Top 10 Video Game Firsts
08. First Online Game
If you were thinking this would end up being an RPG, or even a text-based title, well, no, not really... What it was in fact was more of a proof-in-concept creation that just happened to be a video game (though not a deep one by any means) for the new IBM Personal Computer...
Released in 1983 for modem play, the game was called 'Snipes' and was created by Utah-based SuperSet Software as a text-based title that could be played by multiple players on IBM PC's.
Credited as the original inspiration for the much better known title 'Netwars' Snipes was a pseudo-graphic text-controlled game that featureed a “creature” (played by the players) whose goal was to move around the game play screen destroying Snipes (imaginary thingies) and their nests.
The most fascinating fact about this game is that it was not created for play via the PC as host -- rather it was created to be played from the network drive of the host mini-frame that the PC users were dialing into -- hence its ability to have multiple players outside of the peer-to-peer system used by other games and thus making it a true multi-player game.It was not long after the creation of Snipes that similar text-graphics-fusion adventure game play exploded on hosted systems with structures that were similar to the older and more popular MUD environments, which offered persistent reality game play in the sense that players kept the objects and wealth that they collected or won from session to session.
Still if you want to know which one was officially the first, it would be Snipes!
Whats the first animated cut scene? Find out on the next page...
I was thrown off by the "First 3D shooter question, as it isn't necessarily accurate.
For one thing, it associates 3D to equate to FPS, which is incorrect. Considering the number of vector-based or even sprite-based flight games that started in the 80s, many of these had a step up on Wolfenstein as far as 3D engines go. I mean, Red Baron's vector graphics presented a much more real 3D "shooter" than Wolfenstein.
Secondly, if you ARE simply talking FPSes, while Wolfenstein 3D is the first widely honored game, the same engine was used for the older Catacombs 3D, featuring largely identical mechanics, minus the commercial success and recognize-ability.
Given your attention to detail in so much else on this article, this seems a rather strange area to veer away from the otherwise well-researched path.
turns out you can do good and still turn out evil. Just saying.
that descibes ea and activision