I grew up in Northern Ireland, right in the very, very north end of it there, where it’s freezing cold. This was me running around in the garden mid-summer.
(Laughter)
I couldn’t pick a career. In Ireland the obvious choice the military, but to be honest it actually kind of sucks.
(Laughter)
My wanted me to be a dentist. But the problem was that people kept blowing everything up. I actually went to school in Belfast, which was where all the action happened. And this was pretty common sight. The school I went to was pretty boring. They us to learn things like Latin. The school teachers weren’t much fun, the sports were very dirty or very painful. I cleverly chose rowing, which I got very good at.
And was actually rowing for my school here until this day, and I flipped over right in front of the entire school. And that was finishing post right there.
(Laughter)
So this was extremely embarrassing. But school at that time got a grant from the government, and they got incredible computer — the research machine 3DZ — and left the programming manuals lying around. And so students like myself with nothing to do, we would learn to program it. Also around this time, at home, was the computer that people were buying. It was called Sinclair ZX80. This was a 1K computer, and you’d your programs on cassette tape.
Actually I’m just going pause for one second, because I heard that there’s prerequisite to speak here at TED — you had to a picture of yourself from the old days with big hair. I brought a picture with big hair.
(Laughter).
I just to get that out of the way. So after the Sinclair ZX80 came along the very named Sinclair ZX81.
(Laughter)
And — you see the at the bottom? There’s a picture of a guy homework with his son. That’s what they thought they had built it for. The is we got the programming manual and we started making games it. We were programming in BASIC, which is a pretty awful language for games, we ended up learning Assembly language so we could really control of the hardware. This is the guy that invented it, Sir Sinclair, and he’s showing his machine. You had this same thing in America, was called the Timex Sinclair1000.
To play a game in those days you had to an imagination to believe that you were really playing “Battlestar Galactica.” The graphics were horrible. You had to have an even better imagination play this game, “Death Rider.” But of course the couldn’t help themselves. They started making their own video games. This is one my favorite ones here, where they have rabbit breeding, so males choose the lucky rabbit.
It was around time we went from 1K to 16K, which was the leap. And if you’re wondering how much 16K is, this eBay logo here is 16K. And that amount of memory someone programmed a full flight program. And that’s what it looked like. I spent ages flying this flight simulator, and I honestly believed could fly airplanes by the end of it.
Here’s Clive Sinclair now launching his computer. He’s recognized as being the father of video games Europe. He’s a multi-millionaire, and I think that’s why he’s smiling in this photograph.
So I went for the next 20 years or so making a lot of different games. Some of highlights were things like “The Terminator,” “Aladdin,” the “Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles.” Because I from the United Kingdom, they thought the word ninja was a little too for children, so they decided to call it hero instead. I personally preferred Spanish version, which was “Tortugas Ninja.” That was much better.
(Laughter)
Then last game I did was based on trying to get the video game industry and Hollywood to work together on something — instead of licensing from each other, to actually work.
Now, did ask me to bring some statistics with me, I’ve done that. The video game industry in 2005 became 29 billion dollar business. It grows every year. Last year was the year. By 2008, we’re going to kick the butt of the music industry. 2010, we’re going to hit 42 billion. 43 percent of are female. So there’s a lot more female gamers than people are aware.
The average age of gamers? Well, obviously it’s for children, right? Well, no, actually it’s 30 old. And interestingly, the people who buy the most games 37. So 37 is our target audience. All video games are violent. Of course newspapers love to beat on this. But 83 percent of games don’t have mature content whatsoever, so it’s just not true.
Online gaming statistics. brought some stuff on “World of Warcraft.” It’s 5.5 million players. It about 80 million bucks a month in subscriptions. It costs 50 bucks just to install it your computer, making the publisher about another 275 million. The costs about 80 million dollars to make, so basically it pays for itself in a month. A player in a game called “Project Entropia” actually bought his island for 26,500 dollars. You have to remember that this is a real island. He didn’t actually buy anything, just some data. But he great terms on it. This purchase included mining and hunting rights, ownership of all on the island, and a castle with no furniture included.
(Laughter)
This is now estimated at over 800 million dollars annually. And what’s interesting about it is market was actually created by the gamers themselves. They found clever to trade items and to sell their accounts to each so that they could make money while they were playing their games. I dove onto eBay a of days ago just to see what was gong on, typed in World Warcraft, got 6,000 items. I liked this one the best: a level 60 Warlock with lots epics for 174,000 dollars. It’s like that guy obviously had some while making it.
So as far as popularity of games, what do you think these are doing here? It turns out they’re actually in Hollywood Bowl Los Angeles listening to the L.A. Philharmonic playing video music. That’s what the show looks like. You would expect to be cheesy, but it’s not. It’s very, very epic and a very beautiful concert. And the that went there absolutely loved it.
What do you think people are doing? They’re actually bringing their computers so they play games against each other. And this is happening in every city around the world. This happening in your local cities too, you’re probably just not aware of it.
Now, Chris told me you had a timeline video a few years ago just to show how video game graphics have been improving. wanted to update that video and give you a new look it. But what I want you to do is to try to understand it. We’re on curve, and the graphics are getting so ridiculously better. And I’m to show you up to maybe 2007. But I want you to and think about what games could look like 10 from now. So we’re going to start that video.
Video: Throughout history people have played games. As man’s intellect and technology evolved so too have the games he plays.
(Music)
(Applause)
David Perry: The again I want you to think about is, don’t look at graphics and think of that’s the way it is. about that’s where we are right now, and the curve that we’re on that this is going to continue to get better. This is an example of the kind of graphics need to be able to draw if you wanted to get a job the video game industry today. You need to be really an incredible artist. And once we enough of those guys, we’re going to want more artists that can create places we’ve never been to before, or characters that we’ve just never before.
So the obvious thing for me to talk about today is graphics and audio. if you were to go to a game developers conference, what they’re talking about is emotion, purpose, meaning, understanding and feeling. You’ll hear talks like, can a video game make you cry? And these the kind of topics we really actually care about.
I came across student who’s absolutely excellent at expressing himself, and this student that he would not show his video to anybody until here at TED had seen it. So I’d like play this video. So this is a student’s opinion on what his experience games are.
Video: I, like many of you, live somewhere between reality video games. Some part of me — a true living, person — has become programmed, electronic and virtual. The boundary my brain that divides real from fantasy has finally begun crumble. I’m a video game addict and this is story.
(Music)
In the year of my birth the Nintendo Entertainment System also into development. I played in the backyard, learned to read, and even ate some of my vegetables. Most my childhood was spent playing with Legos. But as was the case most of my generation, I spent a lot of time in front the TV. Mr. Rogers, Walt Disney, Nick Junior, and roughly half a million commercials have undoubtedly their mark on me.
When my parents bought my sister I our first Nintendo, whatever inherent addictive quality this early interactive electronic entertainment possessed quickly took hold me. At some point something clicked.
(Music)
With the combination of simple, interactive and the warmth of the TV set, my simple 16-bit Nintendo became than just an escape. It became an alternate existence, my virtual reality.
(Music)
I’m a video addict, and it’s not because of a certain number of hours I have spent playing, nights I have gone without sleep to finish the next level. It is I have had life-altering experiences in virtual space, and video games had begun erode my own understanding of what is real and is not. I’m addicted, because even though I know I’m my grip on reality, I still crave more.
(Music)
From an age I learned to invest myself emotionally in what unfolded before me on screen. Today, after 20 years watching TV geared to make me emotional, even a decent insurance commercial can bring tears to my eyes. I just one of a new generation that is growing up. A who may experience much more meaning through video games they will through the real world. Video games are an evolutionary leap, a point where game worlds will look feel just as real as the films we see theatres, or the news we watch on TV. And while my sense of will in these virtual worlds may still be limited, what I do applies to my real life. Play enough video games and eventually you will really believe you can snowboard, fly plane, drive a nine-second quarter mile, or kill a man. know I can.
Unlike any pop culture phenomenon before it, video games actually allow us to become part the machine. They allow us to sublimate into the of interactive, downloaded, streaming, HD reality. We are interacting with our entertainment. I have come expect this level of interaction. Without it, the problems faced in real world — poverty, war, disease and genocide — lack levity they should. Their importance blends into the sensationalized drama of prime TV.
But the beauty of video games today lies not the lifelike graphics, the vibrating joysticks or virtual surround sound. It lies in these games are beginning to make me emotional. I fought in wars, feared for my own survival, watched my die on beaches and woods that look and feel more real than any textbook any news story.
The people who create these games are smart. They what makes me scared, excited, panicked, proud or sad. Then they use these to dimensionalize the worlds they create. A well-designed video will seamlessly weave the user into the fabric of the virtual experience. As becomes more experienced the awareness of physical control melts away. I know what I want and I it. No buttons to push, no triggers to pull, just me and the game. fate and the fate of the world around me inside my hands. I know violent video games make my mother worry. What me is not that video game violence is becoming and more like real life violence, but that real life violence starting to look more and more like a video game.
(Music)
These are all troubles outside myself. I, however, have a problem very close to home. has happened to my brain.
(Music)
Perhaps there is a part of our brain that holds all of our instincts, the things we know to do before we even think. some of these instincts may be innate, most are learned, and all of them hardwired into our brains. These instincts are essential for survival both real and virtual worlds. Only in recent years has the behind video games allowed for a true overlap in stimuli. As gamers are now living by the same laws of physics in the same cities doing many of the same things we once did in real life, only virtually. Consider — my real life car has about 25,000 miles on it. In my driving games, I’ve driven a total of 31,459 miles. To some I’ve learned how to drive from the game. The cues are very similar. It’s a funny feeling when you have spent time doing something on the TV than you have in life. When I am driving down a road at all I can think is, this is almost as beautiful as my games are.
For virtual worlds are perfect. More beautiful and rich than real world around us. I’m not sure what the implications of my are, but the potential for using realistic video game stimuli repetition on a vast number of loyal participants is frightening to me. Today believe Big Brother would find much more success brainwashing masses with video games rather than just simply TVs. games are fun, engaging, and leave your brain completely to re-programming. But maybe brainwashing isn’t always bad.
Imagine a game teaches us to respect each other, or helps us to understand problems we’re all facing in the real world. There is potential to do good as well. It is critical, these virtual worlds continue to mirror the real world live in, that game developers realize that they have responsibilities before them. I’m not sure what the future of games holds for our civilization. But as virtual and real experiences increasingly overlap there is a greater and greater for other people to feel the same way I do.
What I only recently come to realize is that beyond the graphics, sound, game play emotion it is the power to break down reality that is so fascinating addictive to me. I know that I am losing my grip. Part me is just waiting to let go. I know though, that no matter how amazing games may become, or how flat the real world seem to us, that we must stay aware of what our games teaching us and how they leave us feeling when finally do unplug.
(Applause)
DP: Wow.
(Applause)
I found that video very, very provoking, and that’s why I wanted to bring it for you guys to see. And what was interesting about it the obvious choice for me to talk about was graphics audio. But as you heard, Michael talked about all other elements as well. Video games give an awful lot other things too, and that’s why people get so addicted. The most one being fun.
The name of this track is “The Magic To Come.” Who is that to come from? Is it going to come from the best in the world as we thought it probably would? I don’t think so. I think it’s going to come from children who are growing up now that aren’t stuck with all the stuff that we remember from the past. They’re going to do it their way, the tools that we’ve created. The same with students or highly creative people, writers and like that.
As far as colleges go, there’s about 350 colleges around world teaching video game courses. That means there’s literally thousands of new ideas. of the ideas are really dreadful and some of are great. There’s nothing worse than having to listen someone try and pitch you a really bad video idea.
(Laughter)
Chris Anderson: You’re off, you’re off. That’s it. He’s of time.
DP: I’ve just got a little tiny bit if you’ll indulge me.
CA: Go ahead. I’m going to right here though.
(Laughter)
DP: This is just a cool shot, because this is students coming to after class. The school is closed; they’re coming back at midnight because they want pitch their video game ideas. I’m sitting at the front the class, and they’re actually pitching their ideas. So it’s hard get students to come back to class, but it is possible.
This my daughter, her name’s Emma, she’s 17 months old. And I’ve been asking myself, what Emma going to experience in the video game world? And as I’ve shown here, have the audience. She’s never going to know a world where you can’t press a button have millions of people ready to play. You know, we have the technology. She’s going to know a world where the graphics just aren’t stunning and really immersive. as the student video showed, we can impact and move. She’s never going to know a world video games aren’t incredibly emotional and will probably make cry. I just hope she likes video games.
(Laughter)
So, my closing thought. on the surface seem simple entertainment, but for those that like to a little deeper, the new paradigm of video games could open entirely new frontiers to creative that like to think big. Where better to challenge those than here at TED?
Thank you.
Chris Anderson: David Perry. That awesome.