The Video Game Years

[TrekMD]

While looking through YouTube, I found this series of videos that look at the Video Game Years.  This is a whole series that reviews stuff related to video games by year.  I'm going to post one video at at time (or a link to one, if they are not on YouTube) so we can discuss what they share.  Here is The Video Game Years - 1978 - Part 1!

[align=center:22pbkp59]The Video Game Years - 1978 Pt 1 - Space Invaders & Bally Astrocade[/align:22pbkp59]

[onthinice]

Space Invaders is definitely a classic.

I often wonder how much Star Wars, released in 1977, had to do with its success. Maybe nothing.

Mankind had been to the moon and outer space was starting to lose the allure of the late 1960's and early 1970's. There was nothing out there. Along comes Space Invaders, that allowed you to pretend aliens could attack and space seemed cool again. Amazing, that 35 years later, we are still talking about the impact Space Invaders had on gaming. That is pretty impressive.

Bally Astrocade part was interesting. I never knew much about the machine. So it was a good learning experience.

[TrekMD]

Yes, these videos are pretty interesting and they do have a lot of information in them.  I'll keep adding them gradually.   

Space Invaders was definitely a game that really got me interested in video games.  I had played Pong before but the Space Invaders experience was so far beyond that, it got me hooked.  I have a vivid memory of the first time I ever cleared a full wave of aliens at the arcade machine (one of the tables you had to sit to play).  I was so happy about it that I forgot that another wave was coming and died almost instantly!  LOL

[TrekMD]

Here's Part 2 for 1978...

[align=center:37oj340x]The Video Game Years - 1978 Pt 2 - Odyssey 2 & Trackball[/align:37oj340x]

[onthinice]

Nice! Great Odyssey 2 talk.

Forgot about Atari Football. I remember playing it a few times.

[TrekMD]

Here is part 3 for 1978...

[align=center:1czlput3]The Video Game Years - 1978 Pt 3[/align:1czlput3]

[onthinice]

I miss this time period. Every Atari game was new and exciting, Hangman was even cool.

[TrekMD]

These videos for 1978 are really cool with the information they have.  Interesting to see Wozniak and Jobs work on Breakout but the overall  year was cool with the Odyssey 2, Bally Astrocade, and, of course, Space Invaders!  I admit that I knew nothing about the APF MP-1000 until I saw this video. 

Now that 1978 is over, let's move on to 1979 with part 1!

[align=center:2bdth3h1]The Video Game Years - 1979 Pt 1 - Atari Adventure & Vector Graphics[/align:2bdth3h1]

[onthinice]

I remember playing the Sears version of Adventure and thinking maybe it would be better then the Atari version. I was kid, what did I know about marketing the same game under another label. :16:

Vector graphics were and are still amazing to look at and play!

[TrekMD]

Adventure really started something remarkable in video games.  Not only because of the type of games that were made using Adventure as a model but because of its Easter Egg and how that led to the creation of Activision! 

Vector games were and still are remarkable.  We need a modern vector gaming console!!!

[onthinice]

It would be cool to have new vector console. Could they make one cheap enough? Would the demand be enough?

[TrekMD]

It would be cool to have new vector console. Could they make one cheap enough? Would the demand be enough?

I don't think demand would be an issue.  Vectors are so unique that a game system would appeal to many players.  The problem is the tech.  Vectors use cathode tubes and now with all the LCD screens you'd have to emulate that.  It is doable, of course.

[onthinice]

Sounds good to me. Would the Vectrex fans take to the idea of emulation on a dedicated machine?

[TrekMD]

Sounds good to me. Would the Vectrex fans take to the idea of emulation on a dedicated machine?

Well, I can tell you the vector games emulator I use on Windows works great on my computer, so a dedicated system might work.

[onthinice]

That would be so cool to have a dedicated system!