"I, Videogame" ep. 1

First week's assignment, questions related to a short movie.

1) Videogames emerged from the culture of the "Cold War" - what does Henry Jenkins from MIT compare the period to in terms of a famous board game?
The Cold War was compared to a global version of the classic board game "Battleship."

2) a) Who was the inventor of the first Video game according to the documentary?
William Higginbotham.

b) What was the name of the game?
Tennis for Two.


3) Steve Russell is credited with the first true computer-based videogame (in terms of its use with the 1961 PDP1 mainframe computer) with SPACEWAR - what popular science fiction book series also influenced him?
Alongside the Space Race between the US and the USSR, the science fiction series "Lensman" influenced Steve Russel.

4) What innovation did Steve Russell's SPACEWAR introduce in terms of input hardware?
The joystick.

5) a) In the anti-war and counterculture period of the 1960s and 1970s, what new home entertainment system let consumers finally control what was being seen on the home television?
The All Purpose Box which became The Magnavox Odyssey.

b) b) Who was its inventor/developer?
Ralph Baer.

6) PONG emerged out of the counterculture spirit of the early 1970s - its natural home was what type of entertainment setting?
A coin operated table in a bar where people were looking for a break.

7) Who does Nolan Bushnell say were generally best at playing the game?
Women.

8) "Space Invaders" emerged in the late 1970s as the first game from Japan.
How did the TAITO production team intensify the emotion of the game using the four-note in-game music theme?
As the invaders got faster, the four notes increased in tempo and created a sense of panic for the player.

9) Steve Moulder reflects that the first arcade games tended to result in the player's defeat. This he argues in turn reflected the view held by many designers during that time that war itself is defeatist.

Has this view changed since that time? Do today's latest games still convey this sense? Why? Why not? (use your own words)
In current times, many games have a lack of limits.  Some games simply don't have an end goal, and victory or defeat is defined by the player.  Some feature a "New Game+" that challenges the player further.  There isn't "defeat" but there isn't "victory" either.

10) Have you ever played any of the games shown in this the first episode of "I, Videogame"? What was your memory of playing it? Where were you, when was it?
Tetris was my first taste of video games.  My grandmother forced my mom to buy me a Gameboy and Tetris after I had wandered into a game store as a little kid.  I remember wanting the blocks to go up.