History of Video-Games
The 1950s, the revolutionary decade that sculpted the monolith of modern computer design. Its chisels, the rapid advancements of programming language and artificial intelligence. Amongst the many advancements of that age was the development of video games. At first, video games were merely a test device, to test the capability of artificial intelligence. They would later evolve into the entertainment phenomenon that is known today. Video Games, formerly looked upon as a juvenile entertainment platform, are now breaking into the market space as a formidable industry. As such, video games have accumulated a long history of consoles and devices, from the first handheld device to the very first hands-off controller. Despite the industries rapid progress and ever changing technology, many amongst the gaming community revere the gaming culture of the 20th century. This “retro revolution” has led to the adoption of gaming trends found only within the industry’s prenatal years. As such, a glance through the looking glass of gaming’s history may reveal the future path this industry may take.
The Origins of Video Games
When computers were first introduced access to these technological wonders were limited at best, thus the introduction of computers for entertainment purposes were far off. Engineers, within the domain of programming, sought to make computers a more accessible medium and eventually introduce a computer into day-to-day office jobs. As such, these engineers conducted multiple-experiments that have created what we refer to today as artificial intelligence or as reffered to in this article as AI (mind you the AI we currently refer to is not at the scale of modern installments such as Siri). As a proof of concept, the engineers arranged a public display of the AI’s true capabilities in the form of a video game. Bertie the Brain, built by Josef Kates for the 1950 Canadian National Exhibition, was an artificial intelligence computer program that was built to be able to process, calculate, and play a game of tic-tac-toe (Bateman, 2019). The display used was a 13-foot (four-meter) computer display with an LED light screen and a simple lit keypad displaying the playing board as a controller (Bateman, 2019). The game itself had an adjustable difficulty level in which you were matched against the computer. There was no multiplayer mode at the time and so the display was to be used by one viewer at a time.
As the display for Bertie the Brain was all custom made, mass production and commercialization of such a bulky and complex machinery was not very appealing. Bertie the Brain was disassembled shortly after its first exhibition and was never heard of again (Bateman, 2019). Although the machine failed to create an impact in the industry, its showcasing did propel others into creating similar showcases. The first of many was a game created solely for entertainment, as opposed to showcasing the power of new technology or in the aiding of research. This machine was called Tennis for Tennis for Two, designed solely as an entertainment device by William Higginbotham and Robert Dvorak, this game allowed for viewers to play a game of Tennis using a simple knob to switch position on screen and a button to deploy the ball. Tennis for Two was deployed onto an analog computer with its graphics displayed on an oscilloscope monitor, the graphics display a single vertical line which represented the net and a circular pixel representing the ball as seen in the picture below. Tennis for Two was put on public display at the Brookhaven’s annual series of open houses, and in a similar fashion to Bertie the Brain, it was dismantled after its first exhibition and was never adapted into a commercial product as the technology was impractical to be mass-produced at the time.
Tennis for Two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2E9iSQfGdg
The Commercialization of Video Games
After a breakthrough in the computer world, where computers incorporated the use of transistors and was able to process commands in real-time, computer size and costs were significantly reduced. While not ready to be publicly commercialized, computers were now open for a more experimental audience, college students. Through the contribution of Lincoln Labs to MIT university, MIT students were encouraged to utilize the now available facilities to explore and conduct personal research. This inspired a community of students, of which most notably created the first relatively widespread and influential computer game of the century, “Spacewar!” (People Get Ready, 2014).
Spacewar was operated on mainframe computers which allowed for a multiplayer control system. The game featured a duel between two spaceships in which each ship was operated by a player. Through word of mouth Spacewar was eventually seen outside of MIT lab facilities and was now displayed in different local university laboratories. laboratories. Spacewar in that manner had achieved what Bertie the Brain and Tennis for Two could not, wider accessibility and displays outside of its original production setting.
With that being said Spacewar was still not accessible to the public as it was only available to university students with access to computer labs. Luckily Spacewar caught the attention of one young engineering graduate whose experience with coin-operated machinery allowed him to see the potential commercial value of Spacewar outside the lab facilities.
In 1969, Nolan Bushnell visited SAIL an exhibition which showcased Spacewar. After his brief encounter with the game, Nolan Bushnell with the help of Ted Dabney set out to build the first commercial video game. The video game that Nolan Bushnell created was a variant of Spacewar which was released under the name Computer Space. It was operated by a single player spaceship which now dueled two hardware operated flying saucers, unlike its predecessor. Released in 1971 Computer Space, although phenomenal in idea, was not very well received and failed to compete with other coin-operated games in the marketplace, such as pinball and air hockey.
Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney did not give up on the idea of commercializing video games and in 1972 they formed a partnership under the name Atari. After enlisting the help of a third talent, Atari was ready to start producing games. Allan Alcorn, the third talent, was given a task of creating a variant game of tennis as a warm-up project. The Atari team found the game very entertaining and eventually decided to enter the coin-operated market again with Atari’s first official video game being “Pong” (Isaac, 2014). Pong was a table tennis game displayed on a cabinet with an attached ball and paddle controller. The player-controlled a square on the screen, that represented the paddle, and was moved around to bounce a dynamic pixel, which represented the ball, across a line that divided the screen, which represented a net, with the objective and rules being the same as a table-tennis match. Pong was used as a player vs hardware system and was later adapted into a multiplayer option. By far not the most original of games but the most entertaining as deemed by the public, Pong ignited a craze for ball and paddle operated video games within the coin-operated industry. Pong had finally achieved the long-awaited dream of commercializing video games and with its success Pong laid the foundations of the arcade gaming system and the spread of coin-operated video games in 1973.
The Advent of Arcade Games
Pong’s wild success in the coin-operated market ushered in the age of the video game arcade. Atari went on to create a wide range of arcade games and became a viable business overnight. Video games at the time were operated on a bulky, massive stand up display. Said display operated via a cathode ray tube screen to display the graphic interface, and used a ball and paddle controller system. This inspired the development of the arcade cabinet video game industry, which led to the founding of companies such as Namco, Stern Electronics, Williams Electronics, Taito and finally Nintendo. The industry was no longer a monopoly headed by Atari, and with the introduction of new competition the industry flourished. The industry’s success stretched on from 1978 to 1982 bringing landmark games such as Space Invaders, Asteroids, Galaxian, Berzerk, Donkey Kong, Centipede, and Pac-Man.
“By the end of 1974, there were more than fifteen companies actively producing video game cabinets, and technological innovations followed quickly, ushering in what became known as the “golden age” of the arcade” (Rogers & Larsen, 1984).
In 1982 the cover story of Time magazine discussed the growing income of the video game industry where the most popular machines were able to pull in $400 a week in quarters alone (Rogers & Larsen, 1984). Video game cabinets became a must-have item and could be found in grocery stores, drug stores, doctor’s offices, and even in school recreation centers.
Home Consoles: First Generation
After the massive success that arcade cabinets enjoyed in the coin market industry video game developers sought to create a bigger community. This came through the design of a more personal and family-oriented experience called home consoles.
The first home console to be created was inspired by a failed prototype called the Magnavox Odyssey. The home consoles were first devised to replace the bulky and costly manufacturing of the arcade cabinets. The Home console experience was designed in a way that was convenient to set-up without the help of technicians and engineers. Simply plug the console into a home television set and enjoy an arcade experience from the comforts of your home. In 1974 Atari created its first generation of home consoles released as Home Pong, a variant on their staple game Pong. The home consoles easy set-up and convenient hardware size gained a mass following from the video game industry with other ventures quickly picking up the craft such as with the Odyssey 100, Odyssey 200 and Telstar. The home consoles enjoyed a good reception from the public and was very popular in the holiday season. The console itself is preprogrammed with to play a single game and the controller was hardwired into the console itself.
Third-Party Game Developers.
Eventually single video game consoles became outdated; thus, a new era of multi-game processing consoles began. The demand on games became so frequent and wide that game developers opened a business out of creating playable content for consoles. Four Atari game designers felt their work was under-appreciated. Hence, they decided to dissolve their contract and went on to create their own company. This company centered around creating video game cartridges instead of entire game consoles. These four employees formed the first-ever third-party game development studio and their partnership came to be known as Activision. Activision created games such as Kaboom! River Raid, and Pitfall which laid the foundation for side-scroller platforming genre. Atari benefitted from this by releasing the Atari 2600 with its main selling point being its ability to run third-party games.
Handheld LCD Games
Seeking to appeal to an even wider audience the video game industry sought to be a more companionable experience with its release of handheld games. Microvision, the first handheld game, was created using interchangeable cartridges with its purpose being to create a mobile gaming system. This transformation from static and heavy game consoles to an on the go experience revolutionized the gaming industry. In 1980 Nintendo released its own line of Handheld electronic games called the Game & Watch line. The Game & Watch line got its name through the fact that its LCD screens allowed for the system to be powered using watch batteries as opposed to LED and VFD games. Although this Game & Watch series did not give arcade level of graphics it still fostered some fan-favorites such as Tetris and Space War.
PC Gaming
Computing power on the rise and processor costs on the low the computer game age arrived with no less glamour than was to be expected. The computers added features were a welcomed addition to the video game industry. Featuring the usage of 3D graphics, sound cards, and CD ROMs, the games had now upgraded into more immersive and realistic experiences. It was during this time that the game publishing process saw a breakthrough. The shareware distribution method was used to publish games from smaller companies. These games were free of charge and urged consumers to further distribute the free game around. This initial free of charge software would contain a trial game or the first chapter of a long-winded game. Based on the experience the game offered, players were able to decide whether or not to buy the complete game. This method of publishing is called game demo and is still used to this day.
Brain-Computer Interface: Plug-into your mind
Technology has advanced rapidly in the past decade, and as we move further into the future we must accept that sometimes technological advancements can take place inside of the human body. The first of these advancements were made through the technological breakthrough of prosthetic arms, to pacemakers, and now color-blindness correction, these technological advancements may have been seen as appalling in the past but are now accepted; the same can be said about the current direction of the video game industry. Scientists are currently conducting studies on how to augment the video game experience from virtual gaming to alternate reality experiences. The research is being conducted through observations made on test-subjects playing two-dimensional computer games while only relying on their brain stimuli to navigate the game. This brain stimulation is done through a none invasive magnetic coil placed near the participant’s skull which then stimulates the brain non-invasively into commanding a player on screen. This technology has been the source of much controversy among the gaming community and is being hailed as both unnecessary and dangerous. Despite the many complaints and issues raised on the subject, this technology exists and whether it will be embraced by the gaming community or entirely abandoned is a matter for the future generation to decide.
Quantum Computer Games
A renowned advancement in the quantum physics realm showcased the first Quantum Computer. This revolutionary computer system runs on electrons instead of bits creating higher-definition graphics, smoother software access, and faster processing rate. In the world of gaming, gaining access to a Quantum computer is a stretch. Used purely for research and scientific studies, quantum computers are a long way off from the entertainment industry. This in a way mimics the early stage of the video game industry when computer access was just as impossible for the entertainment industry, but unlike the past computer age, the video game industry is no longer a mere fictional idea. Engineers have indeed thought of the turning of Quantum computers into game running engines. Adaptations of past arcade games such as Pacman and Pong have been tested on Quantum computers successfully. The overall response of gamers to this technology has been positive and many anticipate the release of the Quantum computer as a gaming medium.
Experiment
I conducted interviews with gamers from wide age ranges and occupations and asked them questions to gauge their understanding and reaction of the video games past, present, and future. The interview questions were as listed below:
What are retro games?
Do you feel retro games are making a come-back?
What is the most popular/ influential game?
Where do you see games in a couple of years?
What do you think about video game controversy? Induced violence? Organized crime?
What do you think of the emerging non-invasive computer system being used for the video game industry?
What do you think of the usage of quantum computers in the video game industry?
References
Bateman, C., & Bateman, C. (2019). Meet Bertie the Brain, the world’s first arcade game, built-in Toronto — Spacing Toronto. Retrieved 5 December 2019, from http://spacing.ca/toronto/2014/08/13/meet-bertie-brain-worlds-first-arcade-game-built-toronto/
For Amusement Only: the life and death of the American arcade. (2019). Retrieved 5 December 2019, from https://www.theverge.com/2013/1/16/3740422/the-life-and-death-of-the-american-arcade-for-amusement-only
Isaacson, W. (2014). The Entrepreneurial Genius of Pong. Retrieved 5 December 2019, from https://slate.com/technology/2014/10/the-invention-of-pong-how-nolan-bushnell-launched-the-video-game-industry.html
People Get Ready, There’s a Train A-Coming. (2014). Retrieved 5 December 2019, from https://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com/2014/07/10/people-get-ready-theres-a-train-a-coming/
Rogers, E.M. & Larsen, J.K. (1984). Silicon Valley fever: Growth of the high-technology culture. (p. 263). New York: Basic Books.
Researchers Use Brain-Machine Interface to Create The Sixth Sense In Rats | Digital Trends. (2019). Retrieved 12 November 2019, from https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/brain-machine-interface-sixth-sense/
The History of Games for Quantum Computers. (2019). Retrieved 12 November 2019, from https://medium.com/@decodoku/the-history-of-games-for-quantum-computers-a1de98859b5a
There could soon be video games that plug directly into your brain. (2017). Retrieved 5 December 2019, from https://www.salon.com/2017/05/21/there-could-soon-be-video-games-that-plug-directly-into-your-brain_partner/
“Virtual Vitruvian Man Poster Concept” by Zach Phillips is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
