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