Scholarly Post - Kahlani Hall

Video games have come a long way since their beginnings. From 2-dimensional sprites to full 3D graphics, the development of video games has advanced along with technology.  The video gaming industry has mostly been concerned with innovation and the immersion of audiences into new experiences. Although advancing technologies allow developers to experiment with new techniques for creating games, the games of decades past are what paved the way. The years between the 1970s and 1980s have been a remarkable point of innovation for the video gaming industry. With the very first home gaming console release, and the release of the very first 3-dimensional game, audiences were able to experience gaming through different media that were brand new to that time period. 

The transition between 2-D graphic games and games with 3-D graphics extends from the beginning on the 1970s until the 1980s. It all started with the Odyssey, created by Magnavox in 1972, prior to Atari’s Pong.  Designed by Ralph Baer, the Odyssey was a device that featured a cartridge slot, and plastic overlays that were placed onto a television screen to simulate graphics the device itself was unable to draw, as mentioned by David Winter [1]. These overlays depicted several concepts, including a roulette for the game Roulette, several sports fields (Soccer, Tennis, Football, even Hockey and Skiing) for their corresponding games, and a series of repeating images that must be hit with a rifle accessory for Shooting Gallery.  Although it was believed that the games would only work with Magnavox televisions which hindered sales, Magnavox’s Odyssey still had a reception of over 330,000 consoles sold, and remains one of the most successful gaming consoles of all time.

Magnavox Odyssey (1972)

Game Overlays for Magnavox Odyssey

By the end of the decade, the world had seen the release of several games and consoles, each providing different experiences. Some became instant classics, such as Midway’s Space Invaders in 1978, and Namco’s Pacman in the early 1980s. Most attempted to compete with Atari, the powerhouse of that time. After Pong’s release, audiences saw many variants of the games by other companies. These games were still limited by 2-dimensional graphics, however. Mike Snider states that the artwork used in cover art were what helped the audience understand what it was they were seeing in the small graphics. [2] It wasn’t until the late 1980s that the world would finally see video games beyond their pixelated images; the arrival of the first 3D game.

Released by Atari in 1980, Battlezone was the very first video game to feature 3-dimensional graphics. Like the name implies, Battlezone is a first-person combat arcade game that is set in a virtual battlefield. The screen is black while words and images appeared in red and green overlays. The main goal was to outmaneuver enemy tanks and missiles controlled by a computer and set high scores. The game itself was so advanced, the US Government began using enhanced versions of the game to use for training.

Battlezone (1980)

 In relation to game art, Battlezone’s 3D graphics created a world close to that of our own, giving players a chance to experience what it was like to be on a battlefield. Video game art is there to help audiences explore that which is unfamiliar. Elements such as visuals, audio, interactivity and story-telling are combined into video game art to present that experience.

Works Cited 

1. Winter, David . "Pong-Story : Magnavox Odyssey, the first video game system." Pong-Story . http://www.pong-story.com/odyssey.htm#P4 (accessed October 15, 2012).

2. Snider , Mike. "Are video games art? Draw your own conclusions." USA TODAY, 3 12, 2012. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/story/2012-03-12/video-games-smithsonian/53502696/1(accessed October 15, 2012).