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History of Video Games

Explore the rich history of video games starting from the introduction of the first commercial game in 1971 to the rise of modern consoles and virtual reality technology. Discover key milestones, such as the golden age of arcade games in the 1970s, the crash of 1983, and the emergence of internet gaming in the 1990s. Learn about the impact of iconic games like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Space Invaders, and how advancements in graphics, physics, AI, and immersion have shaped the future of gaming.

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History of Video Games

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  1. CS481/CS681 Fall 2007 History of Video Games

  2. Summary • 1931 Pinball machine • 1971, first commercial game introduced • 2 game market crashes • $10,000,000,000 industry • Seven generations of hardware • What’s the future?

  3. Pinball • Bally Manufacturing • Williams Manufacturing • Midway Games • Created the production, distribution, and consumer channels used by video game industry

  4. Japan (Pre-history) • Early coin operated companies established by foreigners • Taito, (Sega + Rosen Enterprises = Sega Enterprises) • 1966 – Periscope • Imported to the US and Europe, expensive • Set the 25 cent price for coin operated machines • Meanwhile, back in the US ... computers rising

  5. Electronic / Computer games (Prehistory) • 1948: Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device patent for electronic game. Vacuum tubes controlled missiles firing at a target • 1951: Transistors replacing vacuum tubes at university computers. Students want games. • Checkers (1951) • TTT (1952) • Nimrod played Nim (UK)

  6. Birth • Spacewar, 1962, MIT students wanted to “test” the capabilities of their new DEC PDP-1 • Gravity, warp • Widely distributed by DEC • Other games were not distributed (no internet)

  7. Commercialization • 1971: Galaxy Game • Clone of Spacewar • Stanford, 10 cents in student union • Ran until 1979 • Bushnell, Dabney created custom arcade hardware for Spacewar clone - failure... • June 27, 1972 Bushnell/Dabney found Atari Inc. ... meanwhile...

  8. Games on Television Screens (Consoles) • Ralph Baer • 1967 – chase game • Light gun -> shooting, paddles -> tennis • Prototype played multiple games • No sound, overlays • 3 dials for vertical, horizontal, and spin • Magnavox bought it, and managed to sell 100K units

  9. Pong • Al Alcorn, Atari’s first game engineer • 1972: Implemented Pong • Atari tried to get Bally’s to manufacture it • Machine malfunctioned during demo because it was too full of coins! • Atari decided to forget Bally’s and go into manufacturing! • Many Pong clones competed

  10. 70s Creativity, new game genres • 1974, Tank designed by Steve Bristow • 1973, Gotcha, pursuit • 1974, Gran Trak 10, Driving/Racing • 1976, Night Driver, sit down cabinet • 1975 Breakout, SP Pong • 1976 Death Race

  11. Golden Age of arcade games (2) • 1978:Space Invaders, (Taito) high score, no name • 1979, Star Fire, (Exidy), initials • 1979, Atari Football, smooth scrolling scree, trackball controller • Many Companies entered the business • Konami, Namco, Irem, SNK, Technos Japan. • Galaga, Defender, Scramble, Moon patrol

  12. Maze Games: Pac-Man • 1980, Namco, Originally Puck-man but changed name before releasing in the US. • Best selling arcade game up to that point • First identifiable video character • Cover of Time • 1981, MIT students enhancement kits for pac-man ended up producing Ms. Pac-Man (4 mazes) • 1982, Namco, Pole Position, Racing, POV

  13. Platform Games • 1981, Donkey Kong, Nintendo • 1982, Donkey Kong Junior introduced Mario • 1983: Elevator Action

  14. Tech • 1972: handheld TTT • 1976: game cartridges • 1977: Joystick • Vector graphics • 1979: Asteroids, others (but died after 1983 and raster) • Laserdisc • 1983: Dragon’s Lair, animated sequences, interactive movie

  15. 80s • 1982: EA born • PCs, game source code printed in magazines • Commodore 64 • 1983, Snipes, first networked commerical text-mode game • Maze War (university research game) • Spasim (3d multiplayer space sim), precursor to Doom and Quake • Handheld LCD console

  16. Crash of 1983 • Too many companies, too many bad games • So many ET the Extra Terrestrial game cartridges were left over that they had to be buried in a big hole in NM! • Lasted One Year!

  17. Video game consoles (3) • Nintendo, NES (Famicon), Super Mario Brothers • Gamepad • 8 direction D pad with 2 or more action buttons • 1986: Dragon Quest precursor to RPG • 1987: Final Fantasy, Role playing game • 1986: Legend of Zelda • 1988: Nintendo Power Magazine

  18. 90’s (4) • Rising to match Hollywood • 3D graphics, sound cards, CDs, fast PCs • Internet based distribution, shareware, • 1992: RTS games, Dune II set the std. • Warcraft, C&C, StarCraft • 1993: Myst, and adventure puzzle game • Sim games: Sim city, SimEarth,...The Sims (2000) • Mods, Counterstrike, Half Life mod

  19. Internet Gaming • Multi-User Dungeons • 1996: Quake, FPS • MMORPGS: Ultima Online, Everquest • Persistent worlds, large numbers of players • Java/Flash back to simple games • Decline of arcades, rise of home consoles, PCs

  20. 4, 5, 6, 7 generations • Sega Genesis, Super NES • Sega Saturn, Sony Playstation, Nintendo 64 • DDR • Sega Dreamcast, Playstation2, Game Cube, Xbox • Sims, Halo, GTA, Halo 2, GTA San Andreas, Guitar Hero • PSP, PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS • Spore Demo

  21. Future • Where is it heading? • Graphics • Physics • AI • Immersion, Realism, ... • Holodeck

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