I really didn’t anticipate feeling that I really needed this post in my life. I didn’t realize games went that far back but it makes sense that it would. I’d be really interested in learning more on video game history, especially how it intertwines with home computing and shifts in technology, how commerce impacts the greater reach of gaming, etc. And just the fact that some universities are offering full rides for gamers who will compete for them.
I really enjoyed a book on the Nintendo vs Sega war that developed in the late 80s. It doesn't speak to all of these things, but it does touch on some of this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Console_Wars_(book)
My siblings and I played the shit out of Mario 3. I remember when we first beat it. Bowser disappeared through the floor and one of us said "What happens if you jump down?" I can't remember who was playing, but we found out that you have to redo Bowser's castle and fight him again if you follow him.
My gaming experience is limited to the occasional Space Invaders and Pac-Man at a bar on "the strip" at UT Knoxville. Had a dorm friend who was obsessed with Pac-Man. She'd get pretty crazy playing that thing.
Mike Tyson's Punch Out was one of my favorites and it was fairly difficult. TMNT for the original Nintendo was another challenging adventure, I can remember my neighbors dad had me come over to beat the water level and then sent me home. I have never felt more used as I did then.
Damn, did the dad have to give you a lollipop or anything? Sounds like a close call! Yikes. (kidding; but Legendary Wings was another really hard game to beat).
I just read a book called tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow- if you haven’t read it, you should. It’s about friendship and how video games can be used as a tool to get through life’s hardships, love, loss, business. It’s really good and you’ll like the history it gives as well.
Jane McGonigal has done some great writing on the benefits of video games. And there's some really interesting use of AR and VR in mental health care, particularly in PTSD treatment.
An aside fun fact: I can beat pretty much anyone I meet at Ms. Pac-man provided that it's a stand up (not sit down) machine and it moves fast (there are two speeds and you never know which one your arcade has until you start playing)
FUN! I do not excel at pretty much any other video game, although I can hold my own at Streetfighter and Mortal Kombat, and more recently at Beat Saber on VR.
Then for a long time, most of my gaming was on ZX Spectrum, where each game came on a cassette tape and took several minutes to load. Good times!
I think VR has huge potential, but they'll need to crack the "moving through space" feel for full immersion. I tried a VR gaming place during a work event where you're hooked up to a sort of treadmill that you push away from yourself to "move" in the virtual world. But it was a clunky implementation that very much detracted from the experience. Once something comes along where you can move more naturally within the virtual space, that'll probably open the gates for widespread adoption. At least that's my take.
Very Donkey-Kong-esque. I'm not sure I played that particular side-scroller, although... well, I must have. At least one kid had amassed an enormous pile of 2600 games by the mid-80s and I got to play so many terrible games (and a few good ones). Remember how bad ET was?
And I agree about VR. We're getting closer, but something isn't quite 100% there yet. Very close, though.
I think LLMs will be built that provide conversations with beautifully built and formed life-like characters within games, as well as rich role-playing experienced in randomly generated worlds curated by AI.
Basically, soon we are going to spend a lot more time in the screens world than in ours (or, more than we do already). And I think that is going to be a good thing. Or good-ish. Less people killing each other in real life, I guess.
My brother and I got that first Atari for Christmas in 1977, just like about half the country. I remember Pong, Pacman, Space Invaders, and Frogger. Video games didn't really grab us the way they did a lot of people. I can attest that if a person were to take the rubber cover off of one of the joysticks and stick said rubber cover to their forehead in an effort to pretend to be a unicorn and leave it there too long, the suction will cause a round bruise on said person's forehead. Don't ask me how I know this.
I really didn’t anticipate feeling that I really needed this post in my life. I didn’t realize games went that far back but it makes sense that it would. I’d be really interested in learning more on video game history, especially how it intertwines with home computing and shifts in technology, how commerce impacts the greater reach of gaming, etc. And just the fact that some universities are offering full rides for gamers who will compete for them.
I really enjoyed a book on the Nintendo vs Sega war that developed in the late 80s. It doesn't speak to all of these things, but it does touch on some of this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Console_Wars_(book)
My siblings and I played the shit out of Mario 3. I remember when we first beat it. Bowser disappeared through the floor and one of us said "What happens if you jump down?" I can't remember who was playing, but we found out that you have to redo Bowser's castle and fight him again if you follow him.
Nice. There were so many little traps like that, even in the very first Mario games. They were so damn innovative!
That was a fun little jaunt. The first video game I remember playing was Frogger on my babysitter's Atari. I was probably 6-7 years old at the time.
Frogger was huge! Ever hear this one?
https://youtu.be/V_C0fQR1x8I
Haha! No, that one's new to me! "Playing Frogger with my life" is a hillarious lyric though.
I love that old Bad Religion music. They were basically children writing those lyrics and making that music.
My gaming experience is limited to the occasional Space Invaders and Pac-Man at a bar on "the strip" at UT Knoxville. Had a dorm friend who was obsessed with Pac-Man. She'd get pretty crazy playing that thing.
Those classic arcade games were simple, but addictive. They still call to me today.
Those 8-bit chiptunes were the best
There's something about limiting your medium that really helps creativity thrive (paradoxically!).
These were well-written songs, and incredibly clever games.
Mike Tyson's Punch Out was one of my favorites and it was fairly difficult. TMNT for the original Nintendo was another challenging adventure, I can remember my neighbors dad had me come over to beat the water level and then sent me home. I have never felt more used as I did then.
Damn, did the dad have to give you a lollipop or anything? Sounds like a close call! Yikes. (kidding; but Legendary Wings was another really hard game to beat).
I just read a book called tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow- if you haven’t read it, you should. It’s about friendship and how video games can be used as a tool to get through life’s hardships, love, loss, business. It’s really good and you’ll like the history it gives as well.
Jane McGonigal has done some great writing on the benefits of video games. And there's some really interesting use of AR and VR in mental health care, particularly in PTSD treatment.
An aside fun fact: I can beat pretty much anyone I meet at Ms. Pac-man provided that it's a stand up (not sit down) machine and it moves fast (there are two speeds and you never know which one your arcade has until you start playing)
I love Ms Pac Man! The Air BNB place we stayed at recently had a little standup version. You would easily destroy me, but I would play anyhow.
FUN! I do not excel at pretty much any other video game, although I can hold my own at Streetfighter and Mortal Kombat, and more recently at Beat Saber on VR.
We could be somewhat competitive in MK or Streetfighter II for Super NES.
The Super NES system was the peak of my gaming experience :)
Nice walk down memory lane.
My very first gaming experience was Keystone Kapers on Atari 2600 (This one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YxKf8D7w8U).
Then for a long time, most of my gaming was on ZX Spectrum, where each game came on a cassette tape and took several minutes to load. Good times!
I think VR has huge potential, but they'll need to crack the "moving through space" feel for full immersion. I tried a VR gaming place during a work event where you're hooked up to a sort of treadmill that you push away from yourself to "move" in the virtual world. But it was a clunky implementation that very much detracted from the experience. Once something comes along where you can move more naturally within the virtual space, that'll probably open the gates for widespread adoption. At least that's my take.
Very Donkey-Kong-esque. I'm not sure I played that particular side-scroller, although... well, I must have. At least one kid had amassed an enormous pile of 2600 games by the mid-80s and I got to play so many terrible games (and a few good ones). Remember how bad ET was?
And I agree about VR. We're getting closer, but something isn't quite 100% there yet. Very close, though.
I think LLMs will be built that provide conversations with beautifully built and formed life-like characters within games, as well as rich role-playing experienced in randomly generated worlds curated by AI.
Basically, soon we are going to spend a lot more time in the screens world than in ours (or, more than we do already). And I think that is going to be a good thing. Or good-ish. Less people killing each other in real life, I guess.
I can live with good-ish!
My brother and I got that first Atari for Christmas in 1977, just like about half the country. I remember Pong, Pacman, Space Invaders, and Frogger. Video games didn't really grab us the way they did a lot of people. I can attest that if a person were to take the rubber cover off of one of the joysticks and stick said rubber cover to their forehead in an effort to pretend to be a unicorn and leave it there too long, the suction will cause a round bruise on said person's forehead. Don't ask me how I know this.