Games History

[Sabre]

I'm what's called a computer native. I was born into a computer litterate world and was taught with them around. There is a jargon term for people who were born before the rise of computers and learned that way, but I forget.

Anyway. Despite being a native, I also know my history, from the Atari 2600 to today, I've lived the evolution of computer games, and as a hardcore, know my history. However, during my usuall back and forth with someone who shall remain nameless I was sent a link of someone asking if Halo 3 was the first FPS. The 3 should be a clue there, but I had no idea people were this ignorant of games history, but it makes sence because not everyone lived it. It hit me that there are people out there who don't know what an arcade machine is, or the strange invention of 3D.

So, I know the full history, but how much do you know, and what's your favourite bit of history/trivia.

For me, one little fact that I pull out ragularly is that Gears of War did NOT invent the modern cover system. That honour goes to a PS2 game called kill switch, of which one of the lead designers now works at epic. Some N64 fanboys point to Winback, but that is incorrect.

[Matt Macdowel]

The origin of video games lies in early cathode ray tube-based missile defense systems in the late 1940s. These programs were later adapted into other simple games during the 1950s. By the late 1950s and through the 1960s, more computer games were developed (mostly on mainframe computers), gradually increasing in sophistication and complexity.[n 1] Following this period, video games diverged into different platforms: arcade, mainframe, console, personal computer and later handheld games.

The first commercially viable video game was Computer Space in 1971, which laid the foundation for a new entertainment industry in the late 1970s within the United States, Japan, and Europe. The first major crash in 1977 occurred when companies were forced to sell their older obsolete systems flooding the market. Six years later a second, greater crash occurred. This crash—brought on largely by a flood of video games coming to the market—resulted in a total collapse of the console gaming industry worldwide, ultimately shifting dominance of the market from North America to Japan. While the crash killed the console gaming market, the computer gaming market was largely unaffected. Subsequent generations of console video games would continue to be dominated by Japanese corporations. Though several attempts would be made by North American and European companies, fourth generation of consoles, their ventures would ultimately fail. Not until the sixth generation of video game consoles would a non-Japanese company release a commercially successful console system. The handheld gaming market has followed a similar path with several unsuccessful attempts made by American companies all of which failed outside some limited successes in the handheld electronic games early on. Currently only Japanese companies have any major successful handheld gaming consoles, although in recent years handheld games have come to devices like cellphones and PDAs as technology continues to converge.

[Mr. Foxer]

What I should know, I know. Kids these days don't know what make good video games, hell I'm sure most kids today think that Modern Warfare 2 is the best game ever made.

[Matt Macdowel]

What I should know, I know. Kids these days don't know what make good video games, hell I'm sure most kids today think that Modern Warfare 2 is the best game ever made.

yeah kids today. i don't know if any of you guys know but IW guys who made morden warfare 1 and 2 got fired from call of duty!

[Black-Cat]

What I should know, I know. Kids these days don't know what make good video games, hell I'm sure most kids today think that Modern Warfare 2 is the best game ever made.

Oh dear Gods, has it gone down hill that badly?

[Sabre]

Oh dear Gods, has it gone down hill that badly?

Yyyep. (You are talking about the thread right?)

yeah kids today. i don't know if any of you guys know but IW guys who made morden warfare 1 and 2 got fired from call of duty!

There is a reason for that, to long for this post, but basicly IW talked crap about their employer, and Activision didn't want to pay them the millions of pounds they should have been paid.

[Black-Cat]

Yyyep. (You are talking about the thread right?)

There is a reason for that, to long for this post, but basicly IW talked crap about their employer, and Activision didn't want to pay them the millions of pounds they should have been paid.

No, about what Mr. Foxxer said. Thus why I quoted him.

[CrypticQuery]

While I wasn't around for some of the earlier systems, like the Odyssey, 2600, Colecovision, and Intellevision, I studied the topic enough to know quite a lot.  The situation of video game knowledge today is a sad, sad thing.  Not to long ago, one of my teachers started talking about his experiences with Super Mario Bros and the Nintendo. (NES) Not one single person (in a class of 32) knew what he was talking about except me.  Some even went as far to ask him if he meant the Wii.  I'm glad video games have such a rich history though, it makes it all the more fun to learn about :D

[Matt Macdowel]

Yyyep. (You are talking about the thread right?)

There is a reason for that, to long for this post, but basicly IW talked crap about their employer, and Activision didn't want to pay them the millions of pounds they should have been paid.

really i heard it was because of the glitches online!

[Sideways]

Man, I remember games BACK before the Wii, Xbox360 and PS3.

I still have my NES, Genesis and N64 hooked up, and all three still work. I've got a good library of games for each system.

I remember the Sega Saturn and the Dreamcast. I remember that Nintendo and Sony were going to team up to deal with Sega's CD system, but Nintendo backstabbed Sony and went with phillips - sealing Sony's rise of the Playstation.

Anybody remember the Virtual Boy?  :lol:

[Sabre]

Man, I remember games BACK before the Wii, Xbox360 and PS3.

I still have my NES, Genesis and N64 hooked up, and all three still work. I've got a good library of games for each system.

I remember the Sega Saturn and the Dreamcast. I remember that Nintendo and Sony were going to team up to deal with Sega's CD system, but Nintendo backstabbed Sony and went with phillips - sealing Sony's rise of the Playstation.

Anybody remember the Virtual Boy? 

It became an internet meme, but yeah it was bad. I have the super scope though, another famous flop.

No, about what Mr. Foxxer said. Thus why I quoted him.

To be fair, Modern Warfare is a bloody good couple of games. Both of them are the only 2 games ever to reach out and bop me on the nose. Shock and Aw and No Russian are classic scenes that are still talked about, and will be for years imo.

[Steve]

The origin of video games lies in early cathode ray tube-based missile defense systems in the late 1940s. These programs were later adapted into other simple games during the 1950s. By the late 1950s and through the 1960s, more computer games were developed (mostly on mainframe computers), gradually increasing in sophistication and complexity.[n 1] Following this period, video games diverged into different platforms: arcade, mainframe, console, personal computer and later handheld games.

The first commercially viable video game was Computer Space in 1971, which laid the foundation for a new entertainment industry in the late 1970s within the United States, Japan, and Europe. The first major crash in 1977 occurred when companies were forced to sell their older obsolete systems flooding the market. Six years later a second, greater crash occurred. This crash—brought on largely by a flood of video games coming to the market—resulted in a total collapse of the console gaming industry worldwide, ultimately shifting dominance of the market from North America to Japan. While the crash killed the console gaming market, the computer gaming market was largely unaffected. Subsequent generations of console video games would continue to be dominated by Japanese corporations. Though several attempts would be made by North American and European companies, fourth generation of consoles, their ventures would ultimately fail. Not until the sixth generation of video game consoles would a non-Japanese company release a commercially successful console system. The handheld gaming market has followed a similar path with several unsuccessful attempts made by American companies all of which failed outside some limited successes in the handheld electronic games early on. Currently only Japanese companies have any major successful handheld gaming consoles, although in recent years handheld games have come to devices like cellphones and PDAs as technology continues to converge.

What's the point of copy pasting something extracted from the net when you are supposed to be the one to tell us how much you know?

[Guest Para Astaroth]

I have been playing almost every gaming console except the Atari's.  But my personal opinion is that gaming nowadays are making gamers taking things too seriously, I for one am having a hard time in real life situations since I'm dealing with a depression and some emotional breakdowns, and thus taking it to the extreme:  Meaning that they are sending death threats and insults that have ABSOLUTELY NO meaning.

Anyways, I know only the broad things about gaming due to the fact that I look at the engines the games were made from, the company behind the game, and how good the games play on consoles or computers.

My other opinion is that 'MOST' computer games run MUCH more smoother than their console counterparts and that I'm more trustworthy in playing the computer type games.

[Sideways]

What's the point of copy pasting something extracted from the net when you are supposed to be the one to tell us how much you know?

It looks like it was pasted from wikipedia. 

Actually: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_video_games

[Asper Sarnoff]

Pretty much green about what happened before the SNES. I knew of only one guy who had one, and I had never seen anything like it at that time. It was witchcraft!

And please Matt, don't feel like you have to impress us on every possible subject.

[CrypticQuery]

I have my NES, Genesis, Dreamcast, Wii, Gamecube, ps2, and ps3 all hooked up to the same tv.  If I have to plug anything else in, I MAY HAVE A PROBLEM .  Planning on picking up a Super Nintendo with my favorite game! Pilotwings STARFOX!

[Sabre]

Pretty much green about what happened before the SNES. I knew of only one guy who had one, and I had never seen anything like it at that time. It was witchcraft!

And please Matt, don't feel like you have to impress us on every possible subject.

My biggest game is the pong consoles (before my time) and around the 2600 era. The reason is that there were so many bloody machines. However, the games crash and the rise of homebrew spectrum games in the UK means I know more then most about it. There were some mad games around that time. While the americans were doing the school boy fantasy stuff, and japan was churning out crap, the brits were making weird stuff like a guy who has to mow his lawn, a guy trying to hide from his nagging wife, a guy collecting eggs ect.

I have my NES, Genesis, Dreamcast, Wii, Gamecube, ps2, and ps3 all hooked up to the same tv.  If I have to plug anything else in, I MAY HAVE A PROBLEM .  Planning on picking up a Super Nintendo with my favorite game! Pilotwings STARFOX!

I remember pilot wings. On the landing stage I could the guys eyes pop out of his head. Also there was a secret level where you play as a penguin.

[Guest DRL]

I know the basics.

First game was Pong, programmed

by a U.S. programmer.

Later Japan took over; Space Invaders

and later Pac-Man. The U.S. did some

cool things later as well. Example:

Defender, Sinistar (Midway).

Then by the end of the 80's the videogame

craze had ended, and it moved down to

console gamming. Through you can still

go to a videogame club/store/ect. to play

with the "big machines" as we call it, today

it is phased out of priority. Mainly because

PC long took over a big deal of the market,

and consoles did it as well, today games are

done for those plataforms.

Personally I kind of have a like for 2D games,

because I grew up with my Family Game (NES)

and my Sega Genesis 3.

[CrypticQuery]

I know the basics.

First game was Pong, programmed

by a U.S. programmer.

Later Japan took over; Space Invaders

and later Pac-Man. The U.S. did some

cool things later as well. Example:

Defender, Sinistar (Midway).

Then by the end of the 80's the videogame

craze had ended, and it moved down to

console gamming. Through you can still

go to a videogame club/store/ect. to play

with the "big machines" as we call it, today

it is phased out of priority. Mainly because

PC long took over a big deal of the market,

and consoles did it as well, today games are

done for those plataforms.

Personally I kind of have a like for 2D games,

because I grew up with my Family Game (NES)

and my Sega Genesis 3.

Sorry DRL, the first game was MOST DEFINITELY NOT pong.  Several different "games" came before it, like Tennis for two, Computer space, and asteriods.  Pong was one of the more successful firsts though :D

[Guest Julius Quasar]

What I should know, I know. Kids these days don't know what make good video games, hell I'm sure most kids today think that Modern Warfare 2 is the best game ever made.

I agree...

I also wish some video games companies would STOP PANDERING TO LITTLE KIDS!

But, I know the basics, that's it.

I learned a lot from The Angry Video Game Nerd! 

[Matt Macdowel]

i want u guys to know that wolfenstion actully wasn't the fps it was maze wars 3d i think

[CrypticQuery]

I agree...

I also wish some video games companies would STOP PANDERING TO LITTLE KIDS!

But, I know the basics, that's it.

I learned a lot from The Angry Video Game Nerd! 

EVERYBODY!! He's the angriest gamer you've ever heard! *CHORUS* HE'S THE ANGRY NINTENDO NERD! HE'S THE ANGRY ATARI SEGA NERD!! HE'S THE ANGRY VIDEO GAME NEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRDDD! :D

[Guest DRL]

Sorry DRL, the first game was MOST DEFINITELY NOT pong.  Several different "games" came before it, like Tennis for two, Computer space, and asteriods.  Pong was one of the more successful firsts though

You are right.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Videogame#History

[Guest Julius Quasar]

I have a super scope 6, an original game boy, a still working SNES with the original Star Fox game.

I have a NES, but it won't work, I think the TVs in my house are too...modern...

I remember that stupid virtual boy...awful xP

[Matt Macdowel]

Nintendo actully made its own tv color game so NES wasn't the first console!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_TV_Game