THE HISTORY OF FPS GAMES

THE HISTORY OF FIRST-PERSON-SHOOTER GAMES

By Mr DAVID JOE WILLIAMS, Ilfracombe Round Table

Some of the biggest and most played video games are FPS games at the moment. For the non-gamers, FPS means fi rst-person shooter. Since the turn of the century, the fi rst-person shooter is the most commercially viable video game genre accounting for over 27% of all video game sales in 2016.

THE FPS GENRE HAS BEEN TRACED back to Wolfenstein 3D, released in 1992. Created by id Software, Wolfenstein 3D has been credited with creating the genre's primary archetype upon which most subsequent titles were based. The main example, and the progenitor of the genre's wider mainstream acceptance and popularity, was Doom, released in 1993. Doom is often considered the most infl uential game in the FPS genre. Due to Doom's infl uence, the term "Doom-clone" was used to designate this genre.

Many of you would have heard of the game Call Of Duty, or at least one of the many Call Of Duty games. In 2003, the Studio Infi nity ward released Call Of Duty. The game was critically acclaimed and won several "Game of the Year" awards for 2003. The successful release of the fi rst game made them release the sequel Call Of Duty 2 in 2005. This was the fi rst game to have multiplayer and was the franchise's start. A Call Of Duty game has been released every year since, but as you can imagine, this would be a lot of work for one studio. The franchise grew so much that 4 studios are working on the games: Infi nity Ward, Treyarch, Sledgehammer Games, and Raven Software.

Two years ago, Call Of Duty Warzone was released. This is a battle royale game with up to 100 people competing to be the last person or team standing. Many say this has saved Call Of Duty with more than 100 million people playing Warzone. So many Tablers play Warzone we decided to make Verdansk Round Table so we can all play and chat together. During the lockdown imposed due to the Coronavirus, this was one of the few places where Tablers could get together and have fun and fellowship. Warzone itself was based on another viral game called Pub G that revolutionised

OF FIRST-PERSON-SHOOTER

battle royale games. Pub G has inspired many games even the trendy game Fortnite was based on this.

Another top-rated game franchise and one I personally have enjoyed many hours playing is Battlefi eld, created by Dice and published by Electronic Arts. Battlefi eld prided itself on being bigger and better than other games with large scale engagements on big maps and dynamic destructible environments. Battlefi eld also has vehicles, unlike many other FPS games. Battlefi eld was fi rst released in 2002 with the title Battlefi eld 1942. The latest game to be released is called Battlefi eld 2042, but many would say this game was a massive disappointment, and the developer's Dice have a lot of work to do.

There are so many FPS games based around so many different things. There is a game for everyone, whether that's fi ghting in big Titans in TitanFall, solving puzzles in Portal, exploring the world in Far Cry, fi ghting Aliens in Halo, fi ghting in a large scale battle on Battlefi eld or staying up late playing Call Of Duty Warzone with Tablers from all over the World the FPS genre offers it all. These games give you a fi rst-person experience you could only dream of, and if you get eliminated in-game, you can always have another go. Developers have so much they can do with the technology now, and we know they don't always get it right (yes Dice, I am looking at you). It's still a fantastic experience, especially when you look back on the old games to see how things have changed. I think competitive Multiplayer and great stories help make some of the best fi rst-person shooters of this generation. Still, most importantly, the game must be fun. I can't wait to see what FPS games come out in the future, and Dice, please fi x Battlefi eld.

Reach out and come join in the fellowship – we gladly welcome any new players.

ladies' CirCle

LIVING #STRONGER TOGETHER

AS A YOUNG GIRL, I dreamt of marrying my Prince Charming. I dreamt of all the great things we could achieve together and the changes we could make in the lives of others. I have done even better – I became Ladies' Circle International Treasurer and married the President of Round Table International.

Now, you may be hoping for me to share a few crazy stories about our daily lives. I will keep that for when we meet at the next Round Table Family event. Instead, I would like to elaborate on why our side-by-side relationship is so strong.

My journey in Ladies' Circle began not long after Graham became a Tabler. He made it his mission to introduce me to the local Circlers, telling me at the time that there was a world of friendships waiting for me and the opportunity to do even more good together.

From the very start, we were in this together. This wild ride that is Ladies' Circle and Round Table is best experienced with those close to your heart. Our strength comes from not being alone but from sharing our experiences with each other. This journey can be taken with a partner, family members, or good friends.

Having been very involved in the planning for his year as President, we have had many discussions on the different meanings of #StrongerTogether. It is an all-encompassing theme that works well in many situations. Still, in close and interpersonal relationships, this is best. This is where relationships are formed, and people's lives are impacted the most. At its core, this is what StrongerTogether means. It means sharing the journey through the ups and the downs and always being there for each other to count on.

Sometimes, we might not see each other often, like when hubby is in Europe for 5 weeks as he is now, and this does get tough. The shared values from our organisations make us want the same things, believe the same things and strive for the same things. Making this sacrifice is well worth the returns that we get from this shared journey.

So to anyone that wonders how it can be possible to get more joy, passion and drive out of this experience - The answer is simple: we ride this train together, sharing the journey.

Live #StrongerTogether.

TLDR: Share the journey with your partner, let them join the ride. We may be both part of the organisations, but having your partners, friends, and family with you on the train ride is what embodies #StrongerTogether

Yours, in friendship and service

Yvette Cornelissen

treasurer, ladies’ Circle international 2021-2022

LEARN MORE Get to know more about Ladies' Circle on @ladiescircleinternational