The high score of a video game, arcade game, or computer game is usually the highest logged point value. Many times a game will have a list of several high scores, called the high score list.

History

The high score first achieved cultural significance with the rise in popularity of pinball machines. Players who achieve a high score are often greeted with a congratulatory message and are able to enter their initials or name into the machine. Their score and name will remain there until someone "knocks" them off the high score list by achieving a higher score and pushing them off the list. This functioning has caused high scores of popular games to carry a certain amount of "bragging rights" as it is proof of excellence in a game.

The high score has a close association to the "free game." When in an arcade, many games will offer a player a free chance at another game if they achieve a high score. This has declined in popularity in recent years, as players are often allowed to play for as long as they can without losing, but not given free games even if they achieve a high score.

The popularity of the high score has made it nearly ubiquitous among modern video games. In fact, the high score has become a defining feature of many games. Magazines such as Nintendo Power and Sega Visions would often publish high scores submitted by their readers. Often the performance would have to be videotaped to verify the performance. The high score also exists in online games in various forms.

Many games include default "high scores" that do not actually represent real players, but are displayed whenever the machine's memory is reset, often with generic initials such as "AAA." These scores often represent certain levels of achievement for a player to aspire to. As a player still needs to knock these off in order to get his own score and initials listed, the default high scores ensure that there is always something for players to compete with (and keep them putting in quarters). Many computer games also have default high scores built in, sometimes attributed to fictitious entities (e.g. Commander Keen) or to members of the game's development team.

Some players as a joke will relinquish their bragging rights to enter a fake name or initials with their high score, particularly on arcade games in public places. This can be seen as juvenile humor; even on games that only allow initials, it is not uncommon to see "ASS", "SEX", or other profane or provocative three letter combinations.

Internet influence

While on old games your high score would only be visible on one particular machine, the spread of the Internet has made it possible to compete with the rest of the world. A lot of modern games have the ability to post your high score to a central webpage. Online multiplayer games, especially first-person shooter, real-time strategy, and role playing games often have ranking systems. These new high score lists and ranking systems often are more complex than conventional high score lists. Some are based on tournaments, while others track game servers continuously, keeping statistics for all players.

High score in culture

The high score's prominence in video-game culture, and even mainstream society has led to various pieces of art and entertainment. There is an animated cartoon titled High Score. There is also a book entitled High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games.

See also

• Time attack
• Speedrun

External link

• Twin Galaxies - The closest thing to an official videogame world record authority
• An example internet high score page for Battlefield 1942