Watercooler Wednesday - Video Games
I’m not much of a current “gamer”. Haven’t owned a Playstation, XBox, or Wii. Have an old Nintendo 64 console somewhere in my basement, which still plays a mean Super Mario Brothers.
But back in the college days, I can’t even begin to imagine how many quarters I dropped in pinball machines and video game consoles. I would be very depressed to know the total dollar amount. Probably equal to my tuition.
So, in memory of old-school video games, we say Happy 30th Birthday to Space Invaders…the original, the one that started it all.
According to Wikipedia, Space Invaders generated almost 500 MILLION DOLLARS (U.S.) in revenue. It introduced the concept of achieving a high score, and also “intermissions” between rounds. At the height of its popularity, it was blamed for a shortage of Japanese yen coins.
So, Space Invaders, we salute you. Thank you for your lasting impact on our culture. And my wallet.
(This post is part of Watercooler Wednesday)
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Comments
I remember standing there next to you watching you do it. You are still the only one I know who made it all the way through “Dragon’s Lair.”
Irony Dept.: In my house: N64, Gamecube, PS2 and Xbox360 (the X is hooked up to the Net in a nonstop worldwide Halo match). And do I play any of them? Of course not.
Great post Paul. I was cracking up. Very interesting to know that they are responsible for high score.
Ahhhhh . . . the sweet memories.