Console game

A console game is a form of interactive multimedia used for entertainment.

The game consists of manipulable images (and usually sounds) generated by a video game console and displayed on a television or similar audio-video system. The game itself is usually controlled and manipulated using a handheld device connected to the console, called a controller. The controller generally contains a number of buttons and directional controls, (such as analog joysticks), each of which has been assigned a purpose for interacting with and controlling the images on the screen. The display, speakers, console, and controls of a console can also be incorporated into one small object known as a handheld game.

Modern game multimedia usually comes in the form of an disc, which can be inserted into the game console. Recent advances have allowed games and game demos to be downloaded directly to the console via the Internet. Simpler consoles, however, may only have a fixed selection of games. Cartridges were previously common storage devices for video game data, but due to technological advances, most video games are now stored on CDs, or higher capacity DVDs, or the Blu-ray Disc used by the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The only games stored on cartridges now are the ones for the Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Vita, and Neo Geo X and they are called "cards".

Video games generally each contain different gameplay, objectives, goals, control-schemes, characters, and other features. Each game is usually contained on a specifically designed multimedia disc or cartridge, which are generally sold separately from the console and each other. In order to play the specific game, the specific console for which it was designed is needed. For example, in order to play Halo 3, an Xbox 360 is needed, and to play The Last of Us, a PlayStation 3 or PlayStation 4 is needed.

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