We needed to see so Edison invented the light bulb; we needed to speak so Bell invented the telephone, and room sized super computers needed fun tech demos, so programmers invented the video game. From their humble beginnings in the lab, to the arcade and console revolution, to the industry crash and rebirth just a few years later - this the History of Classic Video Games!
Few game franchises have as groundbreaking and oddball of a past as the Wolfenstein series. What started as the very first stealth game was "borrowed" by another developer and transformed into a new series that innovated first-person shooters. This is a look at the history of the first two titles in the series.
The days of the video game business being a boy's club are over with women now taking charge as some of the industry's top executives, but it wasn't an easy climb. In the '70s and '80s, women had to fight to get their voices heard. Those that did made major marks in the industry, not because they are women, but because their innovations changed the world of video games for the better.
For over two decades computer adventure gamers have kept a loving flame burning for a short, awkward lounge lizard looser named Larry. With his long nose, double knit polyester suit, receding hairline and aging libido, Larry has weaseled his way into our hearts, and far more bedrooms than you would think.
From 1982 to 1984 ColecoVision was the most advance, powerful and popular console of the time, breaking sales records and digging deep into Atari and Intellivision's profits. While the ColecoVision was well on its way to becoming the most successful console in history, its life was cut short by the crash of the video game market and a risky gamble to convert the console into a home computer.
The yellow circular hero with an over-eating disorder, Pac-Man, is constantly hogging the spotlight as one of the world's most popular video game characters, but it's about time for the other stars to get their due, namely the Ghost Monsters. Part undead spirits, part obsessive compulsives, the Ghost Monsters have only one goal, putting the hurt on the chomping champ. Not only are these second-ba…
After the launch of the NES, Nintendo not only reignited the video game market in the United States, but went on to become the most dominating force in the industry, making themselves a household name by the end of the 1980s.
When Hiroshi Yamauchi, the Great-Great Grandson of Nintendo's founder Fusajiro Yamauchi, took over the family Business, he cleaned house of those who opposed him and took the company into new directions. When the bottom dropped out of the playing card market, Nintendo risked bankruptcy, until Hiroshi met low level engineer Gunpei Yokoi, and the two teamed up to make video game history.
With such a rich history it's impossible to try and encapsulate Nintendo's lineage in just one go, so this is the first in a series of three articles outlining the history of the biggest video game company in the biz which started over 117 years before they became a next-gen giant, and almost 70 years before the advent of the video game.
The Atari 2600 took the industry by storm and dominated the market during it's 15 year run. But the success of the console left in it's wake the exodus of Atari's founder as well as their top programmers, and inevitably brought forth the crash the same market it created.
Indiana Jones might have been the inspiration for two of the most successful video game franchises in history, Pitfall and Tomb Raider, but Indy has also starred if quite a few games himself. This is a breakdown of every Indiana Jones game released between 1982 and 1999.
The very first electronic games didn’t begin in arcades or even home consoles; they got their start in early super computer labs and as top secret military training programs. These are the events that set into place the groundwork for upcoming video game revolution dating all the way back to 1889.
Jumping from the super computers and into the first coin-op arcade and home console video games, this is The Golden Age and First Generation of Classic Video Games.
With a hit like Pong the home console market is proven to be a success. Soon the console advancements and knock-offs start rushing to market faster than consumers can keep up.
With too many console choices and not enough good games, the video game industry crashes in 1983. Much like when the dot-com bubble burst, the market was reborn just a few years later with a whole new set of players.
The Fifth Generation of Console Gaming takes a page from home computers that are starting to invade their turf. With the adoption of CD-ROM based games, video game makers are now able to deliver higher quality game experiences and start to introduce 3D graphics and gameplay.
