The new PlayStation 4, launched five days ago (November 15) in the US has sold 1 million units on its first day of sale. The console, which has received positive reception from critics, is set to overtake Wii U as the best-selling eighth generation console in a few weeks.
The new console will launch on November 29 in the UK and early 2014 in Japan.
Meanwhile, the Xbox One will launch this Friday (November 22), which will be expected to be the fastest-selling console (via pre-orders) until PS4's UK launch.
Honestly I strongly believe that the PS4 will overshadow the Wii U, like two generations ago, when the PS2 overshadowed the Sega Dreamcast in 2000, leading to the latter's discontinuation in March 2001, though games were still made until 2007.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
What if Sega Dreamcast continued production?
This is my what could have been article for the Sega Dreamcast, which has been considered one of the greatest video game consoles of all time, despite its short three-year production and being outrivalled by the PlayStation 2.
DVD add-on
Xbox backward compatible with Dreamcast
Prior to the discontinuation in 2001, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates officially discussed talks with Sega president Isao Okawa allowing Xbox console being backward compatible with the Dreamcast. It was so close, but cut short due to Okawa's death on March 16, 2001, fourteen days before the discontinuation of Dreamcast.
Closest thing that happened was when the controller of the Xbox 360 was similar to the Dreamcast.
EA and Square Enix Dreamcast-supported games
Those two companies never supported Dreamcast because their games suffered losses due to Sega Saturn's declining sales. Had the Dreamcast continued production
Dreamcast 2
Had the Dreamcast still continued production, there would be a successor for the seventh generation which most Dreamcast fans would call it the Dreamcast 2.
Spectrum (Dreamcast handheld console)
The VMU is a peripheral handheld that influenced Nintendo's Wii U GamePad
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
The Eighth Generation of Video Gaming: My Predictions
Since Nintendo 3DS kick-started the eighth generation of video games in February 2011, here's what I think should happen during the eighth generation of video gaming.
Nintendo Wii U and Ouya has already come out and the forthcoming PS4 and Xbox One will come out later next month, so here's my predictions of the next step for the eighth generation. However, it's too early for the ninth generation of video gaming to happen, so that would expect sometime between 2018 and 2020.
Sega Dreamcast 2
It's a shame that the famous Japanese-American (Sega is indeed Japanese-American, it started in Hawaii in the late 1940s before relocating to Japan sometime during the mid 1960s) video game developer have stopped making video game consoles after Dreamcast was discontinued in 2001, though it has a spiritual successor - the Xbox.
Possible Game Boy revival
We haven't had any Game Boy handheld console since the launch of the smaller Micro in 2005, so maybe it would be nice if Nintendo brought back the Game Boy. The closest thing that the Game Boy continued production was when the Nintendo DS had backward compatibility with Game Boy Advance.
N-Gage Xbox
After all these years, Microsoft is one of the only video game manufacturers to have never made a handheld console. Since Nokia is soon to be part of Microsoft once the acquisition deal closes, it would be nice if Nokia revived the N-Gage device (yes, I know some people criticised the idea alongside with people calling the design a space taco) and had integrated with Xbox software.
My idea is that unlike the previous device, it would not be a phone, it will only be a video game console but a twist - the games is downloadable. It would also have Windows software.
Atari revival
Who could forget that Atari had made good consoles from the Seventies until the Eighties.
Apple iTV console
Apple has done quite well with their iPod touch hybrid handheld/PDA/MP4 device, which I would consider it as part of the seventh generation.
Nintendo Wii DVD add-on
I really think that Nintendo should make an add on for the Wii U.
Gizmondo 2
Gizmondo 2 almost happened in 2008, but overshadowed. One reason: Car crash caused by
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
My idea for a future Nintendo console
Knowing that Nintendo isn't doing quite well with the Wii U and the Wii has ceased production in Japan only, I think it would be a great idea if Nintendo change their image from family-friendly to more darker and edgier, like Sega did with their last video game console, the Dreamcast.
This is my concept for a possible Nintendo console for eighth generation that would replace the Wii U.
My idea is that the next Nintendo console would be Nintendo's true eighth generation console as some people confuse the Wii U as a redesign of the Wii. The next Nintendo console would be a complete departure from the Wii line and the name of the console would be Delta.
The Nintendo Delta would be launched in sometime May 2015 with Star Wars Episode VII (though the film may come out during December 2015), Avatar: The Legend of Korra, Jurassic World and Pokemon: The Ketchum Files (referring to the main character of the popular anime, Ash Ketchum) as its launch titles.
Unlike the previous "modern" Nintendo consoles (referring to the Nintendo 64, GameCube, Wii and Wii U), it supports DVD, CD and Blu-ray, thus rendering the Nintendo discs redundant. Like the two previous consoles, it would have an operating software, but it would ditch the Miiware. The operating software would retain the Virtual Console and the launch apps are Netflix, YouTube, Vevo and Muzu TV.
The console would still have a remote like the previous two and the main controller will be a proper controller. Plus the console would have wi-fi and also accessible with the Nintendo Delta DS and the Game Boy Delta.
Also the logo of Nintendo would be more uppercase.
This is my concept for a possible Nintendo console for eighth generation that would replace the Wii U.
My idea is that the next Nintendo console would be Nintendo's true eighth generation console as some people confuse the Wii U as a redesign of the Wii. The next Nintendo console would be a complete departure from the Wii line and the name of the console would be Delta.
The Nintendo Delta would be launched in sometime May 2015 with Star Wars Episode VII (though the film may come out during December 2015), Avatar: The Legend of Korra, Jurassic World and Pokemon: The Ketchum Files (referring to the main character of the popular anime, Ash Ketchum) as its launch titles.
Unlike the previous "modern" Nintendo consoles (referring to the Nintendo 64, GameCube, Wii and Wii U), it supports DVD, CD and Blu-ray, thus rendering the Nintendo discs redundant. Like the two previous consoles, it would have an operating software, but it would ditch the Miiware. The operating software would retain the Virtual Console and the launch apps are Netflix, YouTube, Vevo and Muzu TV.
The console would still have a remote like the previous two and the main controller will be a proper controller. Plus the console would have wi-fi and also accessible with the Nintendo Delta DS and the Game Boy Delta.
Also the logo of Nintendo would be more uppercase.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Three Words: Wii Officially Discontinued (in Japan)
After nearly a 7-year lifespan, Nintendo has officially confirmed that their Wii console has ceased production in Japan. This is actually common with recent Nintendo consoles, with Nintendo 64 lasting 7 years and the GameCube lasting only 6 years.
The Wii will always be remembered for being Nintendo's most successful console of all time, with over 100 million units sold during its lifespan and was a successful comeback for Nintendo with the home console market as the 64 and the GameCube had moderate success, but unable to outrival the PlayStation and its DVD-based successor, the PlayStation 2.
This is the second major console to cease production this year, following the end of the 13-year production for the PlayStation 2 earlier this year, officially ending the sixth generation.
Could Wii's discontinuation mean the beginning of the end for the seventh generation? The answer is too early, for now.
UPDATE (23-10-2013): Actually Nintendo has said that the discontinuation of the Wii only applies in Japan, so the production of the Wii will continue, meaning that the Wii will still be on sale every country except Japan. It also means that Wii may last longer than the Nintendo 64 and GameCube.
UPDATE (23-10-2013): Actually Nintendo has said that the discontinuation of the Wii only applies in Japan, so the production of the Wii will continue, meaning that the Wii will still be on sale every country except Japan. It also means that Wii may last longer than the Nintendo 64 and GameCube.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Sega's Downfall of the Nineties
We all know that before Sega decided to focus on developing video games after the discontinuation of their hugely popular Dreamcast in 2001, so here's my article of Sega's downfall in the Nineties.
Sega's fourth generation successor to the Master System, the Sega Genesis (also known as the Mega Drive), became a smash hit after its 1988 introduction in Japan, which beat fellow rival, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and became a commercial success in the United States, thanks to its 1989 "Genesis does what Nintendon't." launch.
However, their moment of awesome happened in 1991, when the first Sonic the Hedgehog video game became a commercial and critical success, which made Sega a household name. Sales of the game and Genesis was extremely high, which meant that Sega overtook Nintendo in early 1992.
Plus, Sega's handheld the Game Gear (which was launched at the same year as the first Sonic game in North America) was a success despite mixed reviews and Game Boy still was the number one handheld.
With speculations of the fifth generation occuring, Sega launched a slim redesign of the Genesis in mid 1993, which continued the successful sales of the Genesis. At the same time, Sonic had become Sega's official mascot and followed up the footsteps of Nintendo rivals, Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda by venturing into TV with syndicated-run Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.
In late 1991, Sega launched a CD add-on for Sega Genesis, called the Sega CD. It was created as a rival to NEC's popular TurboGrafx-CD. The CD add-on was launched in 1992 in North America and 1993 in Europe. However, this add-on marked the beginning of the downfall. The Sega CD was panned by critics and fans, despite that the Sega CD version of Sonic recieved critical acclaim.
After the fifth generation started with the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer in October 1993, Sega began developing the fifth generation console successor to Sega Genesis. However the concept became the Sega 32X add-on, which was launched in 1994. Like the Sega CD, the 32X was a commercial failure.
After the failure of the Sega CD and 32X, Sega launched a successor of the Sega Game Gear, called the Sega Nomad in 1995, but it too failed despite positive reviews. The handheld was discontinued alongside with the Game Gear in 1997.
Sega introduced a hybrid console called the Sega Neptune in 1995, which was going to be a successor to the Sega 32X and going to be released during Christmas 1996.
Luckily enough, Sega's obscurity soon ended when they announced the discontinuation of Sega CD and Sega 32X and officially unveiled the successor of Sega Genesis, the Sega Saturn. The Saturn became Sega's first console to have CD-ROM as their media unit. was going to be launched on September 9, 1995 in the USA, but soon rescheduled to May 11, 1995 in order to become an successful console.
However, the Saturn failed to outrival the then-new Sony PlayStation and the Saturn was quietly discontinued in the USA on August 10, 1998 and Europe on November 1998. A redesign of the Saturn, titled Sega Pluto was made as a prototype in mid 1998, but never made into production. The Saturn continued to be sold in Japan, where it became Sega's most successful console until finally discontinued in 2000.
The Genesis continued to be in production until it was discontinued worldwide in 1998, however Sega signed a deal with Majesco to re-release Genesis alongside with the Game Gear in 1999. The Genesis 3 model (which was launched in 1997) became the last Sega Genesis model before the official discontinuation of the Genesis in 1999. The Genesis maintained a strong following in Brazil as Tectoy continued to release games until 2001.
After the discontinuation of the Saturn, Sega decided to scrap the Sega Pluto redesign in favour of a new console, called the Dreamcast. The Sega Dreamcast officially launched the sixth generation in November 1998 and despite being a flop in Japan, it became a commercial success worldwide.
The Dreamcast became a top seller in 1999, but soon after that, PlayStation 2 was launched during late 2000 and outrivalled Dreamcast. On January 31, 2001, Sega officially announced the Dreamcast would be discontinued on March 30, 2001, causing a strong outcry from fans.
The discontinuation was not because of PlayStation 2 outrivalling the console, but because the new head executive decided that Sega would now concentrate on creating video games, officially ending the company's 18 years as a video game console manfacturer. However, a bulk of unsold Dreamcasts were finally sold from 2002 to 2007, officially ending Dreamcast's nine-year tenure.
Despite its three-year production, Dreamcast maintained a very strong fanbase and the Xbox is considered a spiritual successor of the console as several Dreamcast titles lived on in the Xbox, plus the controllers are influenced by the design of the Dreamcast controllers.
Sega still continues to make video games and arcade game consoles, while a Dreamcast 2 remains unlikely. However, Sega Genesis is still popular as AtGames launched a fourth model of the Genesis called the Firecore in 2009, alongside with Tectoy launching the Mega Drive 4 in Brazil. AtGames and Tectoy continues to make retro versions of the Genesis since then.
The closest thing to Sega's return to handheld gaming is the Sega Vision which was launched in 2009. However, it is more of a media player and it is only sold at Sega's UFO catchers.
Sega's fourth generation successor to the Master System, the Sega Genesis (also known as the Mega Drive), became a smash hit after its 1988 introduction in Japan, which beat fellow rival, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and became a commercial success in the United States, thanks to its 1989 "Genesis does what Nintendon't." launch.
However, their moment of awesome happened in 1991, when the first Sonic the Hedgehog video game became a commercial and critical success, which made Sega a household name. Sales of the game and Genesis was extremely high, which meant that Sega overtook Nintendo in early 1992.
Plus, Sega's handheld the Game Gear (which was launched at the same year as the first Sonic game in North America) was a success despite mixed reviews and Game Boy still was the number one handheld.
With speculations of the fifth generation occuring, Sega launched a slim redesign of the Genesis in mid 1993, which continued the successful sales of the Genesis. At the same time, Sonic had become Sega's official mascot and followed up the footsteps of Nintendo rivals, Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda by venturing into TV with syndicated-run Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.
After the fifth generation started with the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer in October 1993, Sega began developing the fifth generation console successor to Sega Genesis. However the concept became the Sega 32X add-on, which was launched in 1994. Like the Sega CD, the 32X was a commercial failure.
After the failure of the Sega CD and 32X, Sega launched a successor of the Sega Game Gear, called the Sega Nomad in 1995, but it too failed despite positive reviews. The handheld was discontinued alongside with the Game Gear in 1997.
Sega introduced a hybrid console called the Sega Neptune in 1995, which was going to be a successor to the Sega 32X and going to be released during Christmas 1996.
Luckily enough, Sega's obscurity soon ended when they announced the discontinuation of Sega CD and Sega 32X and officially unveiled the successor of Sega Genesis, the Sega Saturn. The Saturn became Sega's first console to have CD-ROM as their media unit. was going to be launched on September 9, 1995 in the USA, but soon rescheduled to May 11, 1995 in order to become an successful console.
However, the Saturn failed to outrival the then-new Sony PlayStation and the Saturn was quietly discontinued in the USA on August 10, 1998 and Europe on November 1998. A redesign of the Saturn, titled Sega Pluto was made as a prototype in mid 1998, but never made into production. The Saturn continued to be sold in Japan, where it became Sega's most successful console until finally discontinued in 2000.
The Genesis continued to be in production until it was discontinued worldwide in 1998, however Sega signed a deal with Majesco to re-release Genesis alongside with the Game Gear in 1999. The Genesis 3 model (which was launched in 1997) became the last Sega Genesis model before the official discontinuation of the Genesis in 1999. The Genesis maintained a strong following in Brazil as Tectoy continued to release games until 2001.
After the discontinuation of the Saturn, Sega decided to scrap the Sega Pluto redesign in favour of a new console, called the Dreamcast. The Sega Dreamcast officially launched the sixth generation in November 1998 and despite being a flop in Japan, it became a commercial success worldwide.
The Dreamcast became a top seller in 1999, but soon after that, PlayStation 2 was launched during late 2000 and outrivalled Dreamcast. On January 31, 2001, Sega officially announced the Dreamcast would be discontinued on March 30, 2001, causing a strong outcry from fans.
The discontinuation was not because of PlayStation 2 outrivalling the console, but because the new head executive decided that Sega would now concentrate on creating video games, officially ending the company's 18 years as a video game console manfacturer. However, a bulk of unsold Dreamcasts were finally sold from 2002 to 2007, officially ending Dreamcast's nine-year tenure.
Despite its three-year production, Dreamcast maintained a very strong fanbase and the Xbox is considered a spiritual successor of the console as several Dreamcast titles lived on in the Xbox, plus the controllers are influenced by the design of the Dreamcast controllers.
Sega still continues to make video games and arcade game consoles, while a Dreamcast 2 remains unlikely. However, Sega Genesis is still popular as AtGames launched a fourth model of the Genesis called the Firecore in 2009, alongside with Tectoy launching the Mega Drive 4 in Brazil. AtGames and Tectoy continues to make retro versions of the Genesis since then.
The closest thing to Sega's return to handheld gaming is the Sega Vision which was launched in 2009. However, it is more of a media player and it is only sold at Sega's UFO catchers.
What Could Have Been if Dreamcast continued production:
- Sega would have launched a DVD add-on for the Dreamcast, rivalling with Sony PlayStation 2.
- Xbox would have backward compatible with the Dreamcast.
- The Dreamcast would be succeeded by the Dreamcast 2 in 2006.
- The Dreamcast 2 would allow DVD-ROM as their media unit, plus would be backward compatible with the Dreamcast itself.
- Dreamcast 2 would have a virtual system containing titles from previous Sega models.
- The Dreamcast 2 would have a handheld spin-off that would surely rival against the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable.
Here's a concept design from The Escapist magazine for the Dreamcast 2:
History of Video Games Part 5: Seventh and Eighth Generation (2004-present)
Seventh Generation (2004-present)
- Xbox 360 (2005-present)
- Nintendo Wii (2006-present)
- PlayStation 3 (2006-present)
- EVO Smart Console (2006-2010)
- Zeebo (2009-2011)
- HyperScan (2006-2007)
- Retro Duo (2008-present)
- Atari Flashback 3 (2011-present)
- Atari Flashback 4 (2011-present)
- Game Wave (2005-2008)
- OnLive (2010-present)
- Phantom (2007, cancelled)
- Sega Firecore (2008-present)
- Sega Zone (2010-present)
Eighth Generation (2011-present)
- Nintendo Wii U (2012-present)
- Ouya (2013-present)
- GameStick (2013-present)
- MOJO (2013-present)
- GamePop (2013-present)
- PlayStation 4 (2013-present)
- Steam Machine (2013-present)
- Xbox One (2013-present)
History of Video Games Part 4: Fifth and Sixth Generation (1993-2004)
Fifth Generation (1993-2006)
- FM Towns Marty (1993-1995)
- 3DO Interactive Multiplayer (1993-1996)
- Virtual Boy (1995-1996)
- Atari Panther (1993, cancelled)
- Sega 32X (1994-1995, add-on for Sega Genesis)
- Atari Jaguar (1993-1996)
- CPS Changer (1994-1995)
- Playdia (1994-1996)
- Sega Saturn (1994-2000)
- PlayStation (1994-2006)
- Amiga CD32 (1993-1994)
- Nintendo 64 (1995-2003)
- Atari Jaguar CD (1995-1996)
- NEC PC-FX (1994-1998)
- Apple Bandai Pippin (1995-1997)
- Sega Neptune (1996, cancelled)
- PSone (2000-2006, redesign)
- Net Yaroze (1997-2006, development kit)
- Nintendo 64DD (1999-2000, add-on for Nintendo 64)
- Casio Loopy (1995-1996)
Sixth Generation (1998-2013)
- Sega Dreamcast (1998-2007)
- PlayStation 2 (2000-2013)
- Nintendo GameCube (2001-2008)
- Xbox (2001-2008)
- iQue Player (2003-2006)
- Indrema L600 (2001, cancelled)
- Game Boy Player (2003-2008, add-on for Nintendo GameCube)
- Nuon (2003-2004)
- Panasonic M2 (1997, cancelled)
- Atari Jaguar II (1995, cancelled)
- Atari Flashback (2004-2011)
- Atari Flashback 2 (2004-2011)
- ApeXtreme (2004, cancelled)
- Panasonic Q (2001-2003, DVD redesign of Nintendo GameCube)
- V.Smile (2005-2008)
- PSX (2003-2005)
- XaviXPort (2004-2006)
- Sega Beena (2005-2013)
History of Video Games Part 3: Third and Fourth Generation (1983-1993)
Third Generation (1983-2003)
- Sega SG-1000 (1983-1987)
- Nintendo Entertainment System (1983-2003)
- Sega Master System (1985-1996)
- Atari 7800 (1984-1992)
- Commodore 64 Games System (1990-1992)
- Amstrad GX4000 (1990-1991)
- Action Max (1987-1988)
- Atari XEGS (1987-1992)
- Casio PV-1000 (1983-1984)
- APF-MP1000 (1978-1980)
- RDI Halcyon (1985-1986)
- Family Computer Disk System (1986-2003, add-on to the NES)
- Daewoo Zemmix (1985-1995)
- NES-101 (1993-1994, redesign)
- C1 NES TV (1983-1989, TV add-on)
Fourth Generation (1987-2003)
- NEC TurboGrafx-16 (1987-1995)
- Sega Genesis (1988-1999)
- Super Nintendo Entertainment System (1990-2003)
- SNK Neo Geo AES (1990-1997)
- Commodore CDTV (1991-1993)
- Philips CD-i (1991-1998)
- Pioneer LaserActive (1993-1994)
- SNK Neo Geo (1990-2004)
- SNK Neo Geo CD (1994-1997)
- SNK Neo Geo CDZ (1995-1997)
- Konix Multisystem (1990, cancelled)
- SF-1 SNES TV (1990-1995, TV add-on to the SNES)
- Memorex VIS (1992-1994)
- Satellaview (1995-2000, modem add-on to the SNES)
- Sega Genesis II (1993-1997)
- Sega Genesis 3 (1997-1999)
- Sega Pico (1993-2005)
- SNES-101 (1997-1999, redesign)
- SNES-CD (1992, cancelled)
- TurboDuo (1992-1995)
- Super A'Can (1995-1996)
- TurboGrafx-CD (1988-1995, CD add-on to the TurboGrafx-64)
- FM Towns (1989-1997)
- PC Engine SuperGrafx (1989-1995)
- Sega CD (1991-1996, CD add-on to the Sega Genesis)
History of Video Games Part 2: First and Second Generation (1972-1983)
With arcade games booming so much in the late Sixties and after the success of the Atari Pong, the video game industry officially started.
First Generation (1972-1984)
Home consoles
- Magnavox Odyssey (1972-1975)
- Zanussi Ping-o-Tronic (1974-1975)
- Magnavox Odyssey series (1975-1977)
- Atari / Sears Pong (1975-1977)
- Coleco Telstar (1976-1978)
- APF TV Fun (1976-1979)
- Philips Odyssey (1976-1978)
- Radio Shack TV Scoreboard (1976-1980)
- Binatone TV Master Mk IV (1977-1980)
- Color TV Game (1977-1980)
- BSS 01 (1980-1984)
Second Generation (1976-1992)
- Fairchild Channel F (1976-1980)
- Fairchild Channel F System II (1979-1980)
- Atari 2600 (1977-1992)
- Atari 2600 Jr. (1986-1992)
- Atari 2800 (1983-1985)
- Coleco Gemini (1982-1985)
- Magnavox / Philips Odyssey 2 (1978-1984)
- Mattel Intellivision (1978-1984)
- Atari 5200 (1982-1984)
- Vectrex (1982-1984)
- Arcadia 2001 (1982-1984)
- ColecoVision (1982-1985)
- Bally Astrocade (1977-1983)
- RCA Studio II (1977-1979)
- Interton VC 4000 (1978-1983)
- V-Tech CreatiVision (1981-1986)
- Mattel Intellivision II (1982-1984)
- Epoch Cassette Vision (1981-1984)
- Super Cassette Vision (1984-1986)
- Atari 5100 (1981-1984)
- APF-MP1000 (1978-1980)
History of Video Games Part 1: Proto-Video Games and Arcade Games (1947-1972)
This is part 1 of the 5-part video game generation blog posts leading up to the launch of the eighth generation systems PlayStation 4 (launching November 15, 2013) and Xbox One (launching November 22, 2013).
Note: The text is from the Wikipedia entry "First video game"
In 1951, Alexander S. Douglas made the first computer game to use a digital graphical display. OXO, also known as Noughts and Crosses, is a version of tic-tac-toe for the EDSAC computer at the University of Cambridge. It was designed for the world's first stored-program computer, and used a rotary telephone controller for game control. There is a description of another "fun" program for EDSAC.
Note: The text is from the Wikipedia article "first video game"
In 1971, Bill Pitts and Hugh Tuck developed the first coin-operated computer game, Galaxy Game, at Stanford University using a DEC PDP-11/20computer; only one unit was ever built (although it was later adapted to run up to eight games at once).
Two months after Galaxy Game's installation, Computer Space by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney was released, which was the first coin-operated video game to be commercially sold (and the first widely available video game of any kind). Both games were variations on the vector display 1961 Spacewar!. After this, Bushnell and Dabney formed Atari.
Proto-Video Games (1947-1966)
Video games have around since the mid Sixties, when they were arcade games.Cathode ray tube amusement device schematic (1947)
Thomas T. Goldsmith, Jr patents a device in 1947 that would foreshadow the future development of video games, despite not being sold, the concept kick started the video games industry.
Pictured: The amusement device had it been marketed for sale.
NIMROD (1951)
No one knows what was the first video game ever made, but there has been one computer that changed history: The NIMROD computer.
On May 1, 1951, British computer company Ferranti debuted the supercomputer NIMROD at the Festival of Britain. It became a commercial breakthrough and was created exclusively to play a game called Nim. A replica of the NIMROD is currently on display in Computerspielemuseum Berlin.
OXO (1951)
Note: The text is from the Wikipedia entry "First video game"
In 1951, Alexander S. Douglas made the first computer game to use a digital graphical display. OXO, also known as Noughts and Crosses, is a version of tic-tac-toe for the EDSAC computer at the University of Cambridge. It was designed for the world's first stored-program computer, and used a rotary telephone controller for game control. There is a description of another "fun" program for EDSAC.
Tennis for Two (1958)
In 1958, scientist William Higinbotham created a game called Tennis for Two at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, which became the first tennis video game ever made.
Spacewar! (1962)
Note: Some of the text is from the Wikipedia entry "First video game"
In 1961, MIT students Martin Graetz, Steve Russell, and Wayne Wiitanen created the game Spacewar! on a DEC PDP-1 mini-computer which also used a vector display system. Spacewar! became the first shooter game.
Russell has been quoted as saying that the aspect of the game that he was most pleased with was the number of other programmers it inspired to write their own games. This was presumed to be the first true video game. Spacewar! is now on display at Computer History Museum in California, where people can play the game.
Arcade Games (1966-1972)
Arcade games were the earliest version of the video games built for the public. The first electronic arcade games came around the mid Sixties.Sega Periscope (1966)
Note: The text is from the Wikipedia article "arcade game"
In 1966, Sega introduced an electro-mechanical game called Periscope. It was an early submarine simulator and light gun shooter, which used lights and plastic waves to simulate sinking ships from a submarine.
It became a worldwide success in Japan, Europe, and North America, where it was the first arcade game to cost a quarter per play, which would remain the standard price for arcade games for many years to come.
Taito Crown Soccer Special (1967)
Note: The text is from the Wikipedia article "arcade game"
In 1967, Taito released an electro-mechanical arcade game of their own, Crown Soccer Special, a two-player sports game that simulated association football, using various electronic components, including electronic versions of pinball flippers.
Galaxy Game (1971)
In 1971, Bill Pitts and Hugh Tuck developed the first coin-operated computer game, Galaxy Game, at Stanford University using a DEC PDP-11/20computer; only one unit was ever built (although it was later adapted to run up to eight games at once).
Computer Space (1971)
Note: The text is from the Wikipedia article "first video game"
Pong (1972)
At the same year, Bushnell appointed Allan Alcorn to develop a game that was originally intended to be a warm-up exercise. Luckily enough, that game became Atari's first successful game - the Pong. Pong became the first commercially successful video game, which then kickstarted the video game industry.
Introduction
Welcome to my spin-off to The Groove Effect, called The Video Game Zone.
I would like to say with The Groove Effect being a music blog, this blog will be a video game blog.
Yours sincerely,
Mateus
I would like to say with The Groove Effect being a music blog, this blog will be a video game blog.
Yours sincerely,
Mateus
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