The desire to play is as old as the world. It is essential for children to prepare for life; for adults, it is a way to momentarily escape reality and have fun. In the 1970s, this desire found a new medium: video games.
The reign of Atari
Following the success of Pong, Magnavox, a subsidiary of Philips, decided to develop the project initiated by Ralph Baer and, in 1972, launched its consumer console Odyssey on the market.
The games were still designed on the principle of Pong and its predecessor.
Indeed, during the Christmas period, 100,000 units were sold. In the following years, more than 70 brands would market home consoles including Fairchild, National Semiconductor, RCA… Syzygy, which took the name Atari in 1973, entered the market and quickly established its dominance.
In 1976, two years after the invention of the Altair, the first personal computer, Atari, now owned by Warner Communications, released a second generation of consoles using interchangeable cartridges: the Atari Video Computer System 2600 (later renamed VCS 2600).
For two years, this platform faced no serious competitor in a market it dominated with games like Pitfall, Pole Position, Galaxian, or Breakout (first brick-breaking game, 1974), created by Steve Jobs, then an Atari employee and future co-founder of Apple.
Following the acquisition of Atari by Warner, Nolan Bushnell, who remained chairman of the board, wanted to project his company into the personal computer market. However, the Atari 800 failed to convince and was quickly abandoned.
In 1979, a group of developers, frustrated with Atari’s creative constraints, left to found Activision, the first independent video game publisher. This marked a turning point in the industry.
By 1982, there were over 40 hardware and software manufacturers in the US alone. But the explosion of mediocre titles and fierce competition were about to bring the American market to its knees.
1978: the saving arrival of the Japanese on the game publishing market
Three games would revitalize the sector. First, Space Invaders (1978) by Japanese company Taito, available on arcade cabinets then adapted for the VCS 2600 console. The player pilots a spaceship moving horizontally. They must eliminate rows of Martian ships while protecting themselves behind shelters that gradually disintegrate.
Space Invaders inspired Atari, which launched Asteroids, selling over 70,000 units in arcades, then Missile Command. In turn, Williams, one of three pinball manufacturers, offered Defender.
In 1980, Mattel, an American toy manufacturer, launched a product of a new kind, the Intellivision. This console contained video games, some of which would become hits (US Ski Team Skiing, Frog Bog, or Triple Action), but could also be transformed into a personal computer thanks to a keyboard adapter.
After the success orchestrated by Taito, another Japanese firm made a dramatic entry into the video game market: Namco, which offered its title Pac-Man, named man of the year in 1981 by Times magazine. The game was distributed by Bally in the United States.
It would later be released in a female variant, Ms. Pac-Man, to appeal to female audiences, which was unprecedented at the time.
Here is a summary of the key games from this iconic period:
Space Invaders (1978) – Taito
- Genre: Shoot Them Up
- Gameplay: the player controls a cannon at the bottom of the screen that must destroy as many aliens as possible
- Innovations/awards: “Best arcade game” (Guinness World Records), “game of the century” by GameSpot
Centipede (1980) – Atari
- Genre: Shoot Them Up
- Gameplay: the player controls a sort of “gnome” at the bottom of the screen who shoots at a centipede descending in zigzag
- Innovations/awards: one of the first games to be competitively played. Its adaptation on Atari 2600 sold over 2 million copies
Pac-Man (1980) – Namco
- Genre: Maze
- Gameplay: the player controls a yellow spherical character who must eat all the dots in a maze to complete a level while avoiding ghosts
- Innovations/awards: first maze game and inspiration for many later developers
The graphics and storyline of these video games were basic. They were typically composed of several levels, throughout which the game became increasingly difficult, and point systems aimed at increasing replayability.
There you go, now you can shine at parties…
Continue the series
Previous article: The history of video games: 1948–1972, the beginnings of a new genre
Next article: The history of video games: the 1980s
0 Comments