A major reason for the success of personal computers is their potential for fun. Computer games have often stretched the limits of computer hardware and improved user interfaces. Now, with the capabilities available through the Multimedia PC, computer entertainment can take gammers down more exciting and realistic paths than ever before.
The first computer games relied mainly on interactive text and the player's imagination. The second stage offered colorful, interactive graphics. Multimedia games can incorporate live action photos, animation sequences, and sudden bursts of movement and sound. A trip to the bottom of the sea could show schools of fish darting in multiple directions as the hull creaks from increasing water pressure. In maneuvering the ship, the gamer would contend with a vast reservoir of statistics against which every action is measured and responded.
Entertainment comes in many forms beside games. Multimedia creates interesting opportunities for literature. Along with plot and character, authors can now consider appropriate images, animation, and background material. A novel about two lovers during the U.S. Civil War might include historical maps, music from the period, Matthew Brady's photographs, and the text of the Gettysburg Address.