From: petitc@vccsouth23.its.rpi.edu (Christopher Jon Petit)
Subject: History of Home Video Games
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 23:02:44 GMT

(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.  

  Now, the video game market was in trouble.  It was around this time that
someone mass-marketed a truly 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.




-- 
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Cynicism is only realism projected into the future.
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