Multimedia

Multimedia refers to content or applications that combine multiple forms of media, including text, audio, images, animation, video, and interactivity. The term rose to prominence in the 1990s with the growth of CD-ROMs and the web.

Defining properties of multimedia include:

Hybridization - Combining visual, auditory, and textual information
Interactivity - Responsive navigation, controls, and input
Hypermedia - Linked, nonlinear content navigation
Immersion - High-sensory, engaging presentation
Virtuality - Simulated 3D environments and objects

Major types of multimedia:

Websites, apps, e-learning - Interactive screen-based multimedia
Video games - Immersive interactive entertainment
Simulations and VR - Computer simulations of real/imagined worlds
Digital art/installations - Multimedia for artistic expression
Broadcast/cinema - Recorded multimedia entertainment

Multimedia development involves disciplines like graphic design, HCI, software engineering, animation, film, etc. Effective multimedia balances aesthetic appeal, usability, and purpose. Advancements in digital technology, software tools, and networks have continued to evolve multimedia.