section_path: Components/Platform
section_name: Platform
paragraph_text: Platform
  
  Video games require a platform, a specific combination of electronic components or computer hardware and associated software, to operate. The term system is also commonly used. These platforms may include multiple brandsheld by platform holders, such as Nintendo or Sony, seeking to gain larger market shares. Games are typically designed to be played on one or a limited number of platforms, and exclusivity to a platform or brand is used by platform holders as a competitive edge in the video game market. However, games may be developed for alternative platforms than intended, which are described as ports or conversions. These also may be remasters - where most of the original game's source code is reused and art assets, models, and game levels are updated for modern systems – and remakes, where in addition to asset improvements, significant reworking of the original game and possibly from scratch is performed.
  
  The list below is not exhaustive and excludes other electronic devices capable of playing video games such as PDAs and graphing calculators.