CSCI 1011: Intro to Game Programming (© 2007 by Brian Downs) 1

CSCI 1011

Introductionto

Game Programming

Instructor: Brian Downs

CSCI 1011: Intro to Game Programming (© 2007 by Brian Downs) 2

A Very Brief History of Computer and Video Games

Just some highlights of this specialized use of computers and related technology It all started nearly 60 years ago!!

CSCI 1011: Intro to Game Programming (© 2007 by Brian Downs) 3

In the beginning… A patent was issued for a "Cathode-Ray Tube Amusement Device" that simulated a missile firing at a target… …in 1948 In 1952 an electronic tic-tac-toe game was demonstrated at the University of Cambridge (the guy got a PhD for doing this!) In 1958 a tennis game was developed on an oscilloscope

CSCI 1011: Intro to Game Programming (© 2007 by Brian Downs) 4

In the beginning… A patent was issued for a "Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device" that simulated a missile firing at a target… …in 1948 In 1952 an electronic tic-tac-toe game was demonstrated at the University of Cambridge (the guy got a PhD for doing this!) In 1958 a tennis game was developed on an oscilloscope

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Side-note: Chess Chess has always been a game people have strived to make a playing machine for.

A famous one shown in 1770

It was an impressive fake!

The amazing Mechanical Turk automaton !

It played an impressive game of chess.

CSCI 1011: Intro to Game Programming (© 2007 by Brian Downs) 6

More on Chess Alan Turing writes the first chess playing computer program in 1950

In 1956 MANIAC I plays against humans

Grand Master Gary Kasaporov defeated by Deep Blue in 1997

2400 vacuum tubes!

This chess game had no bishops!

CSCI 1011: Intro to Game Programming (© 2007 by Brian Downs) 7

Back to Video Games: History of Some of the Major Players In 1889 this company begins producing playing cards for games

• Nintendo ('leave luck to heaven')

In 1932 this company, the Con- necticut Leather Co, sells leather tooling kits

• COLECO

This company begins in post- WWII Japan in 1945 as the Tokyo Telecommunications Research Institute

• SONY

CSCI 1011: Intro to Game Programming (© 2007 by Brian Downs) 8

History of Some of the Major Players: One more…

This company originally started in 1940 as Standard Games and then became Service Games. It sold jukeboxes and pinball machines

• SErvice GAmes = SEGA

CSCI 1011: Intro to Game Programming (© 2007 by Brian Downs) 9

An Important Milestone In 1961, Steve Russell at MIT develops Space Wars. A two-payer game that lets each fire photon-torpedoes while trying to avoid a central black hole "If I hadn't done it, someone would've done something equally exciting if not better in the next six months. I just happened to get there first."

- Steve Russell aka "The Slug"

CSCI 1011: Intro to Game Programming (© 2007 by Brian Downs) 10

Why Space Wars is Important

1971 Bill Pitts and Hugh Tuck form Computer Recreations

1972 Noland Bushnell and Ted Dabney (@Nutting Associates)

Galaxy Game Cost: $20,000Play cost: 10 centsBuilt: dozens

Galaxy Game Built: 1,500 1972

PONGBuilt: 10,000“Breaks down”

Father of the Video Game Industry

CSCI 1011: Intro to Game Programming (© 2007 by Brian Downs) 11

Video Games Come Home

1972 Magnavox builds Odyssey

TV overlays

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The Golden Age 1978-1981 Taito release Space Invaders, 1978

Atari releases Asteroids, 1979

Frogger, Konami/Sega, 1981

Pac-Man, Bally/Midway, 1980

Donkey Kong, Nintendo, 1981

Namco releases Pac-Man, 1982 (+300K machines sold) Had own TV program!

US Army commissions Atari for a tank simulation game. Start of a long, enduring activity

Nintendo releases its first console in 1981

www.tripletsandus.com/80s/80s_games/

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Trouble in Paradise, 1982-1984 Commodore releases Commodore 64 PC –

initially successful but looses out to others… xxx

Coleco releases the Adam PC – it bombs…

In general, there are just too many competitors, large and small – the market saturates…

Atari is sold to Commodore

Atari pulls it console from the market

CSCI 1011: Intro to Game Programming (© 2007 by Brian Downs) 14

The Rebound, 1985-1989 Nintendo release NES – the critics pan it, but it's an instant success!

Apple releases the Mac. Atari releases the 520ST (guess who won…)

Windows is released, and the PC becomes a gaming platform

Tetris is released!

Coleco closes shop…

• Legend of Zelda introduced

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The Story Continues…

1989 – Nintendo release Gameboy

1991 - Sega releases Genesis xxxix- Nintendo releases Super NES

1992 – RTS standard set by Dune II

1993 – FPS standard set by Doom xxxxi- Myst first to fully use CD-ROM capabilities. Becomes best selling game of the decade

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The Story Continues…

2000 – PlayStation 2 released xxxxi- The Sims released. Surpasses Myst in sales

2001 – Xbox released

2005 – Xbox 360 released

2006 – PlayStation 3 released xxxxi- Nintendo Wii released

2007 – CSCI 1011, "Intro to Game Programming" debuts at Century College!