Replay: The History of Video Games (80 page)

BOOK: Replay: The History of Video Games
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TX-0

Manufacturer: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Year released: 1955

Origin: USA

Type: Minicomputer

Experimental computer built at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory.

TurboGrafx-16

See PC Engine

TurboGrafx-CD

See PC Engine

U

UFO A500 II

Manufacturer: Selection

Year released: Unknown (late 1980s or early 1990s)

Origin: China

Type: Home console

Clone of Nintendo’s Famicom. This and other clones were widespread in mainland Asia and Russia at the time as official home consoles were either unavailable or too expensive for most people to buy.

Unix

Manufacturer: n/a

Year released: 1969

Origin: USA

Type: Operating system

A widely used operating system. Forms the basis of the Macintosh’s MacOS and Linux.

V

VAX-11/780

Manufacturer: Digital Equipment Corporation

Year released: 1977

Origin: USA

Type: Minicomputer

Could emulate the PDP-11.

Vectrex

Manufacturers: General Consumer Electric, Milton Bradley and Bandai

Year released: 1982

Origin: USA

Type: Home console

Vector graphics console. Created by Smith Engineering but manufactured by General Consumer Electric and later Milton Bradley. Bandai released it in Japan.

VIC-20

Manufacturer: Commodore International

Year released: 1980

Origin: USA

Type: Personal computer

Commodore’s first attempt to create a mass-market home computer.

Video Pinball

Manufacturer: Atari

Year released: 1977

Origin: USA

Type: Home console

Included a version of Atari’s coin-op hit Breakout.

Videomaster Home T.V.

Manufacturer: The Sales Team

Year released: 1974

Origin: UK

Type: Home console

Another of the European-made analogue circuit Pong consoles that were based on the Magnavox Odyssey and predated Atari’s home Pong game.

Videopac G7000

Magnavox Odyssey
2

Video Sport MK2

Manufacturer: Henry’s

Year released: 1974

Origin: UK

Type: Home console

Henry’s were a British hi-fi and TV retailer. The console used circuits similar to those in the Magnavox Odyssey. Wood casing look.

W

Wii

Manufacturer: Nintendo

Year released: 2006

Origin: Japan

Type: Home console

Its motion-based Wiimote controllers gave it broad appeal. Also runs Gamecube games. By the start of 2010 more than 60 million had been sold worldwide.

X

Xbox

Manufacturer: Microsoft

Year released: 2001

Origin: USA

Type: Home console

The first American-made games console to sell in large quantities since the Atari VCS 2600 and the first console to include a hard drive.

Xbox 360

Manufacturer: Microsoft

Year released: 2005

Origin: USA

Type: Home console

Microsoft’s second games console. Placed a strong emphasis on its online multiplayer games service Xbox Live.

Z

ZX80

Manufacturer: Science of Cambridge

Year released: 1980

Origin: UK

Type: Personal computer

Clive Sinclair’s super-cheap home computer. Inspired Commodore’s VIC-20.

ZX81

Manufacturer: Sinclair Research

Year released: 1981

Origin: UK

Type: Personal computer

Released in North America as the Timex Sinclair 1000.

ZX Spectrum 

Manufacturer: Sinclair Research

Year released: 1982

Origin: UK

Type: Personal computer

The UK’s leading home computer during the mid-1980s. Also became a popula
r computer format in Eastern Europe and Russia during the 1990s thanks to low-cost versions of the computer that ran TR-DOS, an operating system for the Spectrum first developed by the British company Technology Research in 1985.

References

1. Hey! Let’s Play Games!

Allan, Roy A. (2001)
History of the Personal Computer: The People and the Technology
. London, Ontario, Canada: Allan Publishing

A history of early computers

Baer, Ralph H. (2005)
Videogames: In the Beginning
. Springfield, New Jersey: Rolenta Press

Ralph Baer’s meticulously detailed account of the creation of the Brown Box

Bennett, J.M. (1994) ‘Autobiographical snippets’. In: Bennett, J.M. et al (1994)
Computing in Australia – The Development of a Profession
. Sydney, Australia: Hale and Iremonger. p55 – as cited at
www.goodeveca.net/nimrod/bennett.html
[Last accessed: 2 March 2010]

The reaction to and creation of the Nimrod

Bernstein, Alex and de V. Roberts, Michael (1958) ‘Computer v. chess-player’.
Scientific American
, June 1958

Article on the value of computer chess research and figure on the time it would take a computer to calculate all possible chess moves

Computer History Museum (no date)
Mastering the Game: A History of Computer Chess
. [Online]
www.computerhistory.org/chess
[Last accessed: 27 February 2010]

The history of computer chess

Crowley, David and Pavitt, Jane (editors) (2008)
Cold War Modern: Design 1945-1970
. London, UK: V&A Publishing

Background on Cold War, 2001: A Space Odyssey and early computers

Ferguson, Niall (2006)
The War of the World: History’s Age of Hatred
. London, UK: Allen Lane

Second World War and Cold War history

Gaddis, John Lewis (2005)
The Cold War
. 2007 editioLondon, UK: Penguin Books

Cold War history

Goldsmith Jr., Thomas T. and Mann, Estle Ray (1948) Cathode-Ray Tube Amusement Device. [Patent] US Patent No. 2,455,992

Details of the Cathode-Ray Tube Amusement Device

Jansen, Marius B. (2000)
The Making of Modern Japan
. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press, Harvard University Press

Japan’s surrender in the Second World War

Kotok, Alan (1962) ‘A Chess playing program for the IBM 7090 computer’. BSc paper, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Background on Alan Kotok’s computer work

Levy, Steven (1984)
Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution
. 2001 edition. London, UK: Penguin Books

Spacewar’s creation

Plant, Sadie (1997)
Zeros + Ones
. 1998 paperback edition. London, UK: Fourth Estate

Feminist re-examination of computer history with background on Alan Turing and early computing

Podfather
(2009) [TV broadcast] London: BBC Four. 12 October 2009. GMT: 21.00

History of the development of integrated circuits

Polkinghorn, Frank (1973)
Thomas Goldsmith, Electrical Engineer, an Oral History
. New Brunswick, New Jersey: IEEE History Center [Online]
www.ieee.org/portal/cms_docs_iportals/iportals/aboutus/history_center/oral_history/pdfs/Goldsmith008.pdf
[Last accessed: 14 September 2008]

Background on Thomas Goldsmith’s work

Shannon, Claude E. (1950) ‘Programming a computer for playing chess’.
Philosophical Magazine
, 41 (7), No. 314, March 1950

Explains why computer chess is useful for research

‘The Making of Spacewar!’ (2003)
Edge Presents Retro: ‘The Making of Special
. Bath, UK: Future Publishing. pp6-9

Spacewar!’s creation and source of quotes from Steve Russell and Martin Graetz, used with the kind permission of Future Publishing

2. Avoid Missing Ball For High Score

Arcade History (no date) [Online]
www.arcade-history.com
[Last accessed: 2 March 2010]

Information on coin-operated games

Atomic Planet Entertainment (2005)
Taito Legends
[PlayStation 2] Empire Interactive

Information on Taito’s early years

Baer, Ralph H. (2005)
Videogames: In the Beginning
. Springfield, New Jersey: Rolenta Press

Detailed information on the launch of the Odyssey and the creation of Pong

Barth, Linda (2004) ‘Pinball: It took most of a century to evolve, and its best days may be past’.
American Heritage
. 20 April 2004. [Online]
www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/it/2004/4/2004_4_20.shtml
[Last accessed: 2 April 2010]

Details about New York City’s pinball ban

Brand, Stewart (1972) ‘Spacewar: Fanatic life and symbolic death among the computer bums’.
Rolling Stone
. 7 December 1972. [Online]
www.wheels.org/spacewar/stone/rolling_stone.html
[Last accessed: 2 March 2010]

Spacewar and early computer game culture

Bushnell, Nolan K. (1972)
Computer Space Instructions
. Mountain View, California: Nutting Associates Inc.

How Computer Space was presented to arcade operators

Digital Eclipse (2004)
Atari Anthology
[PlayStation 2] Atari Interactive

Interview with Nolan Bushnell

Kent, Steven L. (2001)
The Ultimate History of Video Games
. New York, New York: Three Rivers Press

History of Atari, Pong and New York City’s pinball ban

‘Oldies but Goodies: Celebrate Atari’s 6th Birthday’ (1978)
St. Pong
, Volume 4, July/August 1978. Sunnyvale, California: Atari Inc.

Details of when staff joined Atari Inc.

Penner, Jeremy (2005) ‘Important failures in videogame history’.
The Gamer’s Quarter
. Issue 2, 3rd quarter 2005. St Louis, Missouri: The Gamer’s Quarter. pp56-57

Timings of Galaxy Game and Computer Space releases

Range, Peter Ross (1974) ‘Space age pinball machines’.
The Ledger
, Lakeland, Florida. Sunday 15 September 1974. Section D, p7

Overview of the video game’s impact on the arcade industry and the Odyssey

Russell, Bruce (1976) ‘Penny arcade games – It’s a multi-million dollar world’.
Daily News
, Kingsport, Tennessee. Wednesday 13 October 1976. p8

How video games changed attitudes to arcades

‘The untold Atari story’ (2009)
Edge
, Issue 200, April 2009, pp94-99

Interview with Ted Dabney, co-founder of Atari

3. A Good Home Recreation Thing

Albright Jr., Ronald G. (1985)
The Orphan Chronicles
. San Dimas, California: Millers Graphics

Texas Instruments’ involvement in the microprocessor business

Amis, Martin (1982)
Invasion of the Space Invaders
. London, UK: Hutchinson & Co.

Still uses term TV Games

Arcade History (no date) [Online]
www.arcade-history.com
[Last accessed: 2 March 2010]

Information on coin-operated games

‘Atari Corporation’ (2004)
International Directory of Company Histories
, Volume 66. Farmington Hills, Michigan: St James Press. [Online]
www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Atari-Corporation-Company-History.html
[Last accessed: 2 March 2010]

History of Atari Inc.

Atomic Planet Entertainment (2005)
Taito Legends
[PlayStation 2] Empire Interactive

Information on Taito’s early years

‘Computer game tycoon runs up score of profits’ (1978)
The Spokesman Review
. Spokane, Washington. Thursday 25 May 1978. p44

Interview with Nolan Bushnell

DeMaria, Rusel and Wilson, Johnny L. (2002)
High Score! The Illustrated History of Electronic Games
. Berkeley, California: McGraw-Hill/Osborne. p17

Atari Inc’s manifesto

Digital Eclipse (2004)
Atari Anthology
[PlayStation 2] Atari Interactive

Interview with Nolan Bushnell

Kent, Steven L. (2001)
The Ultimate History of Video Games
. New York, New York: Three Rivers Press

History of Atari

‘King Pong explains home-game craze’ (1978)
Wilmington Morning Star
. Wilmington, North Carolina. Monday 24 April 1978. p4-D.

Interview with Nolan Bushnell

Lewis, Jesse (1977) ‘Americans play space age games’.
Ocala Star-Banner
. Ocala, Florida. Thursday 28 April 1977. p8A

The impact of video games on the arcades

Old Computers (no date) [Online]
http://old-computers.com
[Last accessed: 2 March 2010]

Information on 1970s consoles

Provenzo Jr, Eugene (1991)
Video Kids: Making Sense of Nintendo
. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p48

The significance of video games in changing people’s relationship with TV

‘The untold Atari story’ (2009)
Edge
, Issue 200, April 2009, pp94-99

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