| Very few of the "gamers" remember "back in the | | | | they did use live actors instead of the character). In |
| day", around Christmas of 1975 Atari was the first to | | | | a 1991 poll, it was found more kids could identify a |
| mass produce and distribute a game, where the | | | | picture of Mario than Mickey Mouse.The 1990's |
| game console had 2 knobs that turned left and right | | | | brought us into the "shooters" era with games such |
| moving a little rectangle block up an down the | | | | as Wolfenstein 3D and Doom. Following Doom, the |
| screen, one on the left side and the other on the | | | | retail publishers and developers began to earnestly |
| right. Moving this rectangle allowed the "player" to hit | | | | mimic the practice of offering demos, which had the |
| a small ball back and forth between the two players, | | | | effect of reducing shareware's appeal for the rest of |
| trying to "play the angle" by hitting it on the edge of | | | | the decade. During this time, the increasing computing |
| your paddle to "give it English" or a sharp angle to | | | | power of personal computers began to allow |
| score the point. The first "Video Tennis or Ping Pong" | | | | rudimentary 3D graphics. 1993's Doom in particular |
| game I guess would be a proper reference, in fact it | | | | was largely responsible for defining the genre and |
| was call "PONG".Two year later, the development of | | | | setting it apart from other first-person perspective |
| a cartridge-based console called the Video Computer | | | | games. The mid 90's brought us genra games such |
| System (VCS), later called Atari 2600 and the next | | | | as the "Sim" games, beginning with SimCity, and |
| generation of creators brought us game such as | | | | continuing with a variety of titles, such as SimEarth, |
| galaxian, space Invaders, Asteroids, Moon Patrol, | | | | SimCity 2000, SimAnt, SimTower, and the wildly |
| Frogger, Donkey Kong (who was that little man | | | | popular day to day life simulator, The Sims in 2000. |
| jumping over those barrels? Hmmm). The first | | | | The 90s also saw the beginnings of Internet gaming, |
| football game from the Atari 2600 allowed you to | | | | with MUDs (Multi-User Dungeons) in the early years. |
| control one player on offense and your opponent | | | | Id Software's 1996 game Quake pioneered play over |
| controlled either the 3 man D-Line or a single player. | | | | the Internet in first-person shooters. Internet |
| Gee the good ol' days....1980 ushered in the "Golden | | | | multiplayer capability became a defacto requirement |
| Era" of video games such as Defender, Battle Zone, | | | | in almost all of the games we see now.With all of |
| Zork and some game called, let me see, what was | | | | these developments, but online and console games, |
| it? Oh yea, Pacman....... Anyone remember that one? | | | | the "arcade" as we knew it, has pretty much |
| (just kidding)Around 1985 the "console game" market | | | | became a thing of the past limited now to expensive |
| hit a low point as desktop computers along with hand | | | | game control systems not available to home users. |
| held units took over the popular market. Then came | | | | These are usually based on sports like skiing or |
| the invention of the 8-bit machines and a company | | | | cycling, as well as rhythm games like Dance Dance |
| called Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) burst on | | | | Revolution, which have carved out a large slice of the |
| the seen with some Italian guys called Mario and Lugi | | | | market.Current times have us now playing PS2, PSP, |
| Mario. Mario first appeared in the 1982 arcade hit | | | | Xbox, all of which have become Multi-tasking devises |
| Donkey Kong, and became an instant hit. He | | | | similar to computers in that they can play not only |
| appeared again 2 years later in Mario Bros., his first | | | | games created and designed for them, but also CD's, |
| title role. This game also introduced Lugi to the public. | | | | MP3's, Videos. What is next? PS3, Xbox 360 are both |
| Mario first came home on the Nintendo Entertainment | | | | due out this fall/early winter just in time for |
| System in Super Mario Bros., one of the best selling | | | | Christmas. Both with disk space rivaling that of a |
| games ever. This game brought Mario into millions of | | | | desktop computer.Can we actually wait that |
| homes around the world and made him a cultural icon | | | | long?......Just a normal guy trying to starta business on |
| equal to Harrison Ford, Arnold Swartzneger, or Tom | | | | the internet. 50 year old white male father of 4. Born |
| Cruise. Besides all the games, he has starred in 3 | | | | in the midwest moved to the southwest 30 plus |
| cartoon series, one major motion picture (although | | | | years ago. |