Is it safe to say?

[sandmountainslim]

Is it safe to say that since the Golden Age of Arcade Machines began with the release of Space Invaders and the Golden Age of home consoles began with Atari's port of Space Invaders in 1980 that SI is THE reason that the things which we love so dearly even exists?

Is Space Invaders the very genesis of our hobby?

WP

[Atari-Jess]

Perhaps, but it was Super Mario that brought an industry back and Tetris that brought the things into our hands.

 

Space Invaders has been mostly forgotten where Mario and Tetris live on.

 

I love space invaders for the record...

[accousticguitar]

I would say the genesis of our hobby is Pong. It was the first popular arcade game and the first popular home video game.

 

Space Invaders certainly made the arcade and home arcade more popular.

[sandmountainslim]

I would say the genesis of our hobby is Pong. It was the first popular arcade game and the first popular home video game.

 

Yeah Pong was first but you didn't see Pong machines in the local FoodWorld, cafe and gas stations , I was sayin' SI started a real Revolution and broke the games out into pop culture and into our lives.

WP

[jetset]

I would say PacMan did that. I had only ever seen video games in local 7-11 type stores, and the local bowling alley before PacMan came out. When PacMan came out, arcades started popping up everywhere, and new coin-ops were coming out every week.

Ironicially we probably would all agree the 2600 version started the opposite effect.

[sandmountainslim]

Ironicially we probably would all agree the 2600 version started the opposite effect.

 

Sadly I would agree with that

Pac Man is without a doubt the "Beatles of the Arcade" but I am sayin SI is the "Elvis" as it is the first one I can recall people talkin' about in normal conversation, ya know like "have you played the Space Invaders machine at Dude's pool room??" We all thought Pinball's days were numbered when we saw that apparatus and it's popularity.

WP

[dwh]

A big YES!

I still remember going to a friends house just to play SI on the Atari VCS,before I had a system of my own.

[homerwannabee]

Perhaps, but it was Super Mario that brought an industry back and Tetris that brought the things into our hands.

 

Space Invaders has been mostly forgotten where Mario and Tetris live on.

 

I love space invaders for the record...

Space Invaders was the Genesis and Super Mario Bros. was the Exudus when Nintendo brought video games out of the bondage of the 84 crash.

[Godzilla]

indeed, space invaders was the 'killer app' that got home consoles off the ground. guess ray kassar wasn't all bad. this was after bushnell had already written off the vcs himself. and so many game variations... how awesome... i really miss that in modern stuff.

[Brian R.]

I would say PacMan did that. I had only ever seen video games in local 7-11 type stores, and the local bowling alley before PacMan came out. When PacMan came out, arcades started popping up everywhere, and new coin-ops were coming out every week.

Ironicially we probably would all agree the 2600 version started the opposite effect.

 

PacMan brought more women into the gaming fold. I wonder where they all went.

 

PacMan built upon and expanded on Space Invaders.

 

Space Invaders made the Atari 2600 take off.

 

But it did start with arcade Pong.

 

Mario, Tetris... they're further atop the shoulders of Pong, Space Invaders, PacMan and others.

[Rik]

Yes,I'd say SI was about %90 of the deciding factor to buy a 2600.It was for me and all other people i know.I recall how SI was "THE" game to get for the 2600 and still is.My neighbors got a 2600 with SI for xmas back when it was released.The kids were hooked the most you'd think?,no,the parents were!

[jboypacman]

Space Invaders was the first arcade game i ever played but Pong was the first video game i played at home so i would say that they both in the dead center of the "Big Bang" of video gaming at lest they are for me.

[Vic George 2K3]

Space Invaders was when videogames started walking upright.

[Rik]

I read somewhere,IIRC,ATARI SI programmer (Christopher Tumber?)got paid a measely $11,000 for Space Invaders,a game that made high millions in profit.He's probably in a mental ward somewhere,with his foot in his mouth rocking back and forth,in a straitjacket.Its no wonder the best atari programmers left to form Activision.

Edited December 27, 2007 by Rik

[NE146]

Pacman was a phenomenon.. BUT unless you were there, a lot of you don't realize there was a time you'd walk into the "arcades" or even just your basic malls in the past and see rows and rows of just Space Invaders machines.

 

I mean.. a typical arcade I'd go to had like or 8-12 Space Invader uprights and in the middle were a good half dozen or so Space Invader cocktails. And this was kind of common.. I've never seen that with any other arcade game really. You had a little corner of Street Fighter machines or a couple of Pacmans.. but not in the same capacity as Space Invaders

[Phantom]

Is it safe to say that since the Golden Age of Arcade Machines began with the release of Space Invaders and the Golden Age of home consoles began with Atari's port of Space Invaders in 1980 that SI is THE reason that the things which we love so dearly even exists?

Is Space Invaders the very genesis of our hobby?

WP

 

I agree with this whole heartedly. The 1st game on Atari I couldnt put down was this though we had other games available to play at a friends house who was well off. He was the 1st to have the system and SI is the only game we played for hours each day until we got kicked off it for spending too much time indoors. Back when parents used to yell at you for that. And we played SI as the main game for atleast 6 months I'd say. Yes, this statement rings true for me.

[Brian R.]

Pacman was a phenomenon.. BUT unless you were there, a lot of you don't realize there was a time you'd walk into the "arcades" or even just your basic malls in the past and see rows and rows of just Space Invaders machines.

 

I mean.. a typical arcade I'd go to had like or 8-12 Space Invader uprights and in the middle were a good half dozen or so Space Invader cocktails. And this was kind of common.. I've never seen that with any other arcade game really. You had a little corner of Street Fighter machines or a couple of Pacmans.. but not in the same capacity as Space Invaders

 

And even if you were around in those days - like me - it was so long ago, and things changed so much, and so quickly as time moves on, that you can forget what it was like.

 

I don't usually even see arcades anymore.

 

I miss the days of PacMan, Frogger, Dig Dug and the rest.

[Big Player]

Is it safe to say that since the Golden Age of Arcade Machines began with the release of Space Invaders and the Golden Age of home consoles began with Atari's port of Space Invaders in 1980 that SI is THE reason that the things which we love so dearly even exists?

Is Space Invaders the very genesis of our hobby?

WP

 

For me it was the start of my hobby. Before Space Invaders came out, my uncle bought me a Pong unit. I put it away after two weeks and never saw it again. Even the early 2600 titles did not interest me at all. My friend had one soon after the launch but I never asked my parents for one. Not for what they cost back then.

 

Then Space Invaders hit the arcades and took me away from pinball forever. I had to have a 2600 once the SI cart was released.