December 13, 2011 05:54 am EDT

Computer Space turns 40, video games gear up for mid-life crisis

It was November of 1971 that Nolan Bushnell, Ted Dabney and Computer Space officially ushered in the era of the video game. Before running off to start Atari, the two men released the world's first coin-operated arcade cabinet and, indeed, the first commercial video game ever -- a full six months before the Odyssey. Computer Space was a relatively simple title in which a player used four buttons to pilot a ship around the screen and do battle with flying saucers. The mechanics and graphics should be familiar to anyone who has ever tried their hand at Asteroids. In fact, it is essentially Asteroids without the titular space debris. Technologizer has a rather fascinating and in depth look at the pioneering game, tracing its evolution all the way back to a 1962 DEC PDP-1 tech demo. Head on over to the source to get the full story.

Computer Space turns 40, video games gear up for mid-life crisis originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Technologizer ||Comments

Original Link: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/13/computer-space-turns-40-video-games-gear-up-for-mid-life-crisis/

View Full Article

Engadget

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics. Engadget was launched in March of 2004 in partnership with the Weblogs, Inc. Network (WI

More About this Source Visit Engadget