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In their most basic form, electronic games involve users in an interactive computerized environment where they strive to achieve a desired outcome. These days, most electronic games go beyond a simple competition like Pong; they often entail sweeping narratives and offer imaginative and exciting adventures, sophisticated problem-solving opportunities, and multiple possible outcomes.

But the boundaries were not always so varied. Electronic games evolved from their simplest forms in the arcade into four major formats: television, handheld devices, computers, and finally the Internet. As these formats evolved and graphics advanced, distinctive types of games emerged and became popular. These included classically structured games played in arcades and on consoles and mobile devices, online role-playing games, computerized versions of card games, fantasy sports leagues, and virtual social environments. Together, these varied formats constitute an industry that now generates more than $45 billion in annual revenues worldwide-and that has become a socially driven mass medium.