In the 1970s, a novelty appeared that would evolve into one of the world’s most popular forms of entertainment: video games. There were coin-operated arcade machines and limited consoles, such as the Magnavox Odyssey and Atari. Yet in this decade some classic predecessors first appeared, including Pong, Breakout, Asteroids, and Space Invaders.
Video games proved so popular that they exploded in popularity in the 1980s. Free-standing arcade games appeared in some restaurants, grocery stores, and convenience stores, and even led to the emergence of arcades. Many adults today may look back at arcades nostalgically, as they spent their allowances freely. Game developers responded to the market in kind, creating some of the industry’s most iconic titles in the 1980s: Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Q*bert, and Joust. Beyond arcades, some manufacturers invented immensely popular home consoles, including Nintendo and Sega, paving the way for iconic figures from Mario to Sonic the Hedgehog.
Since the late 20th century, the gaming industry has changed rapidly. Arcades have by and large waned in popularity, though some niche bars and restaurants still offer arcade games, and a handful of traditional arcades still stand. The demand for gaming entertainment has not waned, however, and the industry has enjoyed remarkable growth and popularity. Rather than feeding quarters to arcade machines, the market trend has shifted to home consoles. This consequently created supporting products and technology for at-home users—it has also opened the door to security issues.
In-Game (and Real World) Valuables
Video games have certainly evolved from their simple pixels and fairly short play times, with many titles now rivaling Hollywood films in the number of people required to create a game, original musical scores, lengthy dialog, and most of which take many days for a player to complete. Serious gamers know they often need supplementary products for their games, including external drives, and to maximize their experience with a game they may purchase add-ons. These purchases are forecast to make the industry worth more than $200 billion by 2023.
While purchasing base games on a disc is still normal, direct downloads of games or additional content to enhance the base game are common. This also means attaching credit card and other personal information linked to an account to these purchases. While consoles are not quite as susceptible to attacks as computers, it could be a matter of time before they’re more targeted, and thieves can and do compromise gamers’ information. In many cases, the providers’ servers are compromised, which can expose a gamer’s personal information.
Currently, the user’s account information is the prime target for cybercriminals, yet through an online account consoles can be vulnerable. While gamers work hard for their achievements, or even make additional purchases, cybercriminals can steal these and sell them on gaming websites. Associated payment information may also be linked to the game data, which could then be stolen.
External Storage Solutions
Even though most consoles can hold an impressive amount of memory on their drives, adding more games can exhaust their storage quickly, which is precisely why serious gamers need external storage devices. These also come in handy for transporting saved data between consoles.
The SecureDrive line of storage devices works well on Xbox and PlayStation consoles, but the SecureDrive KP is an excellent choice for most gamers. It functions as any standard external drive, and needs nothing more than a quick and easy reformatting that takes mere seconds. The KP drive is hardware-encrypted and requires a PIN to unlock, safeguarding data on the drive if lost or stolen. Though the drive has an auto-lock feature, it will not deactivate during active game play. It’s a perfect solution for gaming enthusiasts, studio personnel, and e-sports professionals alike.
To learn more, speak to an expert today at 1-424-363-8535.