Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
The phenomenon of arcade and video games blasted into a worldwide frenzy
shortly thereafter, with coin-operated boxes showing up in arcades (environ-
ments built just for those games along with pinball, ball toss, and so on) as well
as convenience stores, hotel lobbies, restaurants, bowling alleys, shopping malls,
theatres, laundromats, and airports. Early types of arcade games, where the
player deposited money to play, were pinball games (dating back to the 1930s),
batting or hoop-toss games, and shooting galleries.
Prior to the arcade video games, Sega created the first electromechanical
game, called
Periscope.
The game had pieces of plastic used to simulate waves,
and the player aimed a light gun at approaching submarines in an attempt to
sink them. The game cost 25 cents to play and set the standard for that pricing.
Arcade games for years after priced most of their gameplay at that amount.
One of the earliest arcade games,
Pong,
was created by Nolan Bushnell and
based on the 1958 game
Tennis for Two
. This arcade game debuted in arcades in
1972; however, it grew in popularity when a home version was released by Atari
during the Christmas season in 1975. (Atari was founded by Nolan Bushnell
and Ted Dabney.) This simple game came preloaded into a console that could be
hooked up to a television set; players rotated a dial on the console, which moved
a paddle back and forth on the TV screen, to hit the ball back and forth.
The game was extremely simple and became boring fairly quickly, but it was one
of the first interactive games that two players could play at home.
Pong
's success
led the way to further development with home gaming systems and games.
Game Boy and more
The Mattel Corporation released the first handheld, portable electronic device
in 1977, called
Auto Race.
A handheld device has speakers, display monitor, and
game-control elements combined into one unit. This unique new gaming system
allowed more gamers to explore and play games and prompted more interest in
developing newer and faster gaming systems.
Nintendo further advanced handheld systems with its highly popular Game Boy,
which was released in 1989. Game Boy remains highly popular even today with
newer hybrids like the Nintendo DS, DSi, and Nintendo 3DS models.
Following the release and popularity of the Odyssey and Atari, home systems
also have grown. Now they allow hugely interactive games that are fast paced,
run in real time, and support massive graphics and lengthy gameplay in the
privacy of players' homes. Some of these systems include Sony PlayStation,
Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, Wii, and the XaviXPORT.
