Top 10 Video Game Firsts
How much you know about the history of gaming has a lot more to do with how long you have been gaming than anything else -- not that we are saying that being a younger gamer is a bad thing mind you... In fact being a gamer at all is a good thing -- young or old -- but being a gamer with a sense of gaming history? Well that's rather elite innit?
With that in mind we thought now was a good time to help you expand your gaming horizon by sharing with you this first in our new gaming history-themed articles: The Top 10 Video Game Firsts. We've separated each listing onto it's own page so you can have a go at guessing the answer you think will be the particular first for each one. Good luck - If you can get six correct out of these ten without cheating we reckon you've done a pretty good job!
10. First Home Video Game Console
If you are a fan of gaming history you probably think you know the answer to this one -- Pong, right? Bzzzt! Wrong!The first video game console for home use was not Pong -- though we will admit that Pong was the first successful game system (not really a console though since it only played one game) -- it was not the first game console as that honor goes to Magnavox's Odyssey.
The Odyssey, released commercially in August of 1972 (three full years BEFORE the Pong system was released), was not only the first home video game console, it was the first digital home video game console -- though due to the fact that TV's of its era used analogue video, its video circuits were analogue.
While the Odyssey connected to the TV, it was actually battery-powered and lacked sound but the important difference between it and the Pong system that would come later was its use of jumper-based circuit boards (an early form of cartridge game selection but rather than containing the game code the boards contained the jumper configuration to generate the game on the console).
The game encoding system used a total of 12 cartridges, which collectively included 26 games including every major ball-based sport as well as Hockey and Shooting games. Among its most popular titles were Roulette and Submarine Hunt.
With so wide a range of games then, you are probably wondering why it never caught on? The answer is an odd one - because Magnavox called the game console the “Magnavox Odyssey” consumers somehow got the idea that you had to own a Magnavox TV in order to use it!
Whats the first Hand Held Video Game Console? 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