Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
The Rise of Home Computers
At the same time as the console wars were heating up, PC games were
also turning a corner. Although they developed somewhat concurrently
with the console (debuting just between the 2600 and the NES), and
there were popular games (especially in the adventure genre) the
use of computers for gaming did not achieve signii cant momentum
until the 1990s when CD-ROM technology improved graphic quality
tremendously, and dedicated sound cards could improve the immersive
qualities of the gaming experience.
The Commodore 64 (1982)
A collection of early computers. Clockwise
from top: Commodore C64; Macintosh;
Atari 1040ST; and the innovative Amiga.
Of these computers, only the Mac and PC
survived.
The Commodore 64 was released to the public in August of 1982 with a
BASIC (Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) programming
environment. Its graphic and sound capabilities, advanced for the time,
were similar to those on the lesser known ColecoVision console.
Because the Commodore 64 used the same game-controller ports
popularized by the Atari 2600, gamers could use their old joysticks with
their new computers. The Commodore 64 became the most popular
home computer of its day in the United States and many other countries,
and it remains the top-selling single computer model of all time
internationally.
Apple Macintosh (1984)
The Apple Macintosh was the i rst (somewhat) inexpensive computer
featuring a graphical user interface (GUI), which ran on top of the
operating system. The Macintosh also featured the innovation of the
mouse as a device for input and navigation. Though comparatively
inexpensive, the machine remained out of reach of the pockets
of most of the public. It found popularity in schools, with creative
artists, and in desktop-publishing environments.
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Atari ST (1984)
The ST (short for sixteen and thirty-two) featured a GUI system called
GEM, and was popular with composers in its day, since it featured
a MIDI interface and later of ered 8-bit stereo-sound playback.
