Potentials. As TV games become more sophisticated and computer type systems come of age, a natural source of game concepts will likely be the library of "computer" games in existence. While appealing to many because of intellectual or mathematical style, the bulk of these games will require reprogramming for TV type display rather than printers or terminal outputs currently used by computers. Also, it is important to realize that TV is an action medium of color and sound, almost exactly opposite of a computer terminal.
As the market for TV games is projected at 21 million units by 1980 (4), many game concepts will have to be implemented. This entails work by both games designers and consultants as well as manufacturers and programmers.
Unlike the current lines of toys and games which basically utilize plastics and print technology, the TV games will require knowledge of programming and animation, placing new demands for conceptioning on games consultants. While a person in the past could draw or print their game idea, the TV game will require specification of game algorithms and skill at portraying the elements of the game on a TV screen matrix.
As we see the price of petroleum rise and along with it the cost of plastic, as well as increasing trends away from plastic for ecological reasons, the electronic canvas of television will provide a new substance for game implementation. The game and toy company with a look to the future will realize that the investment will be in software development of new game ideas. Along these lines. Figure 7 depicts a hypothetical TV game development station which might be used to develop and test new game concepts. By 1980 one could expect to see a standard set of programmable game elements available from several semiconductor houses. To effectively use these parts will require solid interface between game creators and game implementors.
I submit that the role of the games design consultant will increase as the competitive need for many new games develops. The ability to create and specify new game elements as algorithms in a language akin to programming will place new demands on the designer, different from those of a print/plastic technology. Also, skill at graphic design of game tokens for the TV matrix and knowledge of animation techniques will be invaluable to the game design consultant. The toy company should know how different electronic design is from its past forms of manufacturing.
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