Any good historian will tell you that we didn't get where we are today without stuff happening before this point.
That's how history and that works - stuff happens leading to some other stuff happening, and so on and so forth, ad infinitum. But what sort of stuff happened to lead to the gaming stuff that is happening today?
Here, Digitiser2000 presents a timeline of the 10 most important events in the history of the video gaming.
That's how history and that works - stuff happens leading to some other stuff happening, and so on and so forth, ad infinitum. But what sort of stuff happened to lead to the gaming stuff that is happening today?
Here, Digitiser2000 presents a timeline of the 10 most important events in the history of the video gaming.
10. THE EYE (1972)
Though not technically a game, Nolan Bushnell's 'The Eye' is generally considered to be the first real example of commercial interactive video entertainment. You couldn't enter a bar or nightclub in the early 70s without seeing one of these imposing machines, which stood nearly 8ft tall.
It resembled a large, papier-mâché eye atop a slowly revolving, greased dais. Users would slide a coin into a throbbing aperture in order to set the eye blinking. Gradually, the blinking would increase in speed, accompanied by a low, undulating bass note, before eventually closing, alongside a barely audible, groaned refrain of "I FORGIVE YOU... I DON'T FORGIVE YOU...".
A huge hit, fans of The Eye would hold ceremonies, and write songs in its honour. The machine was eventually pulled from the market when some forty lewd dancers poisoned themselves at a foam disco as an offering to The Eye.
It resembled a large, papier-mâché eye atop a slowly revolving, greased dais. Users would slide a coin into a throbbing aperture in order to set the eye blinking. Gradually, the blinking would increase in speed, accompanied by a low, undulating bass note, before eventually closing, alongside a barely audible, groaned refrain of "I FORGIVE YOU... I DON'T FORGIVE YOU...".
A huge hit, fans of The Eye would hold ceremonies, and write songs in its honour. The machine was eventually pulled from the market when some forty lewd dancers poisoned themselves at a foam disco as an offering to The Eye.
9. PONG (1977)
Contrary to popular opinion, Pong did not get its name from being inspired by ping pong, but because the original intention was to include a custom "scent-circuit" in the body of the machine, which was designed to pump out pleasant smells as a reward for high scores. Scents were to have included the following: Warm Semi-Broth, Ataignian the Friendly Brown Dog, A Royal Hand, and Summer Lime Cordial Disaster.
Sadly, Pong creator Allan Alcorn may have been over-reaching, as machines were recalled following widespread reports that scent circuits were malfunctioning, pumping out a foul-smelling ooze, which - when tested - was found to be comprised of mostly old beef mucus, sullied bog slush and rat hair.
Pong was later reissued without the scent circuit, and Allan Alcorn was last seen weeping on a trolley.
Sadly, Pong creator Allan Alcorn may have been over-reaching, as machines were recalled following widespread reports that scent circuits were malfunctioning, pumping out a foul-smelling ooze, which - when tested - was found to be comprised of mostly old beef mucus, sullied bog slush and rat hair.
Pong was later reissued without the scent circuit, and Allan Alcorn was last seen weeping on a trolley.
8.THE FALL OF ATARI (1982)
Atari's home video game business collapsed following the disastrous decision to release a game based upon the Ingmar Bergman movie Fanny and Alexander. Five trillion copies of the game, which loosely followed the plot of 1982 Swedish drama, had to be dumped into a bottomless abyss after Atari dramatically over-estimated the film's popularity.
Many consider Fanny and Alexander to be the worst video game of all time - a consequence, perhaps, of the fact the game was famously thrown together in an hour - but in reality it wasn't too bad, and provided some solid gameplay, as the players controlled the children of the Ekdahl family, as they attempted to cope with life alongside their mother's new husband, the stern bishop Edvard Vergérus.
Many consider Fanny and Alexander to be the worst video game of all time - a consequence, perhaps, of the fact the game was famously thrown together in an hour - but in reality it wasn't too bad, and provided some solid gameplay, as the players controlled the children of the Ekdahl family, as they attempted to cope with life alongside their mother's new husband, the stern bishop Edvard Vergérus.
7. FIRST APPEARANCE OF BRONK (1986)
Bronk - or, at least, his legacy - is familiar to any modern gamer. As we are all aware, when the credits roll on today's video games, Bronk's Anthem plays. There can be few of us who haven't stood to attention and given the traditional two-fisted "Bronk Salute".
However, the first semi-appearance of the mysterious Bronk was in a hidden section of Nintendo's Super Mario Brothers. If players entered a concealed warp pipe on level 4-2, they were transported to a surreal grey void known as 'Bronk's Chamber', and the words "COLLECT BRONK'S GUANO" would flash repeatedly on the screen for 10-12 seconds, before the game rebooted abruptly.
However, the first semi-appearance of the mysterious Bronk was in a hidden section of Nintendo's Super Mario Brothers. If players entered a concealed warp pipe on level 4-2, they were transported to a surreal grey void known as 'Bronk's Chamber', and the words "COLLECT BRONK'S GUANO" would flash repeatedly on the screen for 10-12 seconds, before the game rebooted abruptly.
6. FIRST UNRINE-POWERED CONSOLE (1992)
Nowadays it's commonplace for games consoles to be powered by topping them up with your own urine - but it wasn't until the Sega Urine was released that people even considered urine as an option for powering a console.
Unfortunately, the Urine was a power-intensive system, and required a near-constant stream of urine to work. Players would typically take it in shifts to alternate between playing games, and powering the system. It may have broken new ground in console gaming, but it was years ahead of its time.
Unfortunately, the Urine was a power-intensive system, and required a near-constant stream of urine to work. Players would typically take it in shifts to alternate between playing games, and powering the system. It may have broken new ground in console gaming, but it was years ahead of its time.
5. SECOND URINE-POWERED CONSOLE (1993)
Undeterred by the failure of its first urine-powered console, Sega's released its second urine-powered console barely a year later. Attempting to overcome the power-intensive limitations of the original, Sega's second pee-machine include an attachment for those who wished to power their console using their own faeces. Unfortunately, only a handful of users seemed willing to defecate into a pipe in their living rooms in order to power a games machine, and the system was an even bigger flop than the first, and saw the end of segsa.
4. GAMERGATE 1 (1995)
We're all too aware that we are currently in the throes of Gamergate 2. But if anything - Gamergate 1 was even worse. It was a bitter conflict between what were then known as hardcore and casual gamers, the former fighting for their right to play games 24 hours a day, the latter insistent upon their right to play games occasionally, in a casual manner. The battle was eventually concluded with the signing of the First Gamergate Peace Accord. Sadly, that peace lasted barely 20 years.
3. THE DEATH OF SONIC THE HEDGEHOG (1996)
Everyone remembers where they were when the news broke that Sonic the Hedgehog had been involved in a head-on collision with a wall, while fleeing debtors. When it was finally confirmed that he had died in the accident, there was an unprecedented outpouring of grief across the world.
Thousands of flowers were laid at the scene of the accident, and Sonic's funeral was attended by dignitaries and famous attention-seekers, while Hall and Oates perfumed a moving ballad in tribute to the Mammal of Hearts.
Thousands of flowers were laid at the scene of the accident, and Sonic's funeral was attended by dignitaries and famous attention-seekers, while Hall and Oates perfumed a moving ballad in tribute to the Mammal of Hearts.
2. DRANSIBLYS
Who can forget when Dransiblys happened? It might just be the single most iconic image in gaming history.
1. THE END OF GAMING (2013)
Sadly, video gaming ended two years ago, and hasn't happened since. Will it ever return? It seems unlikely following the abrupt and unexplained death of everyone who was ever involved in the games industry - and four Spaniards.
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