According to our friends ‘over the pond’ at Select Car Leasing UK, (big time racing fans- go figure!) the history of F1 Racing Video Games began with 1982’s ZX Spectrum home computer. Cue up the time machine and take a look at this nifty info-graphic to discover the rest.
No video game genre is as venerable, or as durable, as that of the simple adventure game. “Adventure” actually covers a number of styles, but there are a few distinguishing characteristics common to them all. They eschew action and combat in favor of exploration and puzzle-solving, and instead of developing their own in-game personas, players generally step into the shoes of an established, or at the very least fixed, character following a tightly-crafted narrative. Yet from the text-based odysseys of the 70’s and 80’s to the surprisingly sophisticated point-and-click journeys of today, the adventure in all its many variations has proven itself one tough old bird.
The origins of the genre can be found in the 1976 game entitled Colossal Cave Adventure. Created by Will Crowther, it was based on his real-life caving experiences embellished with a smattering of fantasy elements that were later expanded upon by Stanford University graduate student Don Woods. Among its most ardent fans were Ken and Roberta Williams, who were so inspired by the game that they actually launched their own software house, Online Entertainment, later famous as Sierra Online, one of the foremost game publishers of the 80s and 90s and an early pioneer of the graphical adventure.
While Sierra was innovating with graphics, another company known as Infocom was pushing boundaries of a different sort. Infocom games like Zork, Planetfall and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy were all about the text parser, yet they were also engaging, complex and, for awhile, commercially successful. But unlike Sierra, Infocom was late catching the graphical wave; its sales declined throughout the second half of the 1980s until Activision, which acquired Infocom in 1986, shut it down for good in 1989.
The next big thing in adventures was LucasArts. These days the company is best known for churning out half-baked Star Wars titles but there was a time when the name evoked images of rough-hewn bikers, invading alien tentacles, Freelance Police and some of the most unlikely pirates you’re ever likely to meet. In 1993, Cyan changed everything with Myst, an incredibly popular and influential release that discarded many of the conventional rules of the genre and made exploration and the discovery of everything, including the basic rules of play, an integral part of the experience.
Today, adventures no longer set the pace for the industry they way they once did (perhaps things are changing- L.A. Noir aims to refresh the adventure genre in high style- content producer) but they have enjoyed a resurgence in recent years in the hands of small, independent developers who continue to innovate and refine. One of the most remarkable examples of the current state of the adventure art is Gemini Rue, which actually roots itself in the past with blocky, VGA-style graphics that manage to look both dated and yet surprisingly beautiful. But underneath those retro visuals lies a thoroughly modern game, with a haunting soundtrack, top-flight voice acting and a story that will keep you guessing until the very end – and leave you wanting more.
The humble adventure has long since been surpassed in popularity by the shooter, the RPG and other genres, but the emergence of gaming as a mainstream creative medium, coupled with the near-limitless potential of widely accessible digital distribution, could very well herald a renaissance. This in turn opens the style to a wider audience than ever, and while not every gamer will like every adventure – personally, I can’t stand King’s Quest games – I can just about guarantee that ever gamer will find one or two that suit their tastes. Try one sometime. You might be surprised. For the Silo, Andy Chalk.
Featured image- The Jewels of Darkness Trilogy (all 3 Colossal Cave Adventure games/sequels) MS-DOS 1986
When I think back to the 1980’s I have mostly fond memories. It was time of great fun and discovery for me personally. I had both Commodore and Apple computers and a hairstyle that is happy to remain in my past. I listened to cool groups like “Twisted Sister” and wouldn’t publicly admit that I enjoyed “Culture Club”. Being in high school, I was painfully shy and didn’t have a lot of success with girls.
Apple had a pretty similar experience if you think about it. They were a little shy and reserved, but very much loved by those who understood them. They didn’t go out much – choosing to stay in schools and in a very few select homes. They had their share of identity crisis’ in the early 80’s and tried to break free with a whole new persona called “Macintosh” in 1984.
They walked around confused between educational, business, and recreational use and staggered out of the fog towards the end of the decade.
The 1990’s brought about a new confidence and independence. I had started a business just at the end of the 80’s and took my experience to heart as I tried to find the right niche for me. I knew that computers was where I was meant to be and grew a business from nothing to exceptional sales in a short time.
I also saw the market hinge and my sales erode and I wasn’t quite able to move fast enough to recover my previous glory.
Apple saw their market share grow and decline in the 90’s as well. They knew that computers were where they were meant to be, but they couldn’t decide if they were the company to make them. They tried licensing out their operating system to others in a move that ultimately
muddied the market and left their loyal customers wondering just exactly where they were going next. Following graph courtesy of www.saypeople.com
The 2000’s became a year of maturity for me. More confident in the path I was following, I followed my dreams to open a computer museum and finally saw it through in 2005. I refocused my energies with my passion for video games to acquire the largest collection in Canada while at the same time educating others along the way.
I worked my way towards a global following for those that have shared my vision. Apple made the move from niche computer to dedicated
music device, to a more advanced smart phone in the 2000’s. They grew their loyal following in the computer market by making some radical
changes to their core operating system and integrating their new consumer devices flawlessly. They became the company they had always
dreamed they could be.
Today, I ’m following my dreams and am no longer the shy, awkward guy I was in high school. I ’m successful and I ’ve moved on from “Culture Club”. My life is very interesting because I like to keep one foot in the past to enjoy the good times, while putting another foot forward into the exciting future.
The best is yet to come, and I think the same is true for Apple. For the Silo, Syd Bolton. Check out www.pcmuseum.ca in Brantford,Ontario.
