Game Design 1A - Semester Exam Practice

What is the defining difference between a handheld or mobile console and “home” consoles like the Atari, NES, or Playstation 4?

• Whether they require a television

• The size of the console

• The complexity of controls

• The type of games they offer

Answer explanation

Whether they require a television is the defining difference between a handheld or mobile console and 'home' consoles like the Atari, NES, or Playstation 4.

King Tut was buried with a variety of items that he might need in the afterlife, but what specific item was he buried with that would lead us to believe he was the original ‘gamer’?

• Four ornate sets of the ancient board game called Senet

• Several ancient books about gaming

• A PlayStation remote control

• Notebooks filled with his brainstorms about creating video games

Answer explanation

King Tut was buried with four ornate sets of the ancient board game called Senet, indicating he was the original 'gamer'.

Priscilla and her team have just finished brainstorming new ideas for a feature to implement into their game. What should they do next?

• Prototype a testable version of the feature

• Create a new design document

• Debug the game

• Add the feature to their marketing strategy

Answer explanation

Priscilla and her team should prototype a testable version of the feature next to validate their ideas before full implementation.

Claire asked for a new game console for her upcoming 15th birthday, but her dad had no idea what a game console was. What definition did Claire’s dad likely find when he looked up ‘game consoles’?

• Devices that hook up to a TV or other display and are designed to play video games

• Handheld devices that allow an individual to play video games on-the-go

• Goggles in 3-D that allow individuals to play virtual reality type games in a fully immersive experience

• Devices that are connected to a 3-D projector and allow individuals to experience virtual reality on a big screen

Answer explanation

Claire's dad likely found the definition of 'game consoles' as devices that hook up to a TV or other display and are designed to play video games.

The first video games date back to the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York. What dates do the first generation of video games span across?

• 1958 – early 1970s

• Early 1970s – early 1990s

• Late 1970s - 1985

• Early 1980s - 1991

Answer explanation

The first generation of video games span across 1958 to the early 1970s, starting at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York.

Senet is an ancient game. When was it first played?

• 3400 BCE
• 1,000 BCE

• 1000 AD

• 2000 AD

In order to create the classic game Tennis for Two, what did William Higinbotham hook up to an analog computer?

• An oscilloscope

• A nuclear reactor

• An accelerator

• A telescope

Answer explanation

To create Tennis for Two, William Higinbotham hooked up an oscilloscope to an analog computer.

A game doesn’t exist until ____.

• It is played
• You turn it on

• You paint it

• You sell it

Computer scientist Steve Russell and his team created Spacewar! in order to show off the PDP-1’s processing power. What exactly were Russell and his team trying to show off in terms of the processing power?

• The speed at which a computer, like the PDP-1, can carry out the operations of a program

• The basic units of programmable color in an image or a display as seen on a computer screen like the PDP-1

• Two-dimensional images or animations that are integrated into a game and displayed by a computer like the PDP-1

• The part of a computer system, like the PDP-1 that contains encoded information or instructions for the hardware

Answer explanation

The team was trying to show off the speed at which a computer, like the PDP-1, can carry out the operations of a program.

What does a human player operate if they are playing a game through an old-fashioned oscilloscope?

• Buttons and dials

• Voice commands and buttons

• A touchscreen and buttons

• Buttons and a joystick

Answer explanation

A human player operates buttons and dials when playing a game through an old-fashioned oscilloscope.