Newsgroups: rec.games.video From: petitc@vccnw04.its.rpi.edu (Christopher Jon Petit) Subject: Home Video Games History Message-ID: Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 01:25:48 GMT Lines: 200 (Note: I accept corrections/suggestions and will post another version Dec. 21) *** History of Home Video Games *** (Only major highlights are included, and the home market is the major focus) The first video game to be mass-produced was Computer Space (a.k.a. Space Wars). Gameplay was trifling---you could control either a ufo-shaped ship or one shaped like in Asteroids. You could thrust or turn the craft around, and had a slew of play options. Unfortunately, the current gaming public had grown up with pinball games, and wasn't at all used to such 'complex' controls. Not many of these were produced---around 2,000 is the figure I have. Anyhow, a little while later, Nolan Bushnel decided he also wanted to try to make an electronic game that could be put in bars and such. Colleagues warned him that the delicate components couldn't stand to the beating and abuse that pinball machines take. But, he made a simple game---Pong, that was either 1 or 2 player---a white dot acted as the ball, while white lines formed a simple 'court' and moveable white lines served as the 'paddles.' Gameplay ended when someone scored 15 points. Alas, when Mr. Bushnel put this game into a bar, he was dismayed a few days later when he got a call that told him there was a problem with the Pong machine. The problem was that the quarter acceptor was clogged---a problem he could live with. And, mass produced video games started to take off. A few years later (around 1975 or so if I'm not mistaken), these Pong games were mass-marketed and could be hooked up to a TV screen. In addition, they could play one of several variations---the most common four being: 'Tennis' (Pong), 'Hockey' (Pong with different border and 2 paddles/side), 'Handball' (1 player Pong against 3-sided wall), and 'Jai Alai' (2 players alternate hitting the ball off the 3-sided wall). These were very popular, and started selling like hotcakes. So, it wasn't long before many manufacturers came out with their own versions. And it wasn't long after that that the market was glutted with such machines. Perhaps the first cartridge-based game system was the Fairchild video game system. Unfortunately, it was far too complex for the people of its time-- it had a 'joystick' that could be twisted/pulled/pushed and ALL of these would provide signals to the game. The only game I've heard of for this system was a blackjack game. A bit later, Coleco came out with their Telestar Arcade system. It was the first successful cartridge-based game. Each game tended to have three variations---a base game, and two variations on the same theme. Now, the video game market was in trouble. It was around this time that someone mass-marketed the most successful video game console with programs that were on 'cartridges' rather than hard-wired into the machine itself. This machine was the Atari 2600. People liked the idea that new games could be bought whenever they felt like it, and weren't limited to the paltry few that could be crammed into the machine. Anyhow, because of good marketing, and a thirst for video games, the 2600 found its way into millions of homes. Cartridges for the 2600 came fast and furious. In addition, these tapes often provided many variations to extend reusability (Asteroids had a total of 66 variations). Graphics, by today's standards, were pathetic, but the gameplay was superb. The success of the Atari 2600 spawned several other home video game systems-- the most notable being the Intellivision (Intelligent Television), the Colecovision, and (much later) the Atari 5200. Each system improved in some way (or tried to) upon the original Atari 2600. All three of the systems had vastly improved graphics capabilities, and they all had a controller with 12 buttons on it, as well as fire buttons and a 'control disc.' Unfortunately, these systems were (naturally) more expensive, since they had more advanced graphics hardware. However, many good cartridges came out for each system. Now we hit the 1980's. The Atari 2600 is a household name, and the Intellevision and Colecovision have found their respective 'niches' with video game lovers. Intellevision generally focused upon excellent sports simulations , while the Colecovision had excellent arcade adaptations for it. But now, Atari produces the Atari computers (the Atari 400, to be precise). With impressive graphics capabilities, as well as a well-thought out OS, it also sold many units. Games are also brought out for the Atari computers--- and since Atari has had extensive experience with making games, the games for these computers are extremely close to the arcade versions of the same games. Coleco saw that computers were the wave of the future, also. So, they released their Adam Computer System around this time. Alas, the timing was miserable---the gaming market was about to die. Alas, the Atari 5200 never really found its niche. You see, the Atari 2600 was doing so well that manufacturers were extremely eager to come out with new games for it. Literally hundreds of tapes slammed into the market. Then, a recession hit. This, coupled with the seemingly endless array of Atari tapes, sent the video game market into a spiral, that eventually ended with a crash. The Atari 2600 and kin were forgotten by the big business that was now the video game industry. For several years, only arcade games were produced. They had good graphics, but excellent gameplay. This let the video game market bide its time, until the day when, hopefully, the market would revive. At this point (1986), Nintendo decided to try to re-enter the comatose home video gaming market, with their Nintendo Entertainment System. It possessed state-of-the-art graphics and a much stronger system (although, ironically, using the exact same CPU that resided within the 'ancient' Atari computers). With a marketing blitz (which included a slow release schedule for new tapes), Nintendo single-handedly revived the market. Now, Sega wanted a 'piece of the action.' So, Sega released its Sega Master System. It possessed slightly more advanced graphics than the NES, but was prone to flickering. Nevertheless, the Sega Master System also found its way into many homes (although at this point, the NES had captured around 70% of the home gaming market). At about the same time, Atari tried to regain its past glory by releasing the 7800---also an advanced system which was rumored to be able to run 2600 tapes. But, this also never really found its niche---very few tapes were produced, although the ones produced were superb (a wonderful rendition of Asteroids was amoung them). As a few years passed, the NES became almost as much a household name as did the Atari 2600. Many different kinds of tapes were released---although none included many (if any) variations as did the classic Atari 2600 tapes. Right now, the NES has around 200 tapes available. But, as a last-ditch effort to promote the Atari 8-bit computers, Atari released the XE Game System, and repackaged many 'classic' Atari 8-bit disk games on cartridge form. However, few people were willing to buy a whole new system to play games they already had---this system didn't last very long. People were becoming tired of the NES---the market was once again starting to become saturated. The people at Nintendo tried many things---releasing a Power Pad which you could jump and run on to control a game, even a little robot (many years earlier---it didn't sell well) which manuvered little objects in a 'tank' that effected things in the game. But, around this time, Sega saw the 'wave of the future.' They produced the first 16-bit game system---the Genesis. With careful marketing (the Genesis cost $200 whereas the NES cost about $100), Sega was able to capture the brand-new 16-bit gaming market. Nintendo was still content to sit on its laurels, mostly. They produced a portable gaming machine (the Game Boy) which had a crystal screen---it was impossible to read in the dark. Sega also entered the portable game market with their portable game system entry. Theirs was, however, in full color. The only problem was that, while the Game Boy had (at this point) many offerings, this system had few games, and the few games that they did have weren't really outstanding, mostly. About a year later, Atari entered the portable game market, with their Lynx. It also possessed a full-color screen. Additionally, the games that Atari brought out for the Lynx seem to be the better Atari games (e.g. STUN Runner and Steel Talons), making the Lynx a good value. Finally, Nintendo put together their 16-bit game system---the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (the SNES). It had incredibly advanced graphics hardware (including the ability to take a 2-D background and rotate it into 3-D), but had a lousy CPU (a 16-bit version of the 6502). The lack of CPU power made slowdown a major factor in early SNES games (e.g. Super R-Type). However, as I write this (Dec. 1992), the slowdown problem, although still there, is not nearly as bad as it used to be. The Genesis machine, however, still seemed to have a substantial portion of the gaming market---due more to its huge lead and large software base (resulting from its earlier entry into the market), than profound technical superiority. Many games were already out for the Genesis, while few were out for the SNES. The Genesis seemed to have captured the 16-bit home gaming market, the way Nintendo captured the 8-bit market. However, Sega didn't count on the arcade game called Street Fighter 2. This game took the arcades by storm, and Nintendo started making it for the SNES. It took a few years, but was well worth the wait---the home version of SF2 was extremely close to the arcade version, both in look and gameplay. Many people bought the SNES simply for that one game. It was SF2 that really brought the SNES far into the lead above the Genesis. Right now, the SNES has a good portion of the market, but so does the Genesis---I'd say that each has about 50% of the 16-bit market. Only time will tell which machine dominates, or if either even will. For the future, it seems that people are once again becoming sick and tired of platform games. However, as long as the games continue to make money (this has been _the_ only focus of game companies since the recession hit in 1990), the companies see no reason to change their ways, so platform games will, unfortunately, be around for a long time to come. As for the home market---I'd say that VR (Virtual Reality) gaming systems aren't in the immediate future, since the technology is here, but is far out of reach financially. I'd say the next revolution in gaming will be when a system comes with a modem built in, and games permit many players with the system to play against each other in real time. Imagine---sports games where each person on the team is a real person, not a computer simulation; space war games between many empires where each empire is a thinking person. I hope that we can have the wisdom, though, to appreciate where today's games came from, and what made them great. -- Now on sale, in Aisle 5 of the Divine Supermarket---Lives, and Clues. Buy yours now and avoid the rush! They make great Christmas gifts! Cynicism is only realism projected into the future. If your fondest wish is to fly, don't draw up plans for flippers.