The Age of Video Games

Spacewar!

• 1962• First widely available video game

• Programmed by students at MIT

• Others start making and distributing games

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http://spacewar.oversigma.com

Video Games Spread!

• Computer Space 1971• World's first commercially sold coin-operated video game

• Similar to Spacewar!• Set the precedent for arcade cabinets

• Not much of a success• Nolan Bushnell

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Video Games Spread!

• Magnavox Odyssey 1972• 1st Console• Designed by Ralph Baer

• 12 different games• One being table tennis or Pong

• Failed

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Atari

• The first successful video game company

• Started with Pong arcade cabinet in 1972• Wildly popular

• Riding the success of Pong Atari creates more games

• Releases Atari 2600 in 1977

Arcade Golden Age• Explosion of games (arcade, console, computer)

• 1978

• New games and genres emerge• Space Invaders 1978• Pac Man 1980• Donkey Kong 1981

• Video games become mainstream

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Bust of ‘83

• Many companies enter the video game business to capitalize on the boom

• Many, many games• not enough room or demand• confused public

• Many bad games• Bad investments

• Atari and other companies take hits• profitability of video games doubted

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Console Explosion• NES releases in 1986

• Good games• Revitalizes public

• Sega Genesis releases in 1989• $100 million marketing campaign

• Many consoles follow

• PC games recover and continue

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Video Game Violence1992-1994

• Violence in video games receives attention

• Popular games during this time• Mortal Kombat ‘92• Doom ‘93

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Entertainment Ratings Software Board (ERSB) is established in response to growing concern

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Arcade Death and Rebirth

• Death• Many consoles• High quality of console games

• Rebirth• Dance Dance Revolution 1998• “Experience” games

You know the rest.