even harder for your game to stand out from the crowd. More people will be playing, streaming, and sharing - together - and there will be a lot of gameplay innovation that explores how to integrate "watching" with "playing" in meaningful ways.

Gareth Wilson, Creative Director, Traveller's Tales (The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame): I'm actually quite optimistic for the future of the industry. I think we'll look back at the next few years as a bit of a gold rush, as new players really go big in gaming, streaming services get established, and "all you can eat" offerings that require a mass of content to keep subscribers happy. I'm hopeful they'll re-establish that middle layer of development where specialist titles with reasonable budgets can find a home, as in the recent past the industry has been dominated by huge titles or tiny indie games at the other end.

When it comes to greenlighting projects and expanding games post launch, we'll see analytics and AI increasingly being used to help make decisions on which games and new content get made. We're already seeing this in movies and TV, which could mean people get more of the games they want and we get less flops, but equally could mean games get more formulaic to serve established audiences.

Technology Will Help Create Smarter Development Environments
Phil Harrison, Vice President and GM, Google (Stadia): I think that there are some technologies that will have to evolve. With the biggest games from the past few years being made by teams of hundreds of people - in some cases over a thousand people. In future generations, could we imagine ten thousand people working on a game? I don't think so. I believe that by 2030, the technology that underpins content creation has to evolve at a much faster rate than it has done in the last few years. We have to think differently about the way that content is created, and how vast landscapes of natural law and realistic worlds can be created using machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Keith Schuler, Lead Mission Designer, Gearbox Software (Borderlands 3): Something has got to give with the price point of selling video games versus the cost of making them, and for sake of the industry, that has to shake out in the next ten years. I expect to see more experimental financial models as we go, but what's probably needed is some sort of paradigm shift. I also expect AI and machine learning to play a rapidly increasing role in many aspects of game development. I think developers will find interesting ways to leverage these technologies. Ville Heijari, CMO, Rovio (Angry Birds): I think the role of AI and how it is used to supplement human developer creativity through content creation will be a huge boon for both game makers and players. At Rovio we've been investing in machine learning for a number of years, with the key aims being to lighten the load on our game designers and be able to produce fun content at a faster cadence with less manual grind. In addition, we can also better predict aspects like level difficulty and likeliness of churn, leading to greater personalisation and tailoring of the user experience.

Paul Sage, Creative Director, Borderlands 3: I hope we will see a lot more carefully crafted heuristics that drive cool automation and procedurally generated content. We won't have to mocap or hand key every animation. We won't have to craft and place every single blade of grass. And maybe, just maybe, the thing I am really excited about is cloud based AI speech. What I mean is, games can have NPCs that are believable and give believable responses based on their "personality." I don't want to move away from great writing and hand-crafted dialogue, but I would like to have "filler" that complements our craft. Using natural language parsing and personality profiles, I think we will start seeing some worlds made that are truly fleshed out. We'll probably just be on the cusp of this in ten years, but I'm looking forward to it. Because when we can fill out the worlds procedurally in cool ways, we can concentrate more on the hand-crafted experiences that make games great.

AI Advancements Will Change Gaming Forever
Andy Sum, Director, Hipster Whale (Crossy Road): If Deep Learning continues to improve rapidly, then I expect we'll see a narrative game that takes advantage of conversational AI and being able to convincingly have long interactions with NPCs. This tech is just starting to make an appearance.

Yoshinori Kitase, Producer, Final Fantasy VII Remake: Square Enix as a company, we very much make games which are focused on story and characters, and the player becoming that character and experiencing their story.

I think where we are now, it's still very much at the stage of having pre-set routes and pre-set story twists and destinations. For example, in the Netflix drama [Black Mirror: Bandersnatch] you've got three options, and you select from one of those options and it takes you down a pre-set route to another choice. I think, in the future, that's going to get a lot more granular, and it's going to be - with the introduction of things like AI behind the scenes - the story, the drama is going to unfold in real-time based on the player's actions and everything that happens in the world. There's going to be developments and changes in the story that the developers, maybe, wouldn't even understand or have predicted. It's going to be much more free-form and much more player-driven.

Denby Grace, Executive Producer, 2K (Mafia III): I think visual and audio technology advancements are a given, with more processing power leading to more complex worlds and AI. What I'm hoping will be a byproduct of those advancements, specifically those in AI, is a new generation of games that can explore and exercise social reasoning just as much as the already-established spatial reasoning - providing a more comprehensive set of verbs and therefore a truly interactive and uniquely controllable experience.

Technology Will Drive Game Design
Lee Mather, Game Director, F1 2019, Codemasters: The technology will be one of the main drivers for how games will differ in ten years' time. If you look at a game such as the original Grand Theft Auto, it's the advancements in technology which allowed them to take a top down crime game to the open world behemoth it is today. You can be sure the vision was already there, but it took time to be a position to be able to achieve it. Technical advancements will allow the creatives of the industry to go wild, and to give gamers experiences exactly how they envisaged them. Another area of gaming which I see continuing to expand and grow is in the more social and community side of things. Games will be built with this in mind, with gaming becoming a much more social, collaborative and shared experience.
Games Will Evolve for the Better and New Genres Will Emerge
Sam Barlow, Founder, Drowning a Mermaid Productions (Telling Lies): [Games will be] very [different in ten years], I hope. Games have changed a LOT, but... in Zelda I'm still a dude running around hitting things with a sword. In Fortnite I'm still shooting stuff with a range of guns. Minecraft mixed up some paradigms but I still have a button dedicated to melee attacks. Control is weird and funky, but I'm still a superhero shooting and punching waves of enemies. The indie power move in this decade was to take a popular genre and remove combat: BioShock/Gone Home, D&D/Disco Elysium, Silent Hill/Amnesia. Every time we do that, we focus on other mechanics and aspects and grow them out, and the games are stronger for it. We have such a narrow range of mechanics and interactions; hopefully in 2030 we'll have expanded that wide open.

Tim Heaton, Studio Director, Creative Assembly and EVP Studios (Total War: Three Kingdoms): It's seems pretty likely that there'll be hugely popular genres that don't really exist at the moment. That's certainly happened over the past decade and it doesn't feel like we've run out of ideas. Of course, these can be enabled by technology, but sometimes they're just great combinations of systems used in a new way.

It feels like 2030 is a very long way away, but here at Sega we're dealing with several franchises that are 15, 20, or even 30 years old. Ten years is only three AAA game cycles away... if AAA exists by then (it will).

Games Will Merge With Other Forms of Media
Yoshinori Kitase, Producer, Final Fantasy VII Remake: I think maybe it wouldn't be categorised as a games industry at that point. I have a feeling that the borders between games and movies and subscription entertainment services, things like Netflix, they may be very blurred by that point. At least, they'll be seen as rivals as opposed to a different type of media. But there may be that merging together happening. I mean, something Netflix is doing now, they've got these interactive dramas, like Black Mirror [Bandersnatch]... the viewer, the player, can choose the outcome, make decisions during the story and that changes how it progresses. I have a feeling there's going to be that more borderless aspect between different genres of entertainment.

Pim Holfve, CEO, Avalanche Studios Group (Rage 2): Over the coming years, games and all other forms of entertainment will mix and cross-pollinate with each other, generating new and exciting ways for us to express ourselves. I also predict that the borders between genres and markets will be blurred over time. This will generate completely new audiences with new expectations and feedback that will inspire developers to evolve current genres and come up with completely new ones. Finally, the hippie in me wants to see real-world cultures merging within games and create whole new alternative cultures, subcultures, and even new societies - an alternative world where the inhabitants rule together.

Games Will Give Players the Toolbox
Kellee Santiago, Head of Developer Relations, Niantic, Inc. (Pokemon GO): I don't know that [games in 2030] will be fundamentally different; are they that different now in the grand scheme of things? Humans want to play together, and sometimes that's creative, sometimes it's competitive, sometimes it's as a spectator. These things really haven't changed much. I think technology is evolving so that digital games can feel more like card games and paper games, in that we can modify them more, have "house rules", create our own games with the same pieces, etcetera. I think the increased level of comfort and vocabulary around games and how they work will possibly make them more diverse and sophisticated, and will hopefully give me even more people to play with! Saxs Persson, Minecraft Chief Creative Officer: If I could have one wish, it would be to narrow the distance between creator and consumer. The gift of creativity is something that will help you, whether this is your profession or just the way you like to wind down.

Cross-Play Will Lead to Bigger Things
Jamie Jackson, Chief Creative Officer, Mythical Games: Player creation will be much bigger, players making their own ways to play and create their own audiences. I also think we'll see account-level progression across multiple games. It feels like the natural next logical step for cross-play. Give players ownership of their accounts regardless of the game, allow for meaningful levelling up, and enable sweet unlocks or content that bleed into other brands or gaming experiences.

[We will also see] wide adoption of emerging tech like blockchain and how that will open up new avenues of legitimizing digital assets and giving player ownership and agency to what they have amassed through hours of play.

How We Watch Games Will Level Up
J. Allen Brack, President, Blizzard Entertainment (World of Warcraft): We are already spending designer time focusing on the viewing experience. Think about games that have Lead Viewing Experience designers - someone who designs how spectators view the game, both passive and active viewers. What's the advanced version? How can spectators meaningfully contribute to their favorite streamer's gameplay experience? And what does it look like when spectators have a voice in the viewing experience? What does an integrated spectating experience look like?

Games Will Be More Diverse, as Will the People That Make Them
Saxs Persson, Minecraft Chief Creative Officer: I hope the move towards more diversity in games continues for the next ten years. I want everyone to have a game that speaks to them - a developer that represents every gamer's value and ideals. This last decade has shown that there is room for everyone to make a game that's meaningful to someone. Success has been redefined with a stronger connection between game maker and game player. Often the line is blurred, like in Minecraft or Roblox. In the end, we are all creative. And we can all make games.

David Gaider, Co-Founder and Creative Director, Summerfall Studios (Chorus): I'd like to think [games] will be more thoughtfully diverse - you can already see that becoming more common in games, on a more regular basis. Perhaps we'll finally reach the point where diversity can exist without being noteworthy. Ideally we'll also see a broadening of the indie field, where games that don't aspire to a photo-realistic aesthetic can take up a bigger share of the field. Greg Street, VP of IP and Entertainment, Riot Games (League of Legends): Honestly, I hope it doesn't look that different, as an industry, than it does today. As a player, I enjoy that there are giant studios that can create these very long, detailed, polished experiences with multi-million dollar budgets. But I also love that I can play an indie game from Spain and also really admire the thought and craftsmanship that went into it. I do look forward to a more diverse industry, where we have more game teams led by women, less gatekeeping about who constitutes a game player, and we're talking about the latest indie game from Mongolia or Bolivia.

Joe Neate, Executive Producer, Sea of Thieves, Rare: Bigger, more inclusive, more diverse. Having spent the last 20 years working in the games industry, I've seen first-hand how it has evolved, but also how far it has to go. The good thing is that it is evolving, and nothing is going to stop it. We all have our part to play in this, from how we behave, the cultures we create, the games we make, and how we build and communicate with our communities. Leading from the front matters and everyone making games has a responsibility here, to speak out against discrimination, and to influence those around them to behave in the right way.

Pim Holfve, CEO, Avalanche Studios Group (Rage 2): Over the past decade, it's been amazing to see how more and more people around the world enjoy games, whether it's casual mobile titles or AAA blockbusters. With new tech on the horizon, games will become even more accessible to bigger and more diverse audiences. My hope is that this will make more people consider a career in games, as different perspectives and experiences make both our games and industry better. At the same time, I wish that more companies will strive to create a sustainable work-life balance for their employees and finally make crunch culture a thing of the past in 2030.
Game Studios Will Focus on Social Responsibility
J. Allen Brack, President, Blizzard Entertainment (World of Warcraft): If you look at the world, we have so many difficult problems - because we've solved so many simple problems, all the remaining problems are difficult. They will require thought, compromise, and collaboration across large numbers of humans. We are starting to see companies saying that they are looking to change the world in a positive way and becoming more mission based. I think the trend of mission-based companies will accelerate beyond philanthropic work, and I believe we will see considerable growth in game studios becoming aware of their power around social responsibility. Microsoft just announced that they will be carbon negative by 2030 - a sign of what they value and what's to come. Changing the world in a positive way is something we, as human beings, want for ourselves. At Blizzard, we believe passionately in the positive power of video games and how they can make the world a better place. All of us - Blizzard as well as the rest of the games industry - should try to do more.

Lee Mather, Game Director, F1 2019, Codemasters: [In ten years] I can see an industry which sits on par with other creative industries, such as TV and film. I can see games being accepted as art. I can also see games continuing to change people's lives. While games sometimes receive negative press, they overlook some of the biggest positives in gaming. The industry will continue to excite and inspire people, it will continue to be one of the most welcoming and inclusive creative industries, and it will bring positivity and pleasure to the lives of millions. I can also see the industry expanding its support for great causes, already offering people an alternative outlet for people with disabilities or mental health issues.

Game Studios Will Improve in Other Ways Too
Ross Gowing, Game Director, Dirt Rally 2.0, Codemasters: I think we'll see quality and efficiency continue to improve due to the improvements that are being made at an education level - the wealth of information and resources that are available for people to further their knowledge in addition to what they're being taught formally is like nothing I've ever seen before and that's only going to continue on an upward trajectory. I'd also like to think that the majority of studios will finally solve the work/life balance issues that the industry has struggled with for too long - we simply can't continue to operate like that.

Pim Holfve, CEO, Avalanche Studios Group (Rage 2): We'll see a tighter and more collaborative relationship between our communities and us as developers. The direct dialogue between players and developers will become more important and have an even greater impact on the games we make and especially how they continue to evolve. Keith Schuler, Lead Mission Designer, Gearbox Software (Borderlands 3): Plenty will stay the same. But, there will be some big changes in ways we can't even imagine right now. The generation of bright young minds that grew up with and were influenced by the games of the last ten years will be getting jobs in the industry, bringing their ideas and new ways of thinking to us. I've heard it said that directors like Scorsese and Spielberg ushered in a new generation of filmmaking, and I think the video game industry is also going to see that kind of generational shift sometime in the next ten years.

The Games Industry Will Go Through a Correction
David Gaider, Co-Founder and Creative Director, Summerfall Studios (Chorus): Personally, I think the industry is headed for some kind of correction over the next period, where unions start to take hold and the industry deals with the idea it has to make games on timetables that don't destroy the people creating them. Maybe it'll be a big fight, maybe it'll involve some implosion and some high-profile failures, I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Consolidation Will Continue, Then Things Will Shift Again
Pim Holfve, CEO, Avalanche Studios Group (Rage 2): On the business side, the acquisition trend, with big corporations acquiring smaller studios and IPs, is likely to continue for a while. I hope that most studio founders who are benefitting from the current shopping spree, will re-invest in the industry and pave the way for rising stars all around the world to disrupt the industry over and over again.

Tanya X. Short, Co-Founder, Kitfox Games (Moon Hunters): Up until 2025, there will be some consolidation, which has already started - indies getting acquired, either by other indies or bigger studios. Trying to shore up resources against the massive amounts of competition. And then I suppose, as always, there will be some new reason for fragmentation - a new platform type, a new market, a new mega-genre, something that encourages risk-taking, which requires smaller teams to break out again. So I think by 2030 we'll be largely where we are now again.

Marc Merrill, Co-Founder, Riot Games (League of Legends): I would wager that the industry will see continued cycles of expansion and consolidation. Esports will continue to grow, but there will be only a few major esports that dominate the viewership charts. There will be a continuing "hollowing" out of the middle market, where development costs continue to rise and it will be even harder to survive without "hit" titles. Innovation will continue to be driven by indie devs, although there will also be significant innovation in mega-scale games with huge development budgets that enable experiences that simply cannot be realized without massive investment.

Lars Janssen, Director of Studio Relations, Koch Media: [In 2030] we will have fewer and fewer big players in the industry, so the consolidation will continue. Specialization will become very important and almost all of the major large-scale projects will be international co-developments.

On top of that, the video game industry game will be more and more connected to other industries. For example, through learnings from game design thinking and will thus help carry other industries forward as we can already see in automotive, manufacturing, etcetera.

Gaming Will Be Truly Ubiquitous
Takashi Iizuka, Head of Sonic Team, SEGA (Sonic Forces): Over the past ten years we have seen games become a very popular medium of entertainment, but there are still many parts of the world where console games are not sold. There are also many people that do not invest their time and money into gaming experiences. With the introduction of 5G as a new network, developers can deliver affordable gaming experiences to people around the world on their mobile devices. I hope that everyone will be able to experience games as easily as they listen to music or watch videos on YouTube by 2030.

Tim Heaton, Studio Director, Creative Assembly and EVP Studios (Total War: Three Kingdoms): [By 2030] I think [the games industry] will have completed its journey to be accepted as a key element of modern culture, in the way film, TV, music, and literature are now. Everyone will have grown up with games culture all around them, and I hope it will be better understood. It's not so far off now - it's easy to see examples of other mass market disciplines feeding off games for inspiration.

The business itself will all be digital and more ubiquitous. Play anywhere, in whatever form you would like. I think it's likely to be the same major players - games will be vital for the huge tech/media companies but I'm sure there'll be some consolidation of big publishers into the bigger and even more cash-rich tech corporations. It will be very interesting to see how the Chinese tech companies manage in the West and how they leverage their very significant investments.

Games Will Be Even More Mainstream and That Will Change Them
J. Allen Brack, President, Blizzard Entertainment (World of Warcraft): The generation of people who have grown up knowing games are a part of mainstream culture will be having children of their own. Parents won't just tolerate or be understanding of their children playing games, they will want to actively participate, which is an amazing thing. I think we'll see a lot of existing IPs evolve to meaningfully include people with varying time restrictions and budgets together in one big expression of a world, and new games will be developed with that in mind. And we won't just be designing a game, we'll be designing whole experiences and interactive expressions of worlds we have created. Lars Janssen, Director of Studio Relations, Koch Media: [In 2030] there will be more developers focusing on games for the core audience of today which will have grown older by then. That will lead to a lot more games that are not overly skill-based, fast-paced, or difficult to control. The gaming market will continue to grow and the strongest growth will be seen in the segment of players 35 - or even 40 years - and up.

Paul Sage, Creative Director, Borderlands 3: [By 2030] the 30-40 year old gamers will have grown up in the 2000s-2010s. Minecraft, Pokémon, etcetera are nostalgic touchstones for this generation. So, I think we will continue to see the erosion of genres and more amalgamations of blended mechanics. I would not be surprised to see a massively multiplayer metaverse start taking shape. A game where people build towns [and] neighborhoods while still having several great core games in it.

Marc Merrill, Co-Founder, Riot Games (League of Legends): Whatever form gaming takes, it will become even more ubiquitous over the next ten years and be an even larger share of the media landscape. One of the most exciting outcomes of this growth will be the continued de-stigmatization of games as a legitimate form of entertainment, art, sport and technology where more and more third party stakeholders embrace games. This will manifest in more college scholarships for game players, more career opportunities for people in and around games, and more support from advertisers, sponsors and many large non-game companies who will create "digital entertainment" strategies.

Luc Duchaine, Executive Marketing Director, Ubisoft's Canadian Studios: By 2030, I'll be in my mid-50s and my generation was the one playing the NES in the 80s so gaming will become more and more mainstream. I dream about a day when gaming news will be treated the same way as other form of entertainment like movies and not like a curiosity. Thanks to big games and big esports events, gaming is more popular than ever and I don't see it slowing down. With a wider demographic, we might see more diverse games.

Ville Heijari, CMO, Rovio (Angry Birds): [I]t's estimated that 80% of children, teens, and adults in North America own/use a smartphone device, with 74% of those people playing a mobile game during an average month.

Considering the above, plus the thankfully continuing deconstruction of the tired "gamer" stereotype that has pervaded society for too long, I'm looking forward to gaming's continual mainstream adoption. An interesting next step would be Olympic sport status, which will become a more and more plausible prospect within the next decade and will further revolutionise what it means to be a competitive gamer.

Many Existing Franchises Will Stay Relevant
Marc Merrill, Co-Founder, Riot Games (League of Legends): We will... see continued franchise continuity that makes generational gaming far more practical. Fortnite has moved the culture forward - it will have many opportunities to remain relevant a decade from now. Minecraft is still beloved by millions of gamers and new players just getting their start. These games and IPs are not vanishing any time soon and will have many opportunities to renew themselves as the industry continues to evolve.
Legacy Brands Will Find a Way
Rebecca Ford, Live Operations and Community Director, Digital Extremes (Warframe): The unknown in the next ten years is franchise fatigue and the war on free time. For franchise fatigue, we celebrated James Bond's 50th birthday in the last ten years, and we'll be celebrating Pokémon's 30th in the next ten. The Sean Connerys are gone - but legacy brands will do their best to live on. For the war on free time, games have no trouble appealing to traditional gamers for time and money; that is, people reading IGN. But when it becomes easier to watch someone else play games between Netflix binges, games have to remind more people about the optimal way to experience them: by playing.

Indie Games Will Excite Us
Hideki Kamiya, Chief Game Designer, PlatinumGames (Bayonetta): I think that video games will continue to evolve as a giant entertainment industry, becoming closer to industrial products in the process. However, it should not be forgotten that indie games are growing as well, and while I'm not sure how they will end up, that's the part of this industry I'm looking forward to the most.

Dreams May Be Unfulfilled
Sam Barlow, Founder, Drowning a Mermaid Productions (Telling Lies): I would love to see the controllers gone. I would love to get rid of proprietary platforms. No PS, Xbox or Switch. No Apple vs. Android. Netflix-for-games is a confused message, but I'd love gaming to be as cheap and easy to plug into as Netflix. And I'd love it to offer stories and characters as varied as on Netflix.

Integration of performance (by actors!) seems integral to me, in terms of creating character-driven experiences. So I'd love to see that continue to be easier, cheaper, more seamless.

I would love to see some technology-level lock to reverse the exploitative gambling and micro transaction B.S. Games should be places where people are free to immerse themselves and explore worlds and stories, not a place where they're hounded and psychologically manipulated to spend money. I'd hate to see the experience of playing a game deteriorate in the same way that, say, reading an article online has. So it needs to be systemic - in the same way that Nintendo introduced the idea of the Seal of Quality in response to the early gaming crash.

The Unknown Future Rolls Towards Us
Atsushi Inaba, Chief Creative Officer, PlatinumGames (Bayonetta): I have no idea at all [what the games industry will be like in 2030].

Five years might be possible, but I think video games are a medium in which you cannot foresee what will happen in the coming ten years, and that's one aspect of this industry that I don't think will change. If you could predict what's going to happen, it would mean that video games have become too universal and are evolving at a slow pace, which would make the industry less appealing.

Ville Heijari, CMO, Rovio (Angry Birds): The possibilities are vast when it comes to game development - our industry will never be a completely explored domain... But I think it's wise for us to heed the famous words of Bill Gates: "We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten." Innovation doesn't happen overnight and it's challenging to imagine, let alone develop the next breakthrough innovation. Patience and not being "lulled into inaction", as Mr. Gates went on to note, is key. Yoko Taro, Director, NieR: Automata: Firstly, there will be new forms of "web-based values" such as social media followers and credit scores. Let's call these "A points". A points will be the equivalent of money, academic background and position at work, having many uses in the real world. Then, everyone will want to achieve A points.

Of course video games won't be an exception, and will hold big campaigns saying "Play the game to get A points!", and the masses won't be able to live without A points. People will start to steal and kill each other for A points, and they'll go around seizing the limited A points even though they know it's a bad thing. It may seem like a dystopian future to us, but even now people are killing each other over money that is only a concept, so it's not much of a difference.

As such, we will progressively lose our freedom and the ability to think, becoming slaves of the system... What was the question? Something about the future of mankind? Sorry, my memory is failing me lately. Cam Shea is based in IGN's Sydney office and really enjoyed compiling the industry's thoughts about the biggest changes and best games of the last decade. He's on Twitter.

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The Games Industry on What Gaming Might Be Like in 2030 - IGN

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Representatives from Xbox, Capcom, Blizzard, Rovio, Square Enix, SEGA and more peer into their crystal balls. Ten years ago, IGN asked a group of games industry members to predict what gaming might look like in 2020. We recently revisited those predictions to see how accurate they were.