Games are among the most popular hobbies in the world. In North America alone, there are estimated to be at least 120 million daily players. Gaming is often used to define a variety of forms of entertainment that including card, board, arcade, console, video and computer games. The growing popularity of video games is mostly attributed to their ability to provide entertainment, relieve stress, improve skills and sharpen coordination. Although the majority of video games require the player to interact with others through either a keyboard or a controller, there are also titles that can be played entirely on screen.
The first main article in this article examines the world of board games. Board games have been around for centuries and they gained particular popularity during the time of European exploration and expansion. During this period, many European countries relied on trading as a major way of generating revenue. Because many of these activities depended on trade, trading commodities such as salt, grain, fish and wool were difficult to conduct and so these commodities were placed in the form of precious metals and other precious stones such as gold, silver and jewels. In order to win a race, traders would commonly use valuable metals and other valuable materials as prize money to encourage participants to continue playing.
The second main article examines the world of video games. Although video games do not compare to the numbers of devotees to card, board and arcade games, they are nonetheless a very significant niche. This niche includes both computer games and console games that require the use of video memory or graphics cards in order to function.
The third main article traces the development of lawn games. Lawn games are among the earliest forms of simulation that developed in the late nineteenth century. At this time, many players found solace in trying to control their virtual competitors instead of competing with them physically. The development of crawling games helped to remedy this situation by making physical challenges more meaningful and thus more exciting. The development of crawling games also helped to make the game more challenging and realistic for all players.
The fourth main article examines how dice systems are used in video games simulate war battles. Dice has been the cornerstone of many popular games, including bingo and chess. Although dice was initially designed for gambling, the developers soon realized it had many other applications. dice proved especially effective in military conflicts. Because soldiers usually fought out battles before reaching the battlefield, video games simulate these conflicts to help train their soldiers in the art of fighting.
The fifth article describes the role playing cards. These are among the most versatile form of gaming mechanisms available. Players have used playing cards for everything from gambling to building entire civilizations. The role playing cards have a unique combination of interaction and non-interaction capabilities, allowing players to take on a multitude of roles while actually resolving a game scenario.