what's new
latest news
Podcast:E3 2008 wrapup with special guest Yahtzee
Feature:E3 2008 - Day 3 Wrap-up
News:Mainstream Media Hits - Matt on ABCs PM program
Feature:E3 2008 - Day 2 Wrap-up
Review:Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
News:Too beautiful to ignore..
Review:Monster Jam
News:Big trouble in little China
Feature:E3 2008 - Day 1 Wrap-up
News:E3 2008 ... it begins
News:Final Fantasy XIII announced for the Xbox 360
Update:A History Of Refusal
Interview:Firemint talk about their iPod game The Sims DJ
News:BtVS Sacrificing itself for that pesky hellmouth
News:Rock Band 2 Trailer and sneak peak at Rock Band 2 Drums
Feature:E3 2008 - Day 3 Wrap-up
News:Mainstream Media Hits - Matt on ABCs PM program
Feature:E3 2008 - Day 2 Wrap-up
Review:Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
News:Too beautiful to ignore..
Review:Monster Jam
News:Big trouble in little China
Feature:E3 2008 - Day 1 Wrap-up
News:E3 2008 ... it begins
News:Final Fantasy XIII announced for the Xbox 360
Update:A History Of Refusal
Interview:Firemint talk about their iPod game The Sims DJ
News:BtVS Sacrificing itself for that pesky hellmouth
News:Rock Band 2 Trailer and sneak peak at Rock Band 2 Drums
latest podcast
random quote
“Of course, it didn’t help that every time I stepped into the car, I had a racing helmet on, a pair of aviators and would crank to full volume ‘The Danger Zone’ by Kenny Logins on the little red Excel’s stereo system.”
'Project Gotham Racing 4' Reviewby Starks
most recent on forum
Ebgames by EdgeCrusher at 4:55am
Duke Nukem Trilogy by EdgeCrusher at 4:52am
Global Warming by SniperXtreme at 4:52am
boom blox? by EdgeCrusher at 4:50am
Favourite Weapons by EdgeCrusher at 4:49am
DUN DUN DUN Dun dun by SniperXtreme at 4:48am
Second Is RE5 Really that Great. by EdgeCrusher at 4:44am
Hey, IT"S FRED!!!! by ArmTheBomb at 4:10am
Call Of Duty World At War by MickeyMOUSE at 2:33am
WoW player trades sex for gold by Schlen at 2:20am
PODCAST [ E3 2008 wrapup with special guest Yahtzee ] by Schlen at 2:14am
Harry Potter & the half blood prince trailer by Lord Halo Nerd at 1:35am
Unofficial Melbourne catchup with Yug by Vesuvious at 1:17am
Sword of the Stranger by Vesuvious at 1:02am
Site Errors by Vesuvious at 12:55am
Duke Nukem Trilogy by EdgeCrusher at 4:52am
Global Warming by SniperXtreme at 4:52am
boom blox? by EdgeCrusher at 4:50am
Favourite Weapons by EdgeCrusher at 4:49am
DUN DUN DUN Dun dun by SniperXtreme at 4:48am
Second Is RE5 Really that Great. by EdgeCrusher at 4:44am
Hey, IT"S FRED!!!! by ArmTheBomb at 4:10am
Call Of Duty World At War by MickeyMOUSE at 2:33am
WoW player trades sex for gold by Schlen at 2:20am
PODCAST [ E3 2008 wrapup with special guest Yahtzee ] by Schlen at 2:14am
Harry Potter & the half blood prince trailer by Lord Halo Nerd at 1:35am
Unofficial Melbourne catchup with Yug by Vesuvious at 1:17am
Sword of the Stranger by Vesuvious at 1:02am
Site Errors by Vesuvious at 12:55am
upcoming releases
PC
24 Jul
Aion: The Tower of EternityNDS
24 Jul
Cory in the HouseNDS
24 Jul
Suite Life of Zack and Cody: Circle of SpiesWII
31 Jul
Garfield Gets RealNDS
31 Jul
Garfield Gets Realrss feeds
Australian Gamer Content - All
Australian Gamer Podcasts - All
Australian Gamer Updates, Reviews, Previews, Features
feature :: the history of competitive gaming - part 1
The History of Competitive Gaming - Part 1
Starks gives us a in depth feature on the history of competitive gaming. This is Part 1 of a two part series.
Introduction | The Past | Walter Day Interview | The Rise of Nintendo | Conclusion
The Past
‘The Golden Age’ of Video Game Arcades...
Gaming itself is, by nature, competitive. When people would roll up to their local video arcade with their pockets full of 20c pieces (Or whatever your currency), the aim was often to beat the highest score on the arcade game of choice. Whether it be trying to finish Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, beating your best mates highest score on Galaga or if you’re like George Costanza and you just had to have the highest score in Frogger human nature inevitably took hold and people always wanted to be the best.
The start of the Golden Age, however, is believed to be when Time magazine ran a cover in 1982 detailing the craze that was video game arcades.
Articles found on gaming in this particular Time magazine:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,949467,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,949468-2,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,949439,00.html
From there, the craze began and kids all over the world took to arcades like there was no tomorrow. However the first publicised and noticed tournaments was held on January 8th to 9th, 1983 in Ottumwa, Iowa. On this day the ‘Video Game Capital of the World’ held the first Video Games Olympics, with 19 hand-picked contestants fighting it out to discover who was the ‘Best of the Best’.
The top three finalists were then flown to Los Angeles to appear in U.S. TV show ‘That’s Incredible’. The show was filmed and released on February 21st and after scrounging through YouTube I was able to find some of the footage of the show, as well as a link to the entire show via Twin Galaxies
Ironically, Ben Gold came first, and won the gold medal, with Todd Walker and Darren Olsen coming second and third respectively. And so from humble beginnings came the first competitive and nationally televised competition.
Working behind the scenes of all this was an organisation called Twin Galaxies, who to this day remain one of the top resources for gamers seeking to find out the highest scores to a game. Although the evolution of games has seen less titles with, strictly speaking, ‘scores’ they have still faithfully recorded and verified high scores around the world.
Twin Galaxies was founded by Walter Day, an oil executive who became addicted to Pac-Man. His own obsession with video games started when he was sent to Utah on a work trip in 1981. On his travels, Day stopped to record the high scores of roughly 50 Pac-Man machines before returning home, quitting his job as an oil executive and starting his own arcade called Twin Galaxies. Day himself states that he ‘...became embroiled in a long campaign to prove my manhood by beating the machines.’
His cause was helped when the ‘Golden Age of Arcade Games’ was signalled in 1982 after the aforementioned Time magazine covered Video Games. Day himself believes that the above cover by Time launched what he believes it the ‘Golden Age of Video Game Arcades’. Becoming an authority on the matter, he implemented the Twin Galaxies Tournament Settings (TGTS), which became the universal requirements for those aiming to achieve a high score.
Supposedly his impetus for recording the scores themselves came from when 16 year old gamer Tony Mattan scored 24,565,975 in Defender using the ‘Marathon’ mode. Upon calling William Electronics (Who, with Namco, created the game and machine itself) he found neither recorded the high scores themselves. Impassioned to create his own scoreboards to record the efforts of gamers around the nation, February 9th saw the establishment of Twin Galaxies Scoreboards.
Since that day, Day was heavily involved in competitive arcade gaming and in an autobiography he published on Twin Galaxies, had the following to say about his role as the competitive gaming authority of the world:
Unbelievable as it seems, just about every high score attempt and ensuing media onslaught in the world during the years 1982-1986 was handled by me personally. This is why the story of Twin Galaxies must be included in this first edition of Twin Galaxies’ Official Video Game & Pinball Book of World Records. My opinions - and the players’ opinions - on the golden age must be heard.’
For those interested in reading all of Days story, click here to find out more.
For me, one of the most poignant moments in competitive gaming history was in March 1983, when Twin Galaxies was approached by ‘The Electronic Circus’. Offered a contract by the group, Day and a squad of 15 record holders are seen as the first professionally contracted video game players. I find it absolutely incredible that 25 years ago competitive gaming was literally born, and gamers were paid for their skills!
Still, the whirlwind continued in 1983 as Day founded the United States National Video Game Team and helped chaperone the team around the country as they conducted the Video Game Masters Tournament.
As 1984 turned, the momentum of the ‘Golden Age’ peaked, before in 1985 it began to dissipate; Due, in Day’s opinion, to the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System.
Essentially, the golden age lasted until the kids stayed home and found their Nintendo Entertainment Systems under the Christmas tree. High scores became a thing of the past as video game playing became a solitary avocation, practiced in the solitude of the bedroom or family den.
The arcades slowly closed. Though the number of players continued to grow, the arcade became a rare item in today’s world. Less than 1% of the arcades listed in Twin Galaxies’ original database are still in existence. They’ve vanished, like roller skating rinks in small towns.’
It was Day’s belief that the end of the ‘Golden Age’ came in January 5th, 1986, when the Guinness Wold Challenge only attracted 6 contestants.
Where one era ended, another began. The Nintendo Entertainment System allowed gaming to take off in a completely new and incredible way. With it came a whole new set of competitions that would catch the attention of the world.
On the next page however, is an interview I managed to get with Walter Day himself, which I hope will give you some insight into the era that spawned competitive gaming.
‘The Golden Age’ of Video Game Arcades...
Gaming itself is, by nature, competitive. When people would roll up to their local video arcade with their pockets full of 20c pieces (Or whatever your currency), the aim was often to beat the highest score on the arcade game of choice. Whether it be trying to finish Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, beating your best mates highest score on Galaga or if you’re like George Costanza and you just had to have the highest score in Frogger human nature inevitably took hold and people always wanted to be the best.
The start of the Golden Age, however, is believed to be when Time magazine ran a cover in 1982 detailing the craze that was video game arcades.
Articles found on gaming in this particular Time magazine:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,949467,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,949468-2,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,949439,00.html
From there, the craze began and kids all over the world took to arcades like there was no tomorrow. However the first publicised and noticed tournaments was held on January 8th to 9th, 1983 in Ottumwa, Iowa. On this day the ‘Video Game Capital of the World’ held the first Video Games Olympics, with 19 hand-picked contestants fighting it out to discover who was the ‘Best of the Best’.
The top three finalists were then flown to Los Angeles to appear in U.S. TV show ‘That’s Incredible’. The show was filmed and released on February 21st and after scrounging through YouTube I was able to find some of the footage of the show, as well as a link to the entire show via Twin Galaxies
Ironically, Ben Gold came first, and won the gold medal, with Todd Walker and Darren Olsen coming second and third respectively. And so from humble beginnings came the first competitive and nationally televised competition.
Working behind the scenes of all this was an organisation called Twin Galaxies, who to this day remain one of the top resources for gamers seeking to find out the highest scores to a game. Although the evolution of games has seen less titles with, strictly speaking, ‘scores’ they have still faithfully recorded and verified high scores around the world.
Twin Galaxies was founded by Walter Day, an oil executive who became addicted to Pac-Man. His own obsession with video games started when he was sent to Utah on a work trip in 1981. On his travels, Day stopped to record the high scores of roughly 50 Pac-Man machines before returning home, quitting his job as an oil executive and starting his own arcade called Twin Galaxies. Day himself states that he ‘...became embroiled in a long campaign to prove my manhood by beating the machines.’
His cause was helped when the ‘Golden Age of Arcade Games’ was signalled in 1982 after the aforementioned Time magazine covered Video Games. Day himself believes that the above cover by Time launched what he believes it the ‘Golden Age of Video Game Arcades’. Becoming an authority on the matter, he implemented the Twin Galaxies Tournament Settings (TGTS), which became the universal requirements for those aiming to achieve a high score.
Supposedly his impetus for recording the scores themselves came from when 16 year old gamer Tony Mattan scored 24,565,975 in Defender using the ‘Marathon’ mode. Upon calling William Electronics (Who, with Namco, created the game and machine itself) he found neither recorded the high scores themselves. Impassioned to create his own scoreboards to record the efforts of gamers around the nation, February 9th saw the establishment of Twin Galaxies Scoreboards.
Since that day, Day was heavily involved in competitive arcade gaming and in an autobiography he published on Twin Galaxies, had the following to say about his role as the competitive gaming authority of the world:
Unbelievable as it seems, just about every high score attempt and ensuing media onslaught in the world during the years 1982-1986 was handled by me personally. This is why the story of Twin Galaxies must be included in this first edition of Twin Galaxies’ Official Video Game & Pinball Book of World Records. My opinions - and the players’ opinions - on the golden age must be heard.’
For those interested in reading all of Days story, click here to find out more.
For me, one of the most poignant moments in competitive gaming history was in March 1983, when Twin Galaxies was approached by ‘The Electronic Circus’. Offered a contract by the group, Day and a squad of 15 record holders are seen as the first professionally contracted video game players. I find it absolutely incredible that 25 years ago competitive gaming was literally born, and gamers were paid for their skills!
Still, the whirlwind continued in 1983 as Day founded the United States National Video Game Team and helped chaperone the team around the country as they conducted the Video Game Masters Tournament.
As 1984 turned, the momentum of the ‘Golden Age’ peaked, before in 1985 it began to dissipate; Due, in Day’s opinion, to the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System.
Essentially, the golden age lasted until the kids stayed home and found their Nintendo Entertainment Systems under the Christmas tree. High scores became a thing of the past as video game playing became a solitary avocation, practiced in the solitude of the bedroom or family den.
The arcades slowly closed. Though the number of players continued to grow, the arcade became a rare item in today’s world. Less than 1% of the arcades listed in Twin Galaxies’ original database are still in existence. They’ve vanished, like roller skating rinks in small towns.’
It was Day’s belief that the end of the ‘Golden Age’ came in January 5th, 1986, when the Guinness Wold Challenge only attracted 6 contestants.
Where one era ended, another began. The Nintendo Entertainment System allowed gaming to take off in a completely new and incredible way. With it came a whole new set of competitions that would catch the attention of the world.
On the next page however, is an interview I managed to get with Walter Day himself, which I hope will give you some insight into the era that spawned competitive gaming.
